Emergency Ex (2 page)

K.C. nodded.

“I love Keith, always have. Always will. Granted, at the start, I wasn’t straightforward about my wants and needs. That was my baggage I had to get over.”

K.C. started to say something, but Brenda indicated she should hold the thought. “Now that my thirtieth birthday is nearing, it’s a great time to forge ahead. Moving in together soon, getting engaged. I also expect him to make a very big deal about this birthday. That’s my current dream.“

“Does he know all this?”

”Subtlety doesn’t work with Keith. He knows. Even better, he’s hinted that he’s planning a birthday celebration that will blow my mind. Hush hush so I’ll be surprised.” Now Brenda was the one exaggerating, but Keith
had
hinted he had something in mind for her big day.

K.C. squeezed her hand. “I hope it works out for you.”

So did Brenda.

After more conversation and coffee, the two women walked together until their paths home separated. They said good night with promises of phone calls and other meetings soon.

Brenda loved books. With such a great beginning, her thirtieth birthday would be spectacular. She’d pretty much managed to overcome her dread of leaving her twenties and almost looked forward to the start of a new decade. She wished she had a clue as to what Keith was planning for their celebration. Patience was not her long suit.

Chelsey, Brenda’s Yorkie, greeted her with tail-wagging enthusiasm when she came in the door. “Miss me, girl?” Brenda patted her dog. Chelsey responded with simple, faithful appreciation. “You understand about my birthday, don’t you?” Was it her imagination or did her dog actually nod her head?

Just then the phone rang. Keith calling. Maybe they did have some special ESP going for them after all…

“You’ll never guess what,” Keith said by way of opening their conversation.

“You’re right. I won’t. Tell me.” Usually she liked to play along with games but wasn’t in the mood tonight. Talking to K.C. must have rattled her more than she’d realized.

“A buddy owed me a favor. Just brought me a box of cheese from England. Wensleydale.”

“You have Wensleydale cheese from the creamery?” Brenda had fallen in love with the stuff when she’d spent her junior year of college in England. Getting the cheese from there was a rare treat. When had she told Keith? Of course he knew she loved England and all things English. And she loved cheese. Putting the two facts together wasn’t exactly a stroke of genius.

“Straight from the cow to you. How about I drop over for a very special delivery?” His voice grew quite low and husky, the last words resonating deeply and intimately within her.

“How fast can you get here?” Her voice came out raspy with desire. Keith could turn her on fast, even at a distance. Keith and Wensleydale. Irresistible.

Since he was going to arrive quickly, she flew around the kitchen to get ready. Crackers, wine, some fruit. How did she look? She was just checking when the doorbell rang.

Keith stood in the doorway, her very own for real fantasy male. Black-haired, gray-eyed gorgeous. Always looked as if he needed a shave. A shade over six hot, buff feet. Chelsey, who adored Keith, circled him and barked in greeting. “Hey, Chels, how’s it going?” He knelt to rub the appreciative dog’s coat.

Brenda’s heart soared as she watched the man she loved and the dog she loved cocooned in mutual affection. She was also part of the bond here. What could be simpler than to advance along the natural path and make it forever?

Keith followed her into the kitchen where he handed her the carton containing three kinds of Wensleydale cheese—with cranberries, with pineapple and plain. “So what’s up?” he asked as she arranged the cheese and other goodies on a tray.

“Would you believe my friend K.C. gave me a signed copy of her latest book as an early birthday gift?” She held up
Invasion of Love Slaves from Planet X
. “The book is shaping up to be a best seller. I’m thrilled for her. Can’t wait to read it. She’s a great writer.”

Keith looked underwhelmed. When she saw his expression, Brenda remembered that Keith and K.C. were less than enamored of each other. Why was it that her two best friends couldn’t stand each other? How ironic that both of them gave her terrific gifts on the same day. Maybe someday she’d get them to the point where they could stand to be in the same room at the same time.

The cheese lived up to expectations. Exceeded them. He owed his buddy. Keith loved seeing Brenda so happy. Hell, a bit of cheese could produce such joy? Really good cheese, yeah, but still—cheese. When he saw that Brenda’s pesky friend K.C. had given her a book, he was glad the cheese had arrived that day. Not that he was in competition with K.C. in any way. Actually, he wouldn’t mind it at all if Brenda found a different best girlfriend and dropped K.C. The woman bugged him. He shook off the discomfort thoughts of her always brought. Tonight he’d keep his head clear of negativity as he focuses on Brenda.

He wanted to please her, wanted to show her how much she meant to him. Brenda had stuck with him through tough times, shown him he wasn’t doomed to repeat his father’s mistakes. A committed relationship did not automatically equate to a life sentence with no hope of reprieve—not when he could be with a woman like her. Beautiful, smart, loyal, hot in bed. The total package—and more. The perfect woman who “got” him.

Brenda caught his eye, flashed a come hither look and licked her lips. She could turn him on with the simplest of moves. Keith grinned right back before he cupped her chin in his hand and took over the luscious task of licking her lips. From somewhere deep inside she purred. She tasted of the rich cheese and crackers they’d feasted on, along with the strawberries and wine she’d provided. Delicious.

“Got any plans for the rest of the night?” he whispered when they took a breath break.

She favored him with a wanton leer and his instincts kicked into high gear. He could never get enough of her gorgeous body and hot loving. Luckily, she wanted him as much as he wanted her. “What do you have in mind?” Her warm breath tickled his ear.

He groaned his answer. Hand in hand they raced to her bedroom. In moments they’d shucked their clothes. She sat down at the edge of her bed and opened her arms to him, still with that smile. Was there a hint of mystery in her smile tonight? He’d analyze later.

“Time for dessert,” he growled, kneeling before her. Cripes, she was gorgeous all over and didn’t seem to know it. After feasting his eyes he hugged her to him and bent to kiss the soft warmth of her smooth, flat belly. She shivered and he just held her for a moment, head firm against her as he basked in her warmth.

She ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp with loving fingers. “Am I your dessert then?”

By way of reply he kissed her belly again, and she groaned. The sound of her response served as an aphrodisiac, urging him on to pleasure them both. Hands on her slender hips, he tongued the sweet, fragrant skin of her lower belly, then traced a path down toward her feminine core. She gasped with pleased surprise as she realized where he was going with his eager mouth.

Using all the gentleness he could muster, he slipped his hand between her thighs and urged her to open her legs. With a sigh she complied, leaning back to provide greater access. When they’d first gotten together, she’d been so shy about letting him look, never mind touch and kiss her there. What a happy guy he was that she’d opened up to him, blooming like a tropical flower from one of those nature shows. He took a moment to admire the invitation of her intimate beauty before he leaned in for a first sexy taste. He loved the way she looked, the way she tasted and the way she smelled. Brenda’s labia glistened with the dew of passionate arousal. Determined to restrain his starving man gusto, he slowly and deliberately began to lick and suck.

Well-matched, they both loved to be active and loud participants in the love act. No biting her lip in a maidenly effort to stifle the noises of lovemaking. Not when she could moan, groan, call out his name and even lose herself with enough abandonment to cry out. Music to his ears—even when, as now, she held him by those very ears.

As he completed his first intimate exploration, his tongue brushed her tiny but potent nub of sensation. She shivered in gratifying reaction and tilted her hips to deepen the intense contact. Her sensuous warmth enveloped him like a comforting whirlpool, a place where he could get lost and stay forever. He willed himself to move slowly, to heighten the arousal of their being joined this way.

“Oh, Keith,” she groaned, rotating her bottom so he could kiss and lick where she wanted him. From the way she was moving tonight, she wanted him everywhere, a feast of erotic stimulation.

Yeah, baby.
When they were together like this, he sensed she could understand what he was thinking, though he was loath to break the contact to actually say words. Instead he mouthed them into her hot moistness and smiled to himself as she moved in reply.

“Right there, and there,” she whispered, shifting to show what she meant. “Fabulous,” she hissed as he massaged her hips and nibbled her where she wanted to be nibbled.

She tightened her legs around his head as she began to quiver with the start of her climax. He loved that she “climbed” to her climax, a series of steps up a magical staircase to a point of paradise. Even more, he loved possessing this intimate knowledge of her, loved that she’d shared this with him—only him.

“Ahh.” Brenda shuddered with the force of her orgasm, calling out his name. Hard and practically shaking with desire to be inside her, he rode the crest with her, stroking her sides as she began to subside.

Man, did I ever need that.
Her climax came on so fast and with such intensity, Brenda nearly burst into tears. She held back because she knew her sobs of relief would freak Keith out. There were definite limits to how much emotion he could handle. This awareness meant never being totally free to let it all hang out with him.

He was hugging her, stretched out alongside her, hard and raring to go. Now came her turn to please him, which had the extra bonus of providing her with even more pleasure. She reached down and stroked his erection. He reacted instantly with a move and a groan. “I guess you’re glad to be here,” she whispered.

“You think?”

“Am I supposed to think?”

“Vastly overrated. Feeling’s so much better.” Mouth pressed against her cheek, he chuckled.

Brenda loved touching Keith everywhere. His hard-on was large and in charge, perfect to satisfy her. If only she could turn off the tinge of unease from her conversation with K.C. What a time to be dwelling on stuff they’d gotten past together ages ago.

“Oh, Keith,” she murmured as he showered attention on her breasts.

He stopped for a moment and, lips glistening from a juicy exploration, grinned. “What do you want, baby?”

Talk about loaded questions. If he really understood how hard it was for her to be totally honest about everything she desired—including an iron-clad guarantee for the future—he’d turn, run and head for the hills. She thrust her chest forward and pressed his head to her there. “You,” she rasped. “I want you and everything you’re doing. I want your mouth on me there and there.”

With enthusiasm and energy he kissed her breasts and her belly, her lips. She fingered his balls, then his shaft. He gasped. “Now,” he moaned. “I need to be in you now.”

No way she could ignore such a direct plea. She motioned him to lie down on his back. His maleness proudly jutted forth in clear invitation. She swallowed hard. Eyes closed, image firmly in mind, she opened her legs to straddle him. In moments he’d sheathed himself and she positioned herself to take him fully inside.

Keith thrust upward. She couldn’t have said why, but suddenly she hesitated to complete what they’d started and raised herself from him in a very uncharacteristic tease.

“You’re killing me, Brenda,” he moaned, grasping her cheeks to once again get her into perfect position.