Make it Hot (11 page)

A
fter tasting hot dogs from both places, they were at a standstill. The Chicago-style hot dog would always be her favorite, just because they reminded her of home and she always stopped by Willy’s when she was feeling homesick. You really couldn’t go wrong with a pure-beef, Vienna hot dog, green relish, a pickle spear, tomatoes, peppers and mustard on a poppy-seed hot-dog bun with a sprinkling of celery salt, but she had to admit that those deep-fried cholesterol builders on a bun that Joel loved were also delicious.

“So, I’m thinking we call this one a tie.” Joel leaned back on her sofa and smiled at her.

They had moved from her small dining-room table to the couch and were still in mock deliberation.

“I guess that would be okay. Your little hot dogs were kinda good. I could see myself going to Johnny’s if Willy’s was closed.”

He laughed. “Come here, Samantha.”

She let out a hiss of breath.

Oh, Lord.

“What do you mean, come here? I’m already here. We’re both sitting on the same sofa.”

“Come closer to me. Why are you sitting so far away? You scared?”

“Scared of what?”

“Scared of me, of us, of the fact that no matter what you do, we’re going to explore this attraction? Take your pick.”

Oh, how about all of the above?

“I’m not scared. I just think—”

“Don’t do that.” He cut her off with his demand.

“Don’t do what?”

“Think. Let yourself feel for a minute. Come over here and let yourself feel.”

She stared at him. His big bold, brown eyes were daring and sexy in such a potent way. If she didn’t think…If she allowed herself to feel…Yeah, she really would be in trouble then.

“I’ve worked really hard to establish myself in my career, and while there aren’t any rules against me dating a former patient, I have tried to maintain a level of professionalism. But I am attracted to you.”

Did I just admit that out loud?

“You’re more than attracted to me, Samantha. A woman who is just attracted to a man doesn’t come over just to check up on him when he’s having a bad-back day. You care about me, sweetheart.”

Why does that feel like an understatement?

“Please come here.”

She blinked several times and laced her fingers together. She tried to think about what her life would be like when she didn’t have to worry about Joel Hightower and all his temptation. Things would be so easy and peaceful then, and boring, and lonely and unsatisfying.

She slid over on the couch, and he placed his arm around her shoulders. She couldn’t help but gaze up into his eyes, even though she knew they had some kind of mesmerizing power. How else could she explain the fact she was willing to throw her feelings about professionalism and her fear of getting involved with a man who had a dangerous job to the wind?

She wanted to have this man. Not only did she want him, she was also developing feelings for him. She didn’t want to even think about how intense her feelings for Joel were.

He leaned forward, and his lips brushed hers slightly. It was all she needed. Her tongue charged forward, stroking his mouth studiously from the outside to the inside. It was hard not to moan as she trailed the outline of his scandalous smile; difficult not to groan when she savored his tongue and traced the roof of his mouth. So she moaned and groaned with abandon when he pulled her closer and held her tight. His embrace felt sure and steady. It felt right.

Reluctantly, she pulled away. Foolishly, she stared at him, knowing the draw his eyes had on her. He gazed at her with so much emotion and desire she wanted to look away.

He studied her in deep contemplation, nodded and smiled.

“Okay, you look like you’re having some kind of personal conversation. What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He shook his head and grinned that little devilish grin of his. “I was just talking with my father earlier today and something finally hit me.”

“What?”

He stared at her for a minute and the glimmer she couldn’t quite place flashed in his eyes. He opened his mouth and then closed it.

“I’ll tell you when you’re ready. You’re not ready to hear this yet.”

“Ooh, now I’m all curious. You have to tell me.” She laughed and kissed him softly and slowly. She moved from his mouth to his neck taking pecks and nips. “Tell me.”

“Oh, so you want to fight dirty, huh?”

“I’m not a fighter. I’m a lover. Tell me.”

He laughed. “A lover, huh?”

“Mmm, hmm, and I’m willing to use the bulk of my loving skills to get you to tell me what has you looking at me all weird.”

“That sounds like another battle. I wonder who’ll win this one.” He murmured the words before covering her mouth in a searing kiss.

Her heart almost jumped out of her chest. The only thing that stopped her from crying uncle or throwing up the white flag was the fact that if she did, it would end the kiss.

“You give up?” He whispered the question right on to her lips.

She got up and straddled his lap. Leaning forward she began to unbutton his shirt and let her hands linger on his muscled chest. She didn’t think she’d ever seen anything so virile and masculine. The dark hairs felt soft to the touch and underneath, as hard as steel.

He let out a hiss of breath. She tilted her head and brushed a soft, teasing kiss across his lips before trailing down his chest. She inhaled. His scent had to be a narcotic because she was sure she could easily become addicted.

Who was she kidding? She was already strung out.

The overwhelming urge to taste every inch of his firm, muscled body came over her so suddenly. Before she could even think about it, she was on her knees in front of him on the sofa. She unbuckled his pants and released his sex from captivity.

He was already semi-erect and the size of him made her mouth water. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about what she was about to do, many times.

Taking him in her mouth for the first time let loose a series of emotions in her. On one level, she just wanted to pleasure and please this man more than any other man she had ever known or been with. On another level, she knew she was taking the step to the point of no return. Any arguments she had about keeping a distance were null and void.

She suckled him. Licked him in slow, sure strokes. She savored him and knew without a doubt she could go on tasting him forever.

Lost in her own little world and content to explore him with her mouth while listening to the soft sounds of his sexy moans, she barely felt when he nudged her.

“Sweetheart. Ohh…you’re killing me. We have to stop now. Your mouth feels so good, but I won’t be able to hang on if you keep this up.”

She stopped and stood. Stepping out of her slacks she let them fall to the floor, all the while keeping her eyes on him. Their gazes locked as she performed a striptease for him. The only thing missing was the music. He stood and took off his slacks and shirt, letting his things fall in the small clothes pile that held her belongings.

She noticed he had taken a condom from his wallet.

And there they were, at the point of no return. He guided her to the long chaise end of her sectional sofa and positioned her on the edge with her legs hanging off and her feet firmly planted on the floor. He placed the condom on his erection before getting on his knees between her spread legs. He rested his elbows and the weight of his torso on either side of her on the sofa.

Clearly he’d been doing some research on the best sexual positions for men with back problems.

The anticipation made her stomach flip-flop and her heart race. He just looked at her for what seemed like forever.

“You’re beautiful, Samantha. I remember thinking that the first time I saw you.”

“No need for sweet talk, Hightower. I think you’ve pretty much got things in the bag.” She arched her hips a little, waiting for him to fill her.

He laughed. “Little Miss Spitfire, you ain’t nothing nice, girl. Here a brother is trying to open up his heart to you and you’re trying to rush me.”

“How about you save it for the pillow talk, the after-sex cuddling, something like that?”

He chuckled then. “Okay, but I do want to share something with you. You know how you wanted to know what I was thinking? What hit me? Well, I was talking with my dad today and he said that I had the look of a Hightower man in love. He said it would hit me soon and I’d realize it. As I looked at your pretty face this evening, sitting there all cute and contemplative, it hit me. I’m in love.”

And with those three words he entered her fully to the hilt, taking her breath away. She had no idea what had robbed her of air, his words or the way he filled her, but she had to remind herself how to breathe just to have the energy to deal with his sure strokes.

Arching up from the sofa, she met him each time his hips came forward.

“You feel so good, sweetheart. God, you feel good.”

She widened her legs and wiggled slightly in an effort to get used to his size and girth. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so full, so complete.

She allowed her hands to roam the ripples of muscles on his chest, moving from his shoulders to his six-pack abs. Her fingers soaked up his strength and sent shock waves from her arms to her core. He moved his hips with such skill and finesse she soon found it hard to keep clear and coherent thoughts in her head. In fact, her mind seemed to take the background as her body took over.

He cupped her buttocks, pulling her into his powerful thrust. Her back arched off the sofa as the beginnings of the sweetest release she had ever known slowly crept up and down her body, building and building until she had to call out his name. She closed her eyes and shook her head in order to stop herself from letting it all hang out. Her body quaked and quivered, her legs started to shake and her lips parted in silent splendor.

His lips covered hers then and his tongue barreled into her mouth, mimicking the mind-blowing gestures of his hips.

And the fullness consumed her until there was no room. She brought her hands to his face and caressed his handsome profile as she kissed him with everything that was inside of her.

When he moved his mouth from hers, she groaned. When his lips found her nipples and began to suckle one after the other in tandem with the powerful piston of his hips, she moaned. She moaned loud and long as her sex began to tighten and release around him as if she wanted to siphon everything she possibly could from him. His tongue traced and trailed her nipple so seductively, she couldn’t hold back any longer and she knew she couldn’t take much more.

Could a person be pleasured to death? She had a feeling she might find out if Joel didn’t finish soon.

“Joel…” she whispered his name through clenched teeth as her legs—almost as if they had a mind of their own—gripped him in a tight embrace. Hot slick wetness spiraled down, causing her gut to drop and her sex to clench and convulse.

“It feels so good when you come, girl. I could feel that all night…you grabbing me so tight, so tight…Damn, girl.” He didn’t miss a beat. Continuing his thrusts, he lifted his head and stared at her.

If she could have stopped shaking, she might have been able to get a clearer vision of his handsome face and bright brown eyes. As it was, the only thing she could make out was the wall of mahogany covered steel that made up his chest and arms. She reached up sliding her hands up and down the bulging pipes that made up his arms. The beads of perspiration that layered his masculine body didn’t faze her. She relished the slick evidence of how much effort he put into pleasing her. She wasn’t afraid of the sweat.

Never
…Never had she experienced anything as amazing as making love to Joel Hightower. Each of his strokes seemed to spark fire to her soul. She couldn’t even express what his loving had wrenched open in her. She felt like she should say something, but all she could do was get lost in his eyes as she met him thrust for thrust.

Her hips bounced off of the sofa with more urgency than only a moment before. She was reaching, greedily so.

How many orgasms did she think she could get out of one amazing encounter with Joel, anyway? As many as she possibly could, that’s how many!

And she was so close, so close.

“Joel. Joel!” His name ripped from her lips in a fevered, impassioned plea.

“It’s yours, girl. Take it. Take it!” He moved his hips faster and more deftly, each stroke clearly intended to take her there and back.

And she went on the ride, meeting him and taking him on a ride of her own as she swiveled and pivoted so that he could reach the very depths of her. He moved his hand to the spot that brought her the ultimate pleasure and pressed down as he moved in and out, harder and faster, causing her to clasp him tightly in her thighs as she screamed out her release. He joined her barely seconds later and covered her mouth with a kiss that managed to take the little breath she had left away.

Lying in Samantha’s bed and holding her in his arms felt right. It felt more than right. It was perfect.

Things might had been moving faster than he’d been accustomed to in the past, but he realized things couldn’t move fast enough, not since it finally hit him.

He smiled and spooned her luscious body closer. The past two-and-a-half months of back-and-forth banter with the mouthy and very sexy physical therapist had caused a sneak attack on his heart. He knew she probably didn’t believe him, and he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to share the newfound knowledge of his feelings with her.

But he wanted her to know. Hell, he wanted the entire world to know.

He certainly hadn’t expected they would make love this evening, but he wasn’t about to say no once she stood and did her seductive striptease.

Her spicy and vibrant energy sparked more life in him than he’d felt in months.

He loved it. He loved
her.

“You know, I won’t hold you to any of that stuff you said, Joel. I know things get said in the heat of the moment and—”