Pirate's Gold (16 page)

Maren sat on the floor near the windows staring out at the looming night. She drew her bent legs to her chest, encircled her knees with her arms and rested her chin on her kneecaps.” Do you enjoy living here?” she asked, as he sat next to her. “It's so different from the house in La Jolla.”

He contemplated the curve of her jaw before replying. “It's been convenient.” He reached forward and traced the soft column of her neck with his finger. The touch of his fingers against her throat made Maren's pulse begin to race. When she turned her head to look at him, she noticed that all traces of amusement had faded from his eyes. His voice became a throaty whisper, desperate with the heated yearnings of his body. “God, woman, you can't imagine what I've gone through these last two weeks, wanting you and not being able to touch you. It's nearly driven me mad.”

All the lighthearted pretenses melted in the ever-lengthening shadows in the room. The light mood that had taken hold of Maren throughout the casual meal disappeared and was replaced by an aura of gravity. Kyle's eyes had darkened with restrained desire as he reached over and his forearms entrapped her in their intimate prison.

“Tell me you've wanted me,” he commanded, holding her gaze with his smoldering eyes. “Tell me you've lain in bed alone and wished that I were there beside you, that I would appear and satisfy the ache within you.”

His words enticed her heart to beat unsteadily. Her breath caught in her throat as she remembered the last lonely nights without him and the agonizing hours she had lain awake with only memories of his warm caress. “Oh, yes,” she sighed, squeezing her eyes shut to emphasize her words. “I've wanted you, Kyle…. I've wanted you so hopelessly that there were times when I thought I couldn't stand being away from you a moment longer.”

Groaning in satisfaction, he let his hands move upward to cup her chin. “You've got to be the most fascinating woman in the world,” he proclaimed softly before pressing his anxious lips to hers. Tenderly, with as much restraint as his eager body could stand, he kissed her, and with an answering sigh, she parted her lips, quietly inviting him to explore and invade her, body and soul.

Their tongues met and entwined in an intimate dance of restless union that forced her blood to run in swirling rivulets of liquid fire. Her fingers caught in the heavy strands of his coarse hair as she pressed him closer to her. She felt his hand on her breast, kneading the aching mound through the soft fabric of the jersey dress. Her nipples were tight, her breasts swollen with need, ready for him and the wondrous feelings he could inspire. When he took his lips away from her mouth, she moaned in disappointment, but as his moist tongue lapped softly against her throat, Maren felt her body respond. The feminine ache within her burned as his tongue circled the hollow of her throat, leaving a wet impression on her skin and the soft neckline of her dress. Cool, moist fabric rubbed against her heated flesh, and a rosy blush of expectation colored her skin.

His lips moved to her shoulder and toyed with the buttons holding her dress together. Maren tilted her head to the side, letting her hair fall away from her neck and shoulders. His hands continued to hold the weight of her breasts, gently rubbing her taut nipples until they strained against the silky lace of her slip.

“Let me love you,” he whispered hotly against her shoulder as he slowly unfastened one button.

“Dear God, Kyle, please,” she murmured weakly. Another button was released from its bond. His tongue moistened her skin, and she shivered in anxious response. Her throat was dry from the short raspy breaths coming from her lungs.

The final button slid through its hole, allowing the soft muscle of her shoulder to part the powder blue dress. Warm night air massaged her skin as the fabric gaped off her shoulder, exposing the elegant swell of her swollen breast. A tiny droplet of perspiration ran from her neck down the dusky path between her breasts, and Kyle captured it with his waiting tongue. He lowered the strap of her slip down her arm, baring her breast to his eyes. His groan was a savage admission of lustful surrender.

Lowering his head, he let his lips tenderly seize the bold nipple, while his tongue rimmed the dark point. Her cry of bittersweet agony ripped him to the bone, and she gripped his hair more tightly, desperately holding him more closely against her bosom. Hot breath fanned the wetted breast, and the ache within her grew to a white-hot intensity.

Drops of perspiration beaded his brow, and it took all his thin patience to withhold the act of love and prolong the agony. The desire in his loins throbbed for release, but he repressed the urge to tear off her dress and savagely lose himself within her. Instead he let his fingers slowly touch her calf and with feather-soft strokes move upward, sensuously feeling the tantalizing seduction of her nyloned leg beneath his fingertips.

Maren released a shuddering sigh when his mouth released her nipple and the night air embraced her naked breast. Her breathing became erratic; her breasts heaved with the strain of taking in air. She felt liquid warmth engulf her as his hand traveled in painstaking hesitation up the length of her leg.

The dress gathered and pulled as his fingers found her inner thigh. Her small hands balled with frustrated longing as slowly—oh, lord, how slowly—he removed her undergarments before deftly tugging her dress over her head.

As she lay on the carpet in the near darkness, Kyle's eyes roved restlessly over her body. She shuddered at their intimate touch. He was kneeling beside her, and he slowly began to unbutton his shirt. Maren watched in anticipation as the oxford fabric parted to display the finely sculpted muscles of his chest and abdomen.

When he slid the shirt down his arms, she reached up and let her fingers trace the supple curve of his biceps before haltingly touching his neck and lowering her hands to the flat rock-hard ridges of his chest. She noticed the way his muscles contracted as he shifted positions to remove his shirt and slacks.

Finally he was naked beside her, kneeling over her, his bold gray eyes holding her gaze with promises of mysterious longing. She ran her fingers up the outer side of his thigh, letting the soft hair on his leg bend upward as she reached for him.

He leaned closer and her heart pounded out an erratic cadence of passion as her arms encircled his waist. He twined his fingers through the tangled waves of her fiery hair as he settled against her. She could hear his heartbeat, watch the anxious desire in his eyes, feel the rock-hard contour of solid muscles as they slid over her own. His weight was a welcome burden.

Elbows propped beside her head, lips pressed hotly against hers, he moved slowly, parting her legs with his knee and teasing her by rubbing his body over hers in intimate persuasion. The pounding in her ears began to explode and she arched more closely to him, assuring him that what she desired most in the world was the feel of his passion erupting with hers.

Her eyes were glazed in surrender, and when Kyle looked down upon her, seeing the way her damp hair framed her face, witnessing the ragged rise and fall of her breasts, feeling the heat of her body arching against his, he could no longer keep his primal urges at bay.

“I love you.” he cried as he entered her, molding himself to her as man to woman. “I love you, Maren,” he promised, straining against her flesh and filling her with all the love he could offer.

M
AREN SLOWLY OPENED
her eyes against an intrusive ray of sunlight piercing through the skylight. She stretched in leisure as she watched Kyle's sleeping form. His dark skin contrasted with the sky blue sheets, and his sun-streaked hair was tousled against the pillow. Smiling to herself, she reached forward and pushed the hair out of his eyes. Just as she did, his hand caught her wrist and his eyelids opened to reveal clear gray eyes.

“You weren't asleep, were you?” she asked with a knowing smile.

“I've been awake for nearly an hour.” His eyes roved restlessly over her exposed shoulders.

“Why didn't you wake me?”

“Because I enjoyed watching you sleep.” His eyes glittered seductively as he released her arm to drag the sheet slowly down her body. His eyes followed the bedsheets downward until the tops of her breasts were exposed. Light from the skylight warmed her naked skin, but she felt a sudden chill as his wet lips pressed against the swell of her breasts.

She moaned softly as a spreading liquid fire began to heat her blood. The sheet, now moist from the touch of his tongue, was pulled still lower, to drape across her abdomen and bare her dark nipples.

“Dear God, you're beautiful,” Kyle groaned as he positioned himself over her. Gently his hand massaged one of her supple breasts, unhurriedly rubbing the soft mound until the nipple hardened in readiness.

Anxiously Maren arched against him, her body hungry for more of his enticing touch. He kissed her tenderly on the lips, teasing her until she twined her fingers in his hair and pressed her hot lips more urgently to his. His tongue rimmed the corners of her mouth, softly prodding her lips open. She felt the delicious warmth of his tongue touching the most intimate reaches of her mouth, and a small cry of desire formed in her throat.

His hands continued to knead her flesh, promising fulfillment as they touched and explored her body. Knowing fingers flattened against the small of her back, drawing her torso against his, letting her feel the urgency of his desire as he rubbed against her.

When his head descended to moisten a path down her neck, Maren felt her breath constrict. His lips pressed wet kisses against her collarbone, and she shuddered beneath his expert touch. I'm falling in love with him, she thought helplessly, and there's no way to prevent it.

Erotically he cupped a breast in the palm of his hand before easing his lips over the succulent nipple. She held on to his head, holding his body against hers, ignoring the doubts filling her mind and giving in to the pleasurable sensations welling within her. She felt the warmth of his tongue and the bittersweet pain of his teeth against her skin.

He kicked away the bothersome sheet separating their lower bodies and placed his legs between hers. The soft hairs on his thighs caressed her legs. When he lifted his head, his eyes had darkened to a smoldering hue of smoky gray and her wetted breast cooled in the early morning air.

“Darling Maren,” Kyle murmured as he let his hands slide slowly down her rib cage, outlining each rib with his fingers. “How desperately I've wanted you.” His admission came reluctantly, as if it were a sign of weakness.

“And I you,” she replied, gazing dreamily into his eyes. She felt his muscles tighten, and he lowered his body over hers as he gently forced her knees apart.

A soft groan echoed deep in his throat when he at last gave in to the urges of his body and thrust himself into the invitation of her soft body. She sighed as they became one, and she held his body close to hers, content to feel the gentle rhythm of his love. He seemed to sense when her womanhood was fully aroused, and she felt his shuddering surrender at the moment of her fulfillment.

“Oh, Kyle,” she moaned. “Please love me.”

“I do,” he promised. “Oh, lady, I do.” His words were comforting and filled with conviction. Maren's eyes filled with unwanted tears and for one wondrous moment she let herself believe him.

“I want you to consider moving in with me in La Jolla.” It was a simple statement and sincere. His heartbeat had quieted, and his dark gray eyes seemed to pierce Maren's soul.

Maren's voice caught in her throat, and she hesitated. The words of love he had whispered while making love to her had to be considered nothing more than vague endearments murmured in the heat of desire. They couldn't be construed as promises of a love everlasting. Maren knew that impassioned words of love deep in the night had a way of fading into forgotten vows with the coming of dawn.

“Did you hear me?” He pulled her more closely to him, molding her slim body to the contours of his. Maren's throat was rough with unwanted tears. She sighed deeply as she lay in the comfort and security of his arms.

“I heard you,” she whispered, still facing away from him. “I just don't know what to say…”

“Say yes,” he persuaded gently as he pressed his lips against the back of her neck and breathed in the scent of her hair.

Her supple body became rigid in his arms. “Kyle…I know that I laid it on a little thick when we first met.”

“What do you mean?”

She sunk her teeth into her lower lip as she gathered her thoughts. “You were coming on pretty strong, and I didn't really know how to handle it. All that talk about commitment, it doesn't matter, not now. At the time I was afraid of an affair.”

“But now you're not? Is that what you're trying to say?”

“Now I'm not,” she agreed softly.

Broad hands gently pushed on her shoulders until she was forced to face him. As she stared into his brooding eyes she thought she would like to drown in his gaze. Her love for him was so great that she could sacrifice her principles and live with him without marriage. She would never selfishly bind him to a marriage he didn't want.

As if reading her thoughts, he frowned and his dark brows drew downward in confusion while he brushed a stray lock of auburn hair out of her eyes. “And you'd be satisfied with an affair?” Disbelieving gray eyes held her captive.

“Yes.” Her voice trembled only slightly. “Don't get me wrong, I still don't believe in casual sex…”

“I know that.”

“But I think…with us, it's more than that.”

“Of course it is. That's why I want you to live with me.” His hands were resting on her bare shoulders and his thumbs slid temptingly against her soft skin. How easily he could coax her into doing anything for him.

Her fingers clutched the sheet as she shook her head. “I can't do that.”

“Why not?” He pushed himself up on one elbow to stare down at her.

She smiled despite the tears welling in her eyes. More than anything she wanted to live with Kyle and share his deepest secrets. She swallowed with difficulty. “For one thing,” she whispered hoarsely, “I've got a lot of work to do…”

“Can't you do it as well in La Jolla?”

“Of course not! Kyle, be sensible! You know how tight my schedule is already. You're the one who put a crimp in it!”

“And you thought you had a little extra time to work on Joey Righteous's video.”

“That's hardly the same thing.”

“I know that, but can't you forget about work, just for a little while?” he asked.

“Hard to do, considering that I'm in bed with the boss.”

“Don't think of me as the boss—just as your lover.”

She blushed at the thought. His hands took hold of her slender wrists and held them bound to her sides. Slowly he lowered his head and moistened the tip of one breast. The dark nipple hardened in response. “Come with me,” he suggested. When she laughed and tried to resist him, he only held her more tightly. “Come with me,” he pleaded again.

“I'd like to, but it's impossible.”

“Maren, please…” He released her arms to touch her tenderly on the chin. “Come down to La Jolla, just for the weekend. We'll talk about the future after that.” He saw the protests forming in her eyes and fended them off with logic. “There's a lot of work you can do from the beach house. You can use the library. It has a desk and a phone…” He sensed that she was wavering. “…and a breathtaking view of the ocean.”

“You're twisting my arm.” She sighed longingly.

“Then say you'll come.”

She considered his request and the earnest look of concern in his eyes. “Okay,” she agreed, “but it can't be until tomorrow.”

“That's fine with me.” He kissed her on the cheek before rolling over to the edge of the bed.

“Kyle?” Her voice halted his movements. “Why haven't you asked me about your offer on Festival?”

As he stood, he rotated to face her. She was huddled on her side of the bed, the sheet clutched tightly over her breasts and her eyes uplifted to penetrate his.

“I didn't think the timing was right.”

“But I thought you wanted an answer.”

“I do. I have an appointment scheduled later today with my attorney and Elise Conrad. Apparently she has some misgivings about the sales contract. Is that right?”

“There're a couple of things she wants cleared up.”

“And if I satisfy her, will you be ready to sell?” he asked, regarding her carefully.

“I think so. Of course, I would have to talk to Elise first.”

“Of course” was his clipped reply. He noticed the question forming in her eyes. Draped in the blue sheet, her tangled coppery hair framing her small face, she seemed more vulnerable than he had imagined.

“There's something I have to know,” she said quietly.

He braced himself against the accusation he felt would surely come. “What?”

“You know that you're not obligated to me, don't you?” she asked.

“Obligation has nothing to do with the way I feel about you,” he replied. He frowned darkly, his jaw jutting outward and his cold eyes drilling into hers in frustration. “I'm asking you to come live with me because I want to. Don't delude yourself into thinking it's out of any heroic sense of duty just because we slept together.”

“Or because I haven't signed the contract of sale on Festival?” she prodded, witnessing the angry storm gathering in his eyes.

“You're incredible,” he charged. “Sometimes that lingering sense of paranoia of yours surprises me, and that's hard to do. I'm used to dealing with all sorts of fears and phobias in this business, and I had the erroneous impression that you were a woman who really knew her own mind.” He turned on his heel, angrily reached for his clothes and stalked furiously toward the bathroom. “I'm not about to dignify that question with an answer.” With a final oath, he slammed the bathroom door and effectively cut off any further argument.

Maren pursed her lips together. “Coward,” she whispered, pounding her fist into the pillow. Why did he get so furious? What was he hiding? She couldn't ignore the shadows of doubt that would cross his eyes. It was as if he distrusted her. Something wasn't right between them; Maren could feel it. There was something he wasn't telling her and it involved his purchase of her business. Why did he have to be so damned cryptic and manipulative? Again Jan's warning echoed in her mind.

Maren's anger slowly simmered while she dressed. By the time Kyle emerged from the bathroom dressed only in black slacks, Maren managed a remorseful smile. His dark hair was dripping as evidence of a recent shower, and he seemed surprised to note that Maren was completely dressed and quietly sipping a cup of coffee. She sat in a chair by the windows near where they had made love the evening before. Observing him over the rim of her cup, her dark brows arched expectantly as he came over to her.

“You can be a real bastard when you set your mind to it,” she charged with a sweet smile and a devilish glint in her eye.

“Only when provoked by the right woman.”

Maren's lips pursed into a petulant pout. “I poured you a cup of coffee—it's in the kitchen.”

He bent down and touched her shoulders with his fingertips. “You mean you're not going to get it and serve it to me?” he cajoled, his secretive smile pleading.

“Not on your life.”

Kyle returned with the cup and sat in a chair facing hers. He slipped his arms through his shirt and left it gaping open as he sipped the hot black liquid. “Tell me,” he suggested with a self-satisfied smile. “Are you always so even tempered when you wake up?”

“Only when I'm provoked by the right man.”

Kyle smiled. “Can I take you to breakfast?”

She shook her head and set her empty cup on the table. “Not today. Especially if I'm coming to La Jolla this weekend. I've got a million-and-one things to do.” She checked her watch. “And I'm late as it is.”

“Will you be at the meeting with Elise Conrad?”

“I plan to.”

“Then we can have dinner afterward in La Jolla.”

“Maybe,” she replied.

“Other plans?” His eyes darkened.