Designed for Love (14 page)

"Okay, you asked for it. Then
there's Mike, he has two girls, Sarah and Kaitlyn and one boy, Robby. Next
comes Stacy, she has one girl and two boys, Lisa, Chris and Todd." He took
a sip of his cola.

"Then there's Rick, he has two girls
so far with another on the way, Allison and Amber and the new baby will be
Andrea. Why he chose all A's is beyond me. But that's what they chose. So now
you know the whole story."

"What about your parents?"

"You're kidding, right?"

I shook my head.

"Mom's name is Emily, she's 61 and
Dad, Joe, is 64 and almost ready to retire. There you have it– the whole
Johnson family tree. What else do you want to know?" He stood up.
"How about a tour of the house?"

I hesitated. I'd love to see the house.
All of it, yet I didn't trust myself to go upstairs. "I was wondering,
isn't there another staircase? I mean, didn't these houses usually have a front
and back stairway?"

"You're right. Come on I'll show
you." Bill took my hand and pulled me up from the chair.

I caught my breath as I stood almost face
to face with him. He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. At first just
a whisper of a kiss, then it deepened.

My lips quivered with the sensuality of
his kiss. I inhaled the scent of him, citrusy, fresh. The room twirled around
me as the kiss deepened yet again. His tongue invaded my mouth, entwined with
mine. He tasted salty and delicious. In another moment I was going to give up
control.

Something bumped against my leg. I pulled
away and looked down. Leo tried to get between us. Thank God, something stopped
us. In another minute I might have done something I'd be sorry for. I walked to
the closet where Bill hung my jacket. "I should go." And damn quick
before something else happened.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't very
professional was it? I just couldn't help myself." Bill ran his hand
through his hair. "Do you have any idea how attractive you are? How
sexy?"

I opened the closet and grabbed my
jacket. "I have to go." He thought I was attractive, sexy. This
wasn't good. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. No good, no good at all. I
slipped my jacket on and hurried to the door.

"Wendy."

The pleading tone of Bill's voice stopped
me. I couldn't look at him. If I looked at him, I'd give in. "What?"

"I promise. It'll never happen again.
Unless you want it to, that is."

I almost laughed. Therein lay the
problem– I wanted it to. Wanted it desperately. But I couldn't, wouldn't give
in. For a moment I hesitated, wanted to go back. Wanted to take him at his
word. I was sure he meant it. Was sure I could trust him.

Problem was I couldn't trust myself.

I shook my head. "I can't." I
opened the door and ran to my car before he could stop me again. I must have
been crazy to even go inside. I dug in my pocket for the keys. Great, where
were they? Then it dawned on me. I set them on the table. Crap, I had to go
back. I had no choice.

Unless he'd bring them out to me. Fat
chance of that happening. I could picture him in there, laughing at me. Waiting
for me to come back. No, Bill wouldn't do that. Another guy maybe, but not
Bill. At least I didn't think he would. I looked back at the house. Already the
kitchen was dark. He probably never even noticed the keys.

I shrugged. Nothing else to do. I went
back to the house and knocked. I heard a soft woof from somewhere inside and
smiled. Leo. Sweet, precious Leo. If it hadn't been for him who knows what I'd
be doing right now?

The kitchen light went on, and Bill came
toward the door. My heart leapt at the sight of him. Sometime in the few
minutes since I left, he'd taken off his shirt. His muscles rippled in his
chest as he reached his hand out to unlock the door. God, I wanted that man.

Chapter Eighteen

Heat surged through my body and my cheeks
felt flushed. I was treading on dangerous ground and I couldn't stop myself.
This time I wasn't going to walk away. I knew it in my bones. He swung open the
door and that silly grin almost brought me to my knees.

"Back already?"

The laughter in his voice tantalized me.
A tight tingly sensation began in the pit of my stomach and moved outward. I
opened the screen door and stepped in.

Without answering, I moved toward him,
unbuttoning my jacket as I went. He took a step back. Surprise registered on
his face. I didn't care. Like it or not, I was going to finish what he started.
Why not? We were both adults, and obviously we wanted each other. Desired each
other. Hell, the flame inside me demanded to be doused. And I aimed to do just
that.

I tossed my jacket on the chair and took
another step toward him. He stood still, so still I could barely hear him
breathe. I reached up and pulled his head down toward mine, brought his lips to
within a hair of my own. He grabbed my wrist and stopped me.

"Don't start something you can't
finish." His voice held a note of warning.

Oh, I had every intention of finishing.
And when I was finished, he'd want me again and yet again. He started this and
I sure as hell was going to finish it.

I licked my lips greedily and looked up
at him. "Trust me, I intend to finish." I brushed my fingers gently
across his chest, then reached behind and pulled his head down to me. This time
connecting with his mouth.

I kissed him long and hard, increasing
the pressure while my body burned out of control. The feel of his bare chest
under my hand overwhelmed me. Moisture gathered between my legs, as the hard
bulge in his pants, pressed against me.

Suddenly, he pulled away, held me at
arm's length and looked at me. "Are you sure about this?"

"Never been surer of anything in my
life." The huskiness of my voice surprised even me.

"Come on." Bill put his arm
around me. "I'll show you the back staircase."

"Where's Leo?"

"In his bed." He led me to the
back stairway.

I leaned against him, as much for support
as for wanting to touch him. He led me through a doorway and up a long
stairway.

At the top, he stopped and looked at me
again. His soft gray eyes seemed to study me. "You're absolutely sure?
Because once we go through that door there's no turning back."

I nodded. A small part of me was unsure.
A very small part. The biggest part didn't have a doubt in my mind. I wanted
this more than anything I'd ever wanted in my life. I motioned him forward.
"Trust me, I'm sure."

Bill opened another door, flipped on the
light, and led me inside. I was surprised at the size of the room and the size
of the bed. I figured him for a king, if not a queen, but a modest double bed
sat in the middle of the room.

A cranberry-colored quilt half exposed
silver sheets. Black and white striped wallpaper covered the walls. The room
screamed masculinity. Yet the softness of it appealed to me.

Bill stood next to me.

I stopped and looked at him, saw the
apprehension, knew he was waiting for me to change my mind? I could tell he
wasn't sure. He knew he had to give me time. I walked around the room, touching
things. Photos of his family on the mantel, decanters he'd collected over the
years. I ran my hands across the dresser top, caressing it. I loved old things,
old wood. Loved the smooth feel of it beneath my hands. Finally, I turned and came
back to him.

I reached up and ran my hand along his
cheek, across his head, running my fingers in his hair.

Finally, I put my arms around him and
stood on tiptoes to reach his mouth. I slipped my tongue into his mouth. I'd
never been so bold.

His arms came around me, and his tongue
entangled with my own, tasting, nibbling, sucking. He slid his hand under my
blouse and my breasts responded.

He worked his way under my lacy bra, and
I was lost. Lost in my own desire. I felt like I was floating high in the sky,
and I never wanted to come down to earth.

I sensed the edge of the bed behind my
knees. Felt him lowering me on the mattress.

He leaned on his elbow next to me and ran
his finger along my cheek, across my lips. He followed with his lips, kissing my
neck, teasing me, tantalizing me.

He unbuttoned my blouse one slow button
at a time. I wanted to help him, but he stopped me. Finally, he pushed it off
my shoulders.

I could hardly breathe as he moved my bra
out of the way and nibbled each hard nipple. Waves and waves of electrifying
passion spiraled through my body. Never in my wildest imagination did I think
making love would be so seductive, yet so magical.

Chapter Nineteen

I lay curled next to Bill more content
than I'd ever been in my life. Well, for as long as I could remember, anyway.
How many women had come before me, I wondered. Bill was so experienced, so
gentle, caring and considerate, yet so passionate.

I looked at him. Propped on his elbow, he
caressed me with his other hand. Even now, doing things to my insides that I
never dreamed of. Of course he had a past, probably a many women. A man his age
and that good-looking and charismatic didn't go through life a virgin. Hell,
most women didn't.

"Penny for your thoughts." Bill
ran his fingers across my neck and up to my cheek. I shivered under the
gentleness of it. Yet, it aroused me.

"Hmm, oh, nothing, just thinking
about getting up and going home." I lied.

"You can stay." He nibbled my
ear. "You can leave in the morning."

The idea sounded heavenly. There was
nothing I'd enjoy more than waking up next to him. Dared I stay? His lips on my
breast were being very convincing. Lord, what this man did to me.

"I'll even make us breakfast in the
morning."

The way he sucked on my nipples intoxicated
me. The sheer ecstasy of it caused me to lose all sense of rationalism. It
didn't exist anymore. Nothing did. Nothing but the way he teased me with his
mouth.

I sank down into the sheets and relished
in the delight of it. A small moan escaped my throat as he moved to my stomach.
Unbelievably, I was ready for more.

Was his plan to exhaust me so I couldn't
leave? I didn't care. Right now, I didn't care about anything but the way his
tongue slid across my stomach. He pushed my legs apart and lowered himself
between them. I brought my hips up to meet him. He plunged his hard member
inside of me and my body rose up to meet him, creating a rhythm all its own.
Wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over me.

If his plan was to exhaust me, it worked.
Satisfied, drowsy and slightly intoxicated from sex, I lay back and closed my
eyes. I could no more get out of bed and go home than I could dance a jig.

What's more, I didn't care. I just wanted
to lay here and relish the luscious feeling of contentment.

Bill continued to caress me, but now it
just relaxed me. I liked the way he stroked my hair behind my ears. Reminded me
of when I was young and my mother did the same thing. It had the same
comforting feeling. I closed my eyes and slept.

I wasn't sure what time it was when I
woke up. Had to be early, the sun barely peeked through the windows. Bill's arm
rested over me, and I snuggled up against him. I wasn't ready to get up. It
felt too good lying here next to him.

It wouldn't take much to get used to
this. As much as I resisted the attraction, I wasn't sorry I gave in. Even now,
I didn't regret it.

Bill had put me completely at ease. Maybe
the fact that I liked him helped. We had so much in common, and I enjoyed his
company. I turned slightly, so I could look at him.

I loved the way his hair curled on his
forehead, his strong straight nose, the dimple in his chin. I loved everything
about him.

Had since I first saw him.

I knew immediately that it'd be trouble
if I let myself become involved with him. Already, I was falling in love. I
couldn't fight it. It was bigger than both of us. Problem is– did he feel the
same way, or was this just a one night stand? I hoped not. He just didn't seem
like that kind of guy.

"Morning, sunshine." Bill's
eyes flitted open.

Desire shown through them. Good Lord, not
again. I snuggled against him. "Morning." Why not again? Already my
body yearned for him.

An hour later, I eased off the bed.
"You promised me breakfast," I said as I headed toward the bathroom.

* * *

"That I did." Bill sat up and
watched her. Slender waist, nice breasts, great hips. All in all, one sexy lady
and a virgin at that. Thank God, he'd been gentle. He found the idea of her
virginity refreshing. Surprising as hell in this day and age, but refreshing
all the same.

If he'd have known she was coming back
last night, he'd have lit a fire in the fireplace, set up some candles, created
a romantic mood. Something told him he had to go slow. Thank God, he had. He
knew it took a lot for her to even be here. He almost pinched himself to make
sure it wasn't a dream.