Her Unexpected Admirer (5 page)

He stopped their movement and shifted, a moment later, his hand cupped the back of her head and his mouth covered hers.  He tried to be gentle.  He tried to take it slowly.  But the moment their lips touched, a spark, more of a flame erupted.  The kiss moved from gentle and slow to heated and passionate in less than a second.  When she lifted her head up for more, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss, he was more than willing to go right along with it. 

Her hands had been resting on his chest but when their tongues met, she shivered and those delicate hands slid upwards, moving around his neck.  Her tender touch on his neck fanned the flames and he lifted her against him, pressing her back against the table behind her so that he could feel more of her. 

“You’re going to have to tell me to stop if you don’t want this, Kate,” he growled as he lifted his head from hers.  His eyes were bright, heated and he looked down at her passion swollen lips, begging her to tell him to stop. 

“I can’t,” she said, sliding her hands down over his chest again.  Her fingers were everywhere, touching him and making him almost insane with the need to get her naked and be inside her. 

He kissed her again, this time without reserve.  And she returned the kiss with equal fervor, pulling at his shoulders and rubbing her body against his so erotically he thought he might just explode. 

His hands pulled her shirt out from the waistband of her skirt, feeling her skin for the first time.  It was like satin, he thought, pulling more of it out of the way to see if the rest of her felt as soft and perfect.  The more he touched, the more he needed to feel. 

“Are you sure, Kate?” he demanded, lifting her higher so that she had to look him in the eye. 

Kate’s breathing was deep and heavy and, as she looked at him, she was never more sure of anything in her life.  “Yes.  Please, don’t stop!” she begged him, reaching out to touch his cheek.  Everything inside of her was clamoring for this man to keep touching her. 

So when he pulled her closer again, his mouth latching onto her neck, she shuddered with a scream as excitement raced down her body.  This wasn’t her, she thought.  She was prim and proper and boring!  But the feelings Davis created within her were amazing and she loved it!  “Oh, please do that again,” she pleaded and smiled when he complied. 

“What else do you like?” he asked, picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom. 

“I don’t know,” she replied honestly.  Her fingers were holding onto his neck and she smiled up at him.  “This is all pretty crazy.  I’ve never felt this way before.”

Davis jerked her into his arms, letting her legs fall to the floor but not letting any of her get away from him.  She was his, he thought.  This amazing creature was his.  For the night, she would give herself to him and he was amazed at the gift of her body.

Slowly peeling her blouse away from her, all the while kissing her, he finally managed to get the shirt off of her shoulders and let it flutter to the floor at their feet.  Her cotton bra didn’t have the same luxury.  He was too impatient. The contraption went flying across the room to land somewhere behind him.  When he had her breasts freed, he looked down, seeing the pink blush stain those lovely globes.  “You’re beautiful,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

His deft fingers eliminated the rest of her clothes in record time and, when he finally had her completely naked, he lifted her into his arms and placed her gently in the middle of the bed.  As he looked down at her, he couldn’t believe how perfectly she was made.  She might be a bit too thin, but every part of her was incredibly lovely.  Her full breasts were topped with pink nipples that were begging him to taste.  He was ripping his shirt off when the temptation became too strong.  He leaned over, his mouth latching onto her breasts and he almost laughed when she screamed, her nails biting into his skin.  It was a good sting, fueling his need and he moved to the other breast to get the same reaction.  He wasn’t disappointed. 

His only frustration now was getting his own damn clothes off fast enough.  He heard something rip but didn’t stop to figure out what it was, too impatient to cover her with his body, to feel that incredible figure against his hard frame. 

Kate couldn’t believe what was happening.  Never in her wildest imagination had she thought something like this could happen to her.  She’d read about things like this happening in the romance novels she hid away so no one would know her secret habit, but the thought that a man like Davis would touch her like this was just too shocking.  And amazing and she didn’t want it to stop. 

But he did stop teasing her breasts and she let out a whimper when he moved lower.  “You stopped,” she accused but then gasped when his mouth nipped at her hip bone.  “Okay, so you didn’t,” she said, her hips lifting up higher to meet his mouth unconsciously.  “Please do that again.  And again!”  She arched her back when he complied but the second time was too much.  Her hands started pushing him away.  “I can’t take anymore,” she gasped. 

“Not enough,” he laughed, thrilled that her body was so responsive.  “Not nearly enough.”

When his hand moved to her knees, sliding up her thigh, he almost groaned when she willingly opened her legs for him.  He knew what she would do next and he was prepared.  When his mouth covered her core, latching on to that sensitive nub, he was already holding onto her hips, not letting her control this any longer.  He was in charge and he wanted to taste her.  And damn, did she taste incredible! 

“Davis!” she screamed out, feeling his mouth and his fingers and unable to control anything that was happening to her.  “No!  This has to stop!” she cried out. 

“Not stopping,” he said, but only took his mouth away from her long enough to tell her that.  He wouldn’t have stopped anyway, she just tasted so good! 

All too soon, he felt the tremors in her body, felt her muscles contracting as she splintered apart.  And damn, did she look beautiful while it was happening. 

His hands gentled as she came back down to earth and he loved the way she sighed, the smile on her face telling him that she’d enjoyed everything so far. 

He stood up and pulled his pants off, grabbing protection before he came back to the bed with her. 

Kate rolled to his body as the mattress dipped and she smiled, feeling better than she ever had in her whole life.  “Thank you,” she whispered, her hands moving up to his face. 

He laughed softly, taking her hand and kissing her palm before biting the end of her finger slightly.  “More to come,” he promised before sucking on her finger.

Kate stared at him, shocked that he would even want to do that but the moment he did, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.  “No!” she gasped, feeling that lethargic sense fade away as those crazy sensations started back up in her body, even stronger than before.  “No more,” she said and pulled away from him.

Davis was having none of that and almost laughed at her feeble attempts to get away from him. “Ah, Kate, the best is yet to come,” he promised.  But he didn’t have to say anything because her body was already on fire again, moving right back to his.  Her fingers explored his chest even while his knee nudged her legs apart again.  He quickly put the protection on and moved into place, holding himself over her with his arms.  “You’re beautiful, Kate,” he said as he bent to kiss her.  At the same time, his body moved into hers, probing and feeling her heat wrap around him. 

In and out, slowly going deeper as he invaded her tight sheath.  When he was fully embedded inside of her, he felt her stiffen but she was so tight, so hot, he couldn’t stop to wonder about it. 

He moved inside of her, feeling every shift in her body.  And the closer she came, her slender, incredible body brought him closer to his own climax.  By the time she was screaming out his name and clinging to him, he was already over the edge himself. 

When he could open his eyes again, he looked down at the woman in his arms and almost laughed at the satisfied smile on her lovely face.  Her soft, gentle hands were running along his skin and, right now, it felt good but he remembered her touching him a few minutes ago and it had driven him crazy. 

Even her legs were rubbing up and down against him and he liked every simple touch.  “You’re incredible,” he groaned as he fell onto the bed beside her, pulling her onto his chest so that she was looking down at him. 

Kate laughed, feeling like she was on cloud nine.  When she’d walked into the bar earlier tonight, she’d never imagined that her night would end like this.  But she was thrilled that it had turned out so perfectly.  “Thank you,” she said softly and bent to kiss him. 

He grabbed her head and held her close, deepening the kiss.  When he let her up, she could already feel her body stirring back to life.  “What was the thank you for?” he asked. 

She shrugged her shoulder, unaware of how it lifted her breast, bringing his attention right back to those luscious nipples.  “The day ended on a horrible note but you changed it around, making tonight wonderful.”

Davis wanted to question her further about the bad ending but her nipples were right there, still distracting him.  “Oh really?” he said, his voice gravelly with the need that was rising up once again. 

Kate felt his body stirring back to life and she smiled, feeling feminine and powerful.  “Really,” she whispered back to him, running her hands along his muscular chest. 

There were no more words for a long time after that.  But neither of them had much to say anyway. 

Kate snuggled closer to the heat, feeling more comfortable than she’d been in…forever!  And warm!  Goodness, she’d never felt so warm.  Normally, her apartment was filled with drafty cold and she raced from her bedroom to the shower on these chilly, fall mornings.  Snuggling a bit closer to the warmth, she sighed and decided that she could use a few more minutes of sleep.  She was still exhausted even though she suspected that it was morning already.

When the large, callused hand smoothed down her back to her bottom, Kate’s eyes popped open.  Shock.  Horror.  Dread! 

Where was she?  Her eyes finally focused and what she’d thought was a warm pillow was actually…a man’s chest!  The black hairs on that male chest tickled her nose and she pulled back slightly.  As soon as she did that, she felt the arms around her body tighten. 

Oh goodness, that leg!  A long, muscular leg with a very enticing thigh pushed between hers.  She gasped as the desire slammed through her again.  Holding her breath, she willed the need she’d felt over and over again last night to go away.  No luck!  It was actually worse!  The more she fought the desire, the worse it got.  Or maybe it was just that way with Davis because she knew what he could do to her body, how he could play her senses like an orchestra.  She shuddered, thinking of the previous night.  Goodness, the way he’d made her feel!  So hot!  So needy and just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, he would give her exactly what she needed.  Him! 

Biting her lower lip, she used every ounce of self-control that she’d ever had in her life and fought the need to run her hand along his chest, to kiss the muscles right under her nose. 

No, she couldn’t do that again.  She turned her head and looked at the clock on the bedside table.  Oh no!  It was already seven o’clock!  She should have been at work an hour ago!

It was no wonder she’d slept in so late.  They hadn’t gotten to sleep until the early hours of the morning and, even then, he’d woken her up a couple of times to make love to her again before the two of them had fallen back to sleep in each other’s arms. 

She had to get out of here.  Kate had to get back to her apartment, shower and get to her office before her father came in at nine. 

The large, warm hand on her bottom wasn’t helping her though.  Perhaps if she just…yes, she could slide this way and…

She was free, but she was also naked!  She gathered up her clothes quickly, jumping every time he moved against the sheets, afraid he would wake up and find her gone. 

Kate grabbed her clothes, putting them on while she hopped out of the bedroom.  He probably wouldn’t even care if she was gone, she thought.  He seemed like the kind of guy that would love the ladies, then be ready to move on. 

She tripped in the hallway as she tried to put her shoe on, dropping her purse.  As she gathered up the contents with trembling fingers, she looked back over her shoulder, afraid that the noise had woken him up.  She didn’t bother putting anything back into its proper place, just dumped it all into her bag and stood up, almost running down the hallway.  Her hair, normally in a twist behind her head, was going everywhere, almost blinding her as she searched for the exit.  Where was she?  Those watermelon martinis had been more potent than she’d realized. 

She finally found the door and stepped out, wishing that she’d had more sense the previous night.  Kate blushed at all that she’d done with that man, but would she have changed anything?  It had been a wonderful interlude and she’d never reacted to a man like that before.  She should simply accept last night as a perfect ending to a truly horrible day and assure herself that she would never do it again. 

Leaving the suite, she started walking as smoothly as possible, trying to pretend that she did this sort of thing all the time.  But when she turned the corner, she sprinted down the hallway to the elevator, desperate now to get home, shower and back to the office.  Not only had she spent the night in a strange man’s arms, but she knew almost nothing about him and she was going to be dreadfully late for work.  Her father had screamed at her last night because of her poor performance and here she was, giving him more ammunition. 

She paced the small confines of the elevator, bursting out as soon as the doors opened up on the lobby level.  Tucking her head down, Kate moved smoothly in between the other guests in the hotel lobby, praying she wouldn’t run into anyone she knew.  But who could possibly know her? 

Thankfully, she was able to get out of the lobby and onto the street without a hassle.  But once there, she had a hard time getting her bearings.  Looking around, she realized that the duck pond was in front of her, which meant that her apartment was right down the street.  Only nine blocks to go, she told herself. 

Unfortunately, the wind was starting to pick up and the cold seeped through her polyester jacket.  Yesterday, it had been a bit warmer so she hadn’t pulled on a coat but today definitely had the hint of winter to the air.  The bite to the air reminded her of sitting around the fire last night, talking with Davis.  It had been so sweet, so romantic to just be with him, learn more about the man, although she realized that she’d answered more of his questions than he had of hers. 

The next thought really struck her as awful.  She didn’t know his last name!  She knew that he’d grown up in central Virginia, had gone to school at Stanford University and had several brothers, one sister, two nieces and a nephew.  It was a big family, she thought.  And as she pushed the door to the lobby open, not meeting the doorman’s gaze because of her shame, she wondered what it would be like to have such a big family.  He hadn’t said so, but Kate suspected that Davis really loved his family.  The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes when he spoke about his siblings and the kids was heart-warming.

It had always been a bit lonely during Christmas and summer vacations as an only child.  Even more so after her mother had died.  Her father wasn’t a warm person and rarely gave out hugs.  It suddenly occurred to her that he hadn’t touched her in any way since….she thought back, trying to remember the last time he’d hugged her or even wished her good luck.  He hadn’t ever done that.  Her mother had always been the one to give out the hugs and wished her well as she walked out to the school bus.  Her father had always worked a lot of hours so he’d been gone by the time she’d walked out for school and, normally, he didn’t get home at night until she was in bed. 

She lowered her head and walked as fast as she could, her mind pushing away that revelation.  Kate loved her father and he loved her.  She was sure of it.  Wasn’t she?  Surely a father couldn’t dislike his own daughter.  He only acted the way he did to make her better, stronger. 

Kate suddenly wondered how Davis ran his business.  Was he the stern, demanding and harsh boss or was he the kind that encouraged people to work harder?  Her breath caught in the back of her throat as she thought back to all the times he’d either encouraged her or commanded her last night.  She shivered and it wasn’t because of the cold.  It was only because of all the things he’d gotten her to enjoy last night.  Goodness, her eyes almost rolled into the back of her head as she thought of all the things they’d done last night. 

She sighed and pulled her jacket closer to ward off the cold.  It didn’t do any good to think about Davis.  Their time together was done.  It had been wonderful, but if her father ever found out what she’d done, he would go ballistic!  He might even fire her.  She remembered something in the employee handbook he’d had her read that mentioned a morality clause. 

She shook her head, clearing it of both the worry over her job as well as her incredible night with Davis.  She had to hurry and pushed onward, thinking the whole time that she really needed to find some time to work out.  She was badly out of shape, huffing and puffing as she walked down the sidewalk.  By the time she reached her apartment building, which was not in the good section of Boston but it was cheap and available, she was gasping for breath.  She didn’t have time to let her body relax though.  She raced up the stairs, her hand holding the stitch in her side.  Once in her apartment, she slammed the door, tore off her clothes and just dumped them on the floor as she raced into her bathroom. 

She’d never showered so quickly in her life.  In and out in less than five minutes.  Back out, she dried off and pulled on another black suit, the only color her father thought appropriate for the office.  Black stockings and black heels, her hair pulled back into a hopefully neat bun, a touch of lipstick and she dashed out of her apartment again, trying to put mascara on while riding down in the painfully slow elevator. 

When she reached the street level again, she stepped out and remembered how cold it was.  She’d forgotten her coat again, but she didn’t have time to go back up to her apartment to find it.  She’d just have to brave the cold and hope that it warmed up during the day. 

As she walked back to her father’s office, she realized how sore her legs were.  And sore in very strange places.  She shivered as memories of the previous night popped back into her mind despite her repeated attempts to focus her mind on something, anything else.  Yes, that had definitely been a once in a lifetime night.  She couldn’t afford to be so crazy.  She had to learn to become a good accountant just like her father repeatedly demanded of her. 

Kate reminded herself of her options.  Find a new accounting job or possibly even go full time as a painter.  The check she’d received was huge, enough for her to live off of for a while.  Could she risk it?  Did she dare? 

She sighed as she pulled the door to her office building open, stepping through gratefully to the warmth.  An accountant.  She knew that some people loved numbers and calculations.  She thought of it as a death sentence.  Or at the least, a prison sentence. 

She had three paintings almost finished.  But would they sell as well as the others?  She pressed the button to call the elevator, biting her lip as she thought about all the problems.  She couldn’t risk it.  Her father would ban her from the industry if she quit to do something as frivolous as art.  If she failed, she’d be unemployed and probably unemployable.  Her father had told her over and over that she had to make it in his firm before she could venture out into the real world.  He wouldn’t give her a reference at the level she’d been performing and no one would hire her without a reference from her first position. 

Good grief, why had she done this to herself?  Why had she trapped herself into a job she hated? 

Because her father had convinced her that this was the only job she was qualified for.  And perhaps he was right, she thought.  Perhaps she should just hunker down and figure out tricks to help her find the right number, the right information, while doing all of the accounting work.   

She slipped through the entrance to the accounting firm, breathing a sigh of relief when the receptionist wasn’t in yet.  She glanced at her watch, noting that it was only five minutes past eight o’clock.  Her eyes also caught the fact that her father’s door was still closed. 

So far, so good.  She almost fell into her chair, catching her head in her hands as she went through the previous evening’s activities.  Now that she was back in her office, surrounded by all the tan colors and the staid outfits and attitudes of the other accountants, her actions from the previous night didn’t seem so glorious.  If any of them ever found out…!  They would be horrified with her!  How could she have been so promiscuous as to sleep with Davis?  She didn’t know the man! 

She blushed, thinking of all the things she did know about him.  Like how he liked to be touched on his…

Kate shook her head and pressed the button that would start up her computer.  She couldn’t do that!  She couldn’t think back to last night.  She’d made a mistake and she had to move forward.  How many times did she have to tell herself that in order for her mind to accept it? 

Davis was probably waking up just about now and he’d be relieved that she wasn’t still in bed with him. 

Yes, she had to move forward.  Just put yesterday up as the worst day of her life…she hesitated because she’d enjoyed…

No!  This was ridiculous!  She couldn’t go there.

“Nice of you to show up for work today,” her father said, his head popping into her office.  “We’ll discuss your tardiness later.  You need to come down to my office now.” 

She jerked, her pen flipping across the room.  Her father was here?   He never came into the office until after nine o’clock!  Why was he here so early? 

She stood up, her mind trying to figure out what was going on.  It had to be bad if her father was in the office this early.

Kate’s knees trembled as she stepped around her desk and her stomach felt like it was tied in knots. She was glad she hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast this morning because she was pretty sure she would just throw it up about now.

Kate walked down the hallway, her feet slower than she’d like but no matter what, she couldn’t get them to move more quickly.  It was like she was walking to her execution.  Surely her father wouldn’t fire her, would he?  She was his daughter! 

Yes, he would.  Yesterday’s missed report had been a bad error and she’d rushed out of the office instead of staying here to fix it.  She’d run away.  Kate glanced at her purse and realized she hadn’t even checked her messages last night or this morning, too caught up in Davis to think about work.  Well, now she was going to pay the price, she thought.  There was no way she could argue against a termination.  She hadn’t received that report, but her father wouldn’t listen to her and she’d made a serious error for a client.  It was only her father’s obsessive need to check everything she did that caught the issue before it was sent out.