Enticing Emma (4 page)

Chapter Four

Emma stood inside the foyer of her apartment building and shuffled through the envelopes she pulled from her mailbox, glad to be inside and away from the stifling heat. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple, and she absently swiped it away with the back of her hand.

She liked living close enough to work so that she could walk most days. Usually, she looked forward to the pleasant fifteen-minute stroll. It was nice to walk through town and enjoy the scenery while she mulled over her workday. She frequently crossed paths with friends or acquaintances and would often stop to chat.

But these days it was a chore just trying to get from one air-conditioned building to another. The heat wave that had Summersville in its grip showed no signs of abating any time soon, and after six days of the thermometer easily topping one hundred degrees, her temper was beginning to fray.

She hitched her purse higher over her shoulder as she headed toward the elevator, her sensible pumps tapping an impatient rhythm on the tiled floor. Her only goal now was to get out of her cream-colored linen suit and into a pair of shorts and a tank top. It was only six o’clock in the evening and the sun still had almost three hours before it would go down. Her plan for the evening was to sip lemonade while lying in front of her air conditioner.

With a muted ding, the elevator door slid open and Emma pulled back the metal gate and stepped inside. She secured the gate and the door was almost closed when she heard a familiar voice yell, “Hold the door!” She stabbed her finger on the button and the door slid open again. Tucker yanked the gate back and stepped into the cramped confines of the elevator with her.

If she hadn’t already been hot, she most certainly was now. Tucker was six feet of prime male and filled the small elevator with his sheer masculine presence. Emma licked her suddenly dry lips.

Soulful green eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips gave his face a slightly exotic yet sensual appearance. His short black hair stood up in spikes on top, just daring a woman to smooth it down. Emma curled her fingers around her mail to keep herself from giving into temptation. She knew exactly how his hair would feel flowing between her fingers.

His body was hard. Everywhere. Tucker’s shoulders strained the seams of his faded denim work shirt, which hung open enough to reveal a skintight tank top stretched over a hard six-pack. His tight jeans emphasized the muscles in his thighs and cupped his tight bottom. In spite of her intentions to stay far away from him, she found herself drawn to him whenever they were together. And unfortunately, unlike most men, Tucker just seemed to get better with time and familiarity.

His lips were quirked up in a half smile and Emma realized that not only had she been standing there staring at him like an idiot, but her finger was still pressing the
Hold
button. She had no idea when he’d closed the gate, but it was shut tight, and he was patiently waiting for her to select the right button since she was standing in front of the only control panel. She could feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up her face and quickly hit the button that would take them to the fifth floor.

“Hot day, isn’t it?” She couldn’t believe she’d asked such an inane question, and she felt her already red cheeks flush even more. To cover her discomfort she turned her attention back to the envelopes in her hands.
Pay attention to your male. No, mail,
she scolded herself.

“Hot is the right word.” Emma shivered as his low, husky voice washed over her. Glancing up, she swallowed past the lump in her throat when she saw the passionate gleam in his eyes as they skimmed up and down her body before stopping to linger on her legs.

She knew she was way out of her league with Tucker. She’d always been drawn to quieter, low-key guys. Maybe that had been a mistake. She had no idea how to handle a man like Tucker. He made her very aware that she’d been without male companionship for quite a while now. Two months to be exact. She hadn’t been on a single date since their last fateful one, and the looks he was giving her were making her feel feverish and bothered.

Why, oh why, of all days, did he have to end up sharing the elevator with her? As it was, she’d had a hard enough time concentrating at work after the episode with the painting and the subsequent memories it had stirred up.

Nothing had
ever
distracted her from her work before Tucker.

“Damn,” she muttered before she could stop herself.

“Problem?” His deep voice rumbled close to her ear, his breath teasing the wisps of hair that lay there.

“It’s nothing,” she mumbled. She could barely breathe, let alone string together a coherent sentence. He was so close he could easily trace the whorls of her ear with his tongue. The mere thought sent goose bumps down her spine and she shivered.

Totally disregarding her privacy, he peered over her shoulder and glanced at her mail. “You sure?”

If she didn’t know better, she’d think that he was worried about her. But that was ridiculous. She’d made her position quite clear with Tucker, so he had no reason to be interested in her life. And she certainly wasn’t about to admit that he was the problem. She had a feeling he’d like the idea that he was constantly on her mind.

In truth, she hadn’t met a man who’d interested her in a long, long time, except for Tucker. And he didn’t count as she wasn’t about to pursue that attraction any further than she already had. Being around him left her feeling slightly wild and out of control. And, for a woman who valued self-restraint, that was more than reason enough to avoid him.

Emma glared at Tucker, but it was all for naught as he was still studying her mail and not her. “It’s just bills and junk mail.” Her voice was sharp, but she couldn’t help it. His teasing was good-natured, but it left her feeling irritated. Since their one time together, she’d lost all interest in other men. They all seemed so bland, so uninteresting in comparison.

“You sure you’re okay?” Tucker tucked his hands in his back pockets. She heard a growing concern in his voice and knew it was sincere.

“I’m sure.”

“If you ever need help with anything, don’t hesitate to call or knock on my door.” His green-eyed gaze caught and held her captive. “I’d do everything I could for you.”

She was incredibly touched by his offer, even though she knew she would never take him up on it. “Thank you.” Impulsively, she reached out and briefly touched him.

He gave her a sharp nod before looking down to where her hand covered his denim-clad arm. She could feel the heat of his skin through the thin covering. She yanked back her hand and hitched her purse over her shoulder, wondering why it was taking so long to reach their floor. The elevator was notoriously unreliable, but this was slow even for this relic.

She glanced up at the old-fashioned numbers over the top of the gate and frowned when she noticed the arrow wasn’t moving. Damn, she hadn’t even noticed that the elevator had stopped at the second floor.

Poking the button for their floor once more, she felt relieved when the elevator began to slowly rise. The faster she got away from Tucker and the hot fantasies he inspired, the better for her peace of mind. Absently, she tucked her mail into the outside pocket of her purse.

“Emma . . .” His voice trailed off as he reached out and touched her shoulder. It was the lightest of touches, but it seemed to burn right through the layer of her summer linen jacket, scorching her flesh underneath. She flinched from his potent touch, unable to stop herself.

Tucker swore under his breath and immediately drew back his hand. Hunching her shoulders, Emma faced forward, wishing she were anywhere else at the moment. The man must think she was a complete nutcase. One minute she was practically devouring him with her eyes, the next she was acting like he was some kind of pervert.

Sighing, she faced him, knowing she owed him an apology. “I’m sorry.” She rubbed her hand across her forehead where a headache was brewing from the combined heat and stress. “The heat has me on edge.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. The heat did have her on edge, but it wasn’t just the skyrocketing temperatures fraying her temper, it was also the sexual heat that Tucker stirred within her.

“Don’t worry about it.”

The lights flickered once. Emma was jolted when the elevator jerked to a sudden stop. Only Tucker’s quick reflexes kept her from ending up in an undignified heap on the floor. One of his thick forearms banded around her waist, keeping her upright.

The elevator went pitch-black.

Disoriented, she dug her fingers into his forearm. “Everything is okay,” his deep voice steadied her. “I’ve got you.”

Striving for some control, she released her death grip and forced herself to take a step away. She thought she heard him sigh, but couldn’t be sure. “I wonder what happened?” Even though she knew it was useless, she stabbed at the buttons on the control panel.

“Rolling blackouts. Parts of town have been experiencing them all day. I’m surprised you didn’t have at least one at work.” The tiny security light finally flicked to life. Unlike most modern elevators, this one was equipped with only a single, dim light situated high in the left-hand corner.

“Great,” she muttered. That’s all she needed to cap off what had been a long, hot, frustrating day.

“Could be worse.” Tucker’s calm voice irritated her further.

“How?” she snapped back.

“The longest one today was only about a half hour. It shouldn’t take them too long to get the power back on. We’ll be fine.”

Great, she’d practically snapped the man’s head off when all he was doing was trying to reassure her. “Once again, I owe you an apology.” Taking a step toward him, she held out her hand to try to find the wall.

He caught it in his grasp and drew her steadily toward him. “Apology accepted.” Slowly, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle slowly, one at a time, until he’d done the honors to all five of her fingers.

The tingles started in her fingers, ran up her arm, and down her torso all the way to her toes. He slid his tongue into the slight indents between her fingers and licked. She sucked in her breath when he took one of her fingers into his mouth.

Her nipples grew taut and a throbbing ache sprang to life between her thighs. As much as she tried to fight it, her reaction to Tucker was like a spark to gasoline—explosive.

It was easy in the near dark to let herself enjoy the sensual heat flowing through her veins. It had been way too long since their one encounter. And before that . . . well, she’d been in a sexual drought for quite a long time.

She’d always taken life seriously, first as a student, and then as a career woman, seldom taking the time to have a lover. The couple times she had, she’d been left feeling somewhat let down by the entire experience and sorry she’d even bothered.

One of her former lovers had even gone so far as to call her cold. After she’d gotten over her initial anger, she had been forced to acknowledge that maybe he was right.

Tucker had been the first man in well over a year to even remotely interest her. She’d long ago decided that she simply wasn’t the passionate type. Instead, she’d thrown herself into running the gallery and art supply store. Emma knew it was her way of protecting herself against further disillusionment and hurt. She’d built a life for herself that she was content with.

Regretfully, she tugged her hand away from his, breaking the tentative sensual bond between them. Instead of backing off, he slowly stalked toward her. She edged herself backward until her spine touched the wall of the elevator. There was nowhere else to go. She swallowed as he came to a stop in front of her. Shuffling uneasily, she leaned against the wall for support.

Reaching out, he slipped his hands inside her open jacket. “Let’s get you undressed.”

Chapter Five

Emma’s screech of outrage bounced off the walls of the elevator. She shoved Tucker’s hands off her, placed both hers on his chest and pushed him away. He went easily, which reassured her slightly. But this time he’d gone too far.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She tried to make her voice strong and authoritative. Her body was urging her to get naked as fast as possible. Her breasts strained against the silk camisole that she wore under her jacket, making her regret that she hadn’t worn a bra. Or maybe that was a good thing, she decided, as the soft material rasped her nipples. The sensual ache made her remember how good it had felt to have Tucker’s hands covering the soft mounds.

The heat was making her lose her mind. She felt like a Ping-Pong ball, going back and forth until her head was spinning. She went from wanting him to knowing she shouldn’t want him and back again. She was making herself crazy.

“Just thought you’d be more comfortable in this heat.” Tucker shrugged out of his work shirt, tossing it to one side, before crossing his arms behind his head and yanking his tank top off in one easy motion. The action was so totally masculine and natural. The security light reflected off his muscular torso and arms. Having him half naked was making her uncomfortably aware of herself as a woman, a woman with sexual needs.

He swiped at his chest with the cotton top before dropping it on top of his shirt. “I don’t know about you, but I’m damned hot.”

She curled her fingers tight against her palms in an effort to keep her hands off him as her eyes feasted on his naked chest. Even in the dim light, she could tell it was finer than any sculpture she’d ever seen. His skin was tanned an even deeper bronze than it had been the night they’d had sex in her apartment. He did indeed have a perfect washboard stomach that tapered down to a lean waist, and even though she’d seen it before, it still left her breathless. A light dusting of dark hair covered his chest before angling downward, and her eyes followed it until it disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.

Raising his arms over his head, he flexed them, working out the kinks before lowering them back to his side. His low moan of relief as he stretched almost made her come in her panties. She was totally spellbound. It was all too easy to imagine that groan of pleasure coming from him as he buried himself in her wet heat and thrust into her willing body.

Emma could feel moisture trickling down her back and pooling between her thighs, a combination of arousal and sweat. She shifted position and tried to unobtrusively flick her skirt back and forth to get a breeze, but it did no good.

“At least take off your jacket so you don’t get heatstroke.”

Emma’s hands froze on her skirt. Hands on his hips, Tucker stared at her, his face all business.

Knowing she was being silly, she set her purse down on the floor of the elevator and then eased her jacket over her shoulders. “Just so you know, I’m only doing this because it’s the sensible thing to do given the circumstances.” Folding it carefully, she bent and draped it over her purse.

“Of course,” he agreed easily.

She could tell he was trying to bite back a smile. She did her best to ignore his amusement. He rocked back on his heels and sized her up in a speculative manner that did nothing to help her cool down. If anything, it ratcheted up her heat level.

“You really should take off those pantyhose as well. Those things have got to be murder in this heat.”

“I have to wear them for work.” The gallery was air-conditioned, which kept it cooler. Plus, she felt clients expected a certain level of professionalism from her, as the owner. Callie was an artist and could get away with dressing down and funky. Emma wasn’t comfortable presenting anything less than a poised appearance.

“Of course you do,” he muttered.

What did he mean by that? “They’re thigh-highs, not pantyhose.” Emma felt like sinking through the floor. What was it about Tucker that made her blurt out such totally inappropriate things?

“Really.” She could tell his interest had been piqued when he stared at her skirt as if he was trying to see through it.

How much longer would the power be gone? Surely it would come back on soon and she could get out of here and forget about this encounter with Tucker.

She almost snorted aloud. Yeah, like she was doing such a good job forgetting their last one. Not. Emma shifted when another bead of moisture rolled down her leg, and she bit her lip to keep from moaning aloud.

“Do you think we’ll be here long?” Emma knew she was babbling, but the way he was staring at her was arousing her even further. She had to do something. Anything. She felt feminine, soft, and wanton. Not things she usually associated with herself.

Tucker shrugged, seemingly unconcerned by their predicament. “Why do you run away from me?”

His question caught her totally off guard. “I don’t know what you mean.” She hadn’t run from him. She’d made an adult decision not to continue their relationship. She knew it was semantics, but she didn’t care.

He startled her when he boldly cupped her breasts and traced his thumbs over her swollen nipples. “I know you want me, so that’s not the problem.” Emma was too dumbstruck to protest his audacity and then she was too aroused to care.

Tucker invaded her space further and leaned down until his mouth was level with hers. Using his tongue, he traced her bottom lip and then her top, doing it again and again until her own parted. Taking advantage, he slipped inside and stroked the interior of her mouth. All the while, his hands continued to shape and mold her breasts until the ache became almost unbearable.

Emma moaned into his mouth, unable to hold it back any longer. Her fingers inched up his arms until they were digging into Tucker’s thick biceps. His skin was hot under her hands, and she stood on her toes so she could reach him better.

He pressed closer, rubbing his cock against her mound. She’d never given any other man a hard-on so quickly, not that she knew of anyway. And there was no doubt that Tucker was fully erect.

A sense of womanly power surged through her even as her inner muscles clenched in response to his arousal. A thought flickered in the back of her mind that she could no longer ignore.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give in to her sexual needs just one more time.

He wanted her and she wanted him. Staying away from him hadn’t changed that one bit. Surely it would be okay to take what she wanted if she kept things on a purely physical level and protected her heart.

Tucker abandoned her lips and left a trail of kisses along her jawline and down her neck. He nibbled on her shoulder, and she tilted her head to one side to give him better access. He murmured his approval and nipped the sensitive skin where her neck and shoulder met.

“Let me pleasure you.” His voice was little more than a hot whisper in her ear.

“Yes,” she answered before she gave herself more time to think. She’d never experienced an orgasm as explosive as the ones she’d had with Tucker. Even when he was just kissing her, he gave her more pleasure than any man she’d ever been with.

Tucker’s response was immediate. He dropped his hand to her ass, pulled her tight against the front of his jeans and rubbed her mound across his cock. She fisted his hair in her hands and dragged his head up so she could kiss him. Their lips locked together and he devoured her. He sucked on her tongue and licked at the insides of her mouth.

“What you do to me,” he muttered before delving in once again.

What she did to him? What about what he did to her? She felt like she was one tiny spark away from exploding. Her body was on fire for him.

He tugged at the tails of her camisole, pulling it from the waistband of her skirt and skimming it up her body. She loved the slight roughness of his fingers against her skin. He broke their kiss long enough to pull the garment over her head and toss it aside. His mouth returned to hers as his hands covered her bare breasts.

She cried out when his fingers plucked at her nipples, arousing them to greater sensitivity.

“Shhh,” he calmed her as he kissed the corner of her mouth.

He cupped her breasts, plumped them in his hands and slowly lowered his face toward them. Emma caught her breath, desperately wanting what she knew was to come.

• • •

Tucker buried his face between Emma’s breasts and drew a long, deep breath. After weeks of waiting, he finally had his hands on her again. She’d been consciously avoiding him since the night they’d had sex in her apartment. Their chance encounters had dwindled to almost nothing. He never would have seen her at all if he hadn’t lived directly across the hall.

He’d missed her more than he’d ever imagined he could. His bed had been empty and lonely. If he couldn’t have Emma, he didn’t want any woman.

But she was here with him now, trapped in the elevator, and he planned to make the most of his opportunity. He nuzzled the undersides of both breasts before leisurely tracing a path around each swollen nipple. Her whimper made his balls clench.

He’d sensed Emma waffling and had been afraid she wouldn’t let him touch her. He’d have respected her wishes, even though it might have killed him. But as it always was when they were together, the chemistry between them sizzled.

He knew she wanted him. There was no way to hide her physical reactions—the dilation of her pupils or the way her breath caught in her throat—the way she looked at him when she didn’t think he was watching, with a deep sensual hunger—or the way she licked her lips, like she could taste him.

They’d both been lonely and sexually frustrated for too long. Being alone together in the elevator was akin to lighting a match next to a stick of dynamite. It could explode at any second.

Damn she was gorgeous with the dim light flickering over her pale flesh. His swollen cock was making his jeans uncomfortably tight, but he wasn’t going to rush things. That’s what had gotten him in trouble the last time. No, this was all about Emma, about bringing her pleasure and making her come.

She dragged her fingers through his hair and guided his head toward one of her taut nipples. “Take it in your mouth.” Her voice was low and husky, seductive in the dark elevator.

Pleased by her sensual demand, he closed his mouth over the nipple and sucked. Emma released her breath in a long hiss. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

“Beautiful,” he whispered when he released her breast.

“No,” she wailed, and tried to tug him back. Tucker placed a soft kiss on her nipple before moving to the other one. He could sense her relief. She was wound even tighter than he was, and that was saying something.

As he continued to use his lips and tongue to tease and torment her breasts, he slid his hands down her torso, shaping her waist and hips. Emma had serious curves. He explored her through her clothing, loving the womanly flow of her body, but he wanted to touch bare skin.

She moaned and ran her hands over his shoulders and biceps, stroked his chest. He really wanted her hands on his dick. That would come later if things worked out as he hoped.

He curled his fingers into the fabric of her skirt, inching it up until it was bunched around her waist. He anchored the skirt with one hand and skimmed the inside of her thigh with the other.

There was no way he could do everything he wanted to, not with her touching him. He was close to losing control and he couldn’t let that happen.

Tucker dragged the flat of his tongue over her pert nipple before he raised his head from her breast. He straightened so his mouth hovered over hers once again. “You have to help me,” he whispered as he nibbled on her lips.

She blinked at him. He could see both curiosity and desire in her eyes. “How?”

He peeled her hands from his shoulders, brought them down by her sides and wrapped them over the handrail that was attached to the wall of the elevator. “Hold on tight.”

Emma clutched the metal until her knuckles turned white. Tucker grabbed the ends of her skirt and tucked it in the waistband. As much as he wanted her naked, he knew that wasn’t going to happen. He was very cognizant of the fact they were in a public elevator. Thankfully it was old enough not to have surveillance cameras, and the owners were too frugal to bother installing them.

When he was satisfied her skirt was securely anchored, he knelt down and hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties. Ever so slowly, he tugged them down her hips and legs. It was like unwrapping a present, one he’d been anticipating for weeks. When they were around her ankles, he carefully lifted one foot at a time and slipped her panties off.

Fuck, she looked hot naked from the waist up with her skirt bunched around her waist. She was still wearing her high heels and those thigh-high stockings. They were a hell of a lot sexier than pantyhose could ever be. He encircled one slender ankle in his hand and slid one of her feet sideways until her legs were several feet apart.

Determination filled him. He’d give her so much pleasure she wouldn’t even think about running from him again.

• • •

Emma looked down at herself. Her breasts were heavy, her nipples fully erect and begging for Tucker’s touch. Her shoes and stockings were still in place, but with her skirt raised and her panties gone, she was totally exposed to him.

What was she doing? She was almost totally naked in an elevator with Tucker. Panic threatened to reassert itself, overriding the sensual pleasure that had smothered her common sense. She felt exposed and vulnerable and moved to cover herself.

“No,” he quickly admonished her. “It’s just you and me. No need to hide.” Tucker tugged her hands away from her breasts and placed them back on the railing. He covered them with his own, much larger ones. “Keep them here or I can’t pleasure you.”

It surprised her how arousing she found the thought of being captive to Tucker’s sexual whims. Desire flooded through her veins. Her pussy clenched with hunger, and her nipples throbbed in anticipation. She nodded.

Sitting back on his heels, Tucker stared up at her and a slow, easy smile crossed his face. “Remember, if you move, I’ll stop. It’s up to you.”