Marriage of Convenience (12 page)

“How did you find this place?”

Caroline laughed softly. “Carina was on the Today Show a few years back. I was just inspired by the passion of the dance and thought it would be fun. I don’t get to take classes so often that I’ve advanced very far, but I get the basics, and it’s a lot of fun. I was hoping to find a partner to share it with. It can be a very … personal dance.” She blushed as she added the last few words.

Carina demonstrated the first few steps with her partner and then glided around the dancers offering feedback as her students attempted the moves themselves.

“Oh, I love it.” Carina stepped into their space, guiding Malcolm’s hips as his feet found their way around Caroline’s. “You’re back, dear. Lovely to see you. And you brought this gorgeous partner. Good girl, good girl. Together we will make him into a sexy dancer. You will be good together.”

Having no idea what he was doing, Malcolm surrendered to Caroline’s lead. The thought of surrendering to her took on a way too erotic connotation, so he set that thought aside and tried to concentrate on his feet. Unfortunately his concentration was redirected to erotic thoughts as their bodies brushed together to the rhythm of the music. Instead of counts to the music, his mind focused on more enticing thoughts. Like how warm and silky the bare flesh above Caroline’s skirt was when his fingertips encountered it as he settled his hands on her hips. Like how good she smelled up close, sweet, decadent, and tempting. Like how fluid and natural her movements were when she propelled her body against his. Like how unspeakably lovely her eyes were when she caught his attention to see how he was doing.

Is kissing taboo on the dance floor? He couldn’t imagine that it would be here, given the sexy nature of the dance itself. Didn’t it just invite flesh-to-flesh, lip-to-lip contact? God knows the swish of her hips made parts of his body tingle and made others ready to be set on fire.

“Getting the hang of it?” she asked as she executed a graceful twirl that lifted her skirt and gave him a nice view of her bare thighs.

“Oh, yes,” he said, the words coming out a little rougher than he intended. “I think I could learn to enjoy this.”

“It’s all in the hips,” she said, twitching hers to the rhythm.

“It certainly is.”

“And the legs.”

“I noticed that, too.”

She threw her head back and laughed with delight, clearly oblivious to the fact that they were talking about entirely different things. “I knew you’d be a good dancer,” she said, spinning closer.

“How’s that?” he asked, catching her hips with his hands and pulling them into his even as one foot shuffled back to accommodate one of hers that stepped forward. He actually did feel pretty competent.

“You have a very relaxed grace to your step. You move easily.”

“Hhhmm, I didn’t think you’d notice.”

She smiled. “I notice more than you think, Malcolm.” Her smile widened. “And I like what I see.”

Malcolm pulled her closer. “That makes two of us.”

The music changed, and Malcolm found that though he would have liked to say more he was too busy trying to figure out what to do with his feet. His confidence left him as the pace quickened and then stopped and started without warning. Caroline kept up effortlessly, twirling and gliding around him with the grace of a summer breeze, chuckling good-naturedly at his obvious and total confusion. Enjoying her body as it flowed toward him and then seductively away, Malcolm didn’t think as his arm snaked out to pull her close, slowing her movements. He pulled her to him until her body was flush against his.

And although the music kept playing, faster and faster, and the dancers surrounding them twirled merrily, the world enclosed them, gradually slowing to a stop. Malcolm slowed with it, spinning Caroline in a gradually more languid circle, pulling her closer with every turn, until the two of them stood utterly still at the center of the dance floor.

And then he kissed her.

As he dipped his head forward, Caroline tipped hers back, and oh so slowly, he covered her mouth with his. Her lips opened easily beneath his, and the taste of her filled him, intoxicating him. But it didn’t satisfy him. Instead, the kiss only inflamed his appetite, making him hunger for more of her. He deepened the kiss, cupping her face in his hands, tilting her head back further. Caroline acquiesced through all of it, curling her hand around his nape, running the other hand up the front of his chest. She returned his kisses with equal finesse and fire. For the life of him, he simply could not let her go.

He wasn’t sure how long they stood there so entwined—perhaps seconds, perhaps hours—but when the music changed again, slowing down this time, their bodies began to move together instinctively. Rather than being lost, the moment was merely altered, allowing them to bask in the warmth their kiss had created as they turned and twisted with the music.

****

They danced for an hour, and then sweaty and tired, they climbed back onto the bus and headed uptown. Caroline sat with her head on Malcolm’s shoulder.

“Did you enjoy it?” she asked.

“You know, I was a little hesitant and nervous when you first suggested it, but I loved it. It was a lot of fun. It was sexy. I was surprised at how much muscle concentration is required to dance. It looks so fluid and natural when others do it.”

“I’m glad.” Caroline pushed herself back into her seat and let her head loll to the side, enjoying the light bounce of the bus as it traveled up town. She’d expected to like Malcolm’s company, but hadn’t expected to think that she’d never want to live without it. As the weight of her thoughts surfaced in her mind, she shifted in her seat instinctively pulling away from Malcolm and folding herself more tightly into her own seat.

“You okay?” Malcolm must have felt her shift. The seats were a bit stiff, even for public transportation.

His voice pulled her out of her mind and into the present. “Sure. You hungry?” Christ, if she didn’t remember her goal, she was never going to be able to seal this deal. Stay focused. Stay committed, she admonished herself.

“I could eat. But I could also shower.”

“Yeah, you smell.” They laughed, and Malcolm pushed his elbow in her direction.

“Shower then food?” Caroline asked. “I should make reservations. About 7:00, you think? We could do a little earlier, but not much later if we’re going to get good seats.”

“If you make reservations, doesn’t that guarantee seats?”

“For dinner, yes. For the entertainment afterward, no.” Caroline pulled her cell phone from her shoulder bag and began scrolling through her contacts.

“Oh, dinner and a show? Great idea.” Malcolm shifted in his own seat.

“Feeling a little stiff from class?”

“I think I might be getting too old for this sort of excitement.”

“Not too old, I hope. I have big plans for you.” She smiled even as she selected a number.

“Really?” Malcolm turned to her, an eyebrow raised. “How big?”

“Well, that depends on you, doesn’t it?” Caroline looked him up and down, focusing a little longer on his crotch. The phone to her ear, she stifled a giggle, and she hushed him as he started to explain exactly what he was willing to guarantee.

“Want me to draw you a bath, old man?” Caroline chuckled as they stepped off the elevator and into the foyer of the penthouse. Malcolm had walked through the foyer and turned left to go to the master bedroom.

He looked over his shoulder and said, “Only if you’re going to join me.”

“I don’t see a problem with that.” Malcolm stopped and turned back toward her. He met her gaze with an intensity that made her shiver. “If you’re not too tired. We’ve had a long day. I can certainly understand if you want some time to yourself.”

Malcolm closed the distance between them. “Today isn’t about me. It’s about the possibility of an ‘us’. And even if it wasn’t, I can’t imagine ever being too tired when the alternative to resting is spending time with you.”

Caroline found herself whisked off her feet and into Malcolm’s strong arms. He leaned down and kissed her, drawing the air from her lungs. His masculine scent enveloped her. She pushed one arm under his to wrap it around his back, and the other reached across him and wrapped around his neck.

Shivers of anticipation raced down her spine, sensitizing every nerve in her body. She became aware only of her need for him.

Malcolm carried her to the bedroom, and though they were alone, he closed the door behind them. He leaned against the door and set her on her feet. Caroline began undressing as she slowly walked toward the bathroom door. She tugged her shirt off and tossed it aside. She paused long enough to kick away her boots before continuing on. By the time she reached the door her clothes laid a trail across the room and only her panties remained. Leaning provocatively against the door frame, her breasts bare and nipples erect, she said softly, “Your turn.”

Malcolm pushed himself off the door and walked slowly toward Caroline, pausing only when necessary to undress. By the time he reached her at the door, he was completely naked.

****

Kneeling before her, Malcolm slipped her panties from her hips. He inhaled her scent and was reminded of their previous lovemaking.

Malcolm leaned forward and rested his face against the warm skin of her thigh and inhaled again. Caroline placed her hands on his shoulders, either to balance herself or to encourage him. He wasn’t sure which, but he didn’t think it mattered. She would need him to help her balance when he was done with her. Malcolm wrapped his hands around her back and gripped her hips. Pushing them forward, her legs spread enough for him to reach his goal. Slipping his tongue into her parted flesh, he let his tongue slide lazily around, enjoying her soft moans. He leaned in further and stroked her with the flat of his tongue, and she shuddered again. Pushing her legs farther apart, he delved his tongue deeper, increasing the intensity and speed of his licks. He reveled in her sounds. Feeling her reaching for release, he added his fingers to the party, and Caroline came almost immediately.

Caroline pressed her fingers more deeply into Malcolm’s shoulders. She arched to lock her lower body to his mouth. Her body jerked beneath his mouth, and a strangled sob escaped her even as muscles contracted powerfully around his fingers. Malcolm ignored the sound and continued, letting her hips rock back and forth against his mouth.

“Please,” Caroline pleaded softly, “please.”

Finally pulling back, Malcolm scooped Caroline into his arms, cradling her as he walked into the bathroom. Caroline lay limp, unable to even hold on. Her lack of response didn’t bother Malcolm in the least. If the water didn’t revive her he had something else that would. He stepped into the shower and turned on the water. When it was warm he stepped under the spray and slowly slid Caroline to the floor. Turning her to him, he again lifted her off her feet, this time so that she was straddling his hips.

Caroline moved as he directed, and he appreciated the trust she placed in him. Grasping her bottom, he tilted her hips and slipped inside her. Her muscles tightened around him, and he was lost to the sweet pressure that beckoned him deeper. Water poured down on them, soaking their hair and blurring their vision, but nothing could stop him from pushing her up against the tile and thrusting in and out of her like a man pushed over the edge of sanity.

Malcolm gripped her hips as they cradled his pelvis, and he drove deeper, releasing the pressure that had built up as he’d pleasured her. He slowed his movements, the hard thrusts becoming long and leisurely. He watched her facial expressions with each stimulating stroke. The pressure began to build again. He leaned forward and touched her parted lips with his tongue. She responded by mating her tongue with his. The dance of their tongues increased the thrust of his hips, and they were once again on the edge. For long moments there was nothing but the sounds of sex, the slap of skin against skin, the harshness of their breathing, the moans of ecstasy. When she begged for more, he gathered her close and switched to a grinding, purposeful, insistent rhythm. He heard her cry out his name, and he heard his own cry in response. Breathing deeply, he forced himself to hold still to better feel her muscles clench around him. Wanting to remain connected this way to Caroline, Malcolm adjusted his stance, bracing his legs apart and pinning her to the wall. A shiver passed through his body, every nerve a sensitive jumble.

The water cascaded down his back and onto her legs, and Caroline pulled Malcolm’s head into the crook of her neck. She wrapped her arms around his back and snuggled into his body.

Enjoying the aftermath of their mating, Malcolm was hesitant to move. But he could feel the water growing cooler, and he didn’t want it to take the warm edge off the mood. Taking Caroline with him in his arms, he turned the shower off and stepped out onto the tile floor. He wrapped them in a thick towel and walked them to the bed.

Releasing Caroline down onto the mattress first, he covered her with his body and pulled the comforter over them.

Caroline reached up to pull his mouth to her own, and he settled his hips between her legs. Her legs immediately enveloped him, wrapping around his hips and overlapping behind his back. Their tongues entwined, Malcolm pulled his hips back far enough to sink himself inside her. Caroline raised her hips to meet him, and they sank back onto the mattress together.

Malcolm rolled left, bringing Caroline to the top. “Ride me.”

****

Caroline wasn’t a sexual novice, and she knew that the dominant position would give her the most pleasure. In her mind, this position went beyond making sure they were compatible. Compatible meant you could stand it. It meant that you and the other person wouldn’t kill each other or routinely annoy the hell out of each other. Placing her in the dominant role was communicating something else entirely. This was sex for the joy of sex. Malcolm was telling her to enjoy herself. It added a piece to the equation that she hadn’t really wanted to entertain. She wanted a baby. And if she enjoyed herself in the meantime, great. But she had a goal, a mission, and enjoying herself sexually was not a priority.