The Heart Heist (23 page)

For an awful moment, she thought he was going to argue with her. But instead he gave a masculine shrug and turned to put the car back into gear.

So, she was safe. He wasn't going to press her with his physical advances. He wasn't going to assault her with one of those glorious sensual epiphanies. Kerrin looked out the window, but instead of relief felt a crushing disappointment. She'd closed a door before finding out what was on the other side.

"There's a road coming up." Gary slowed the car as they approached an intersection for a narrow side road. "What's up this way, d'you know?"

Kerrin peered out at the dirt track. "I'm not sure, but it probably goes into the National Forest."

"The forest," Gary repeated with satisfaction. "That sounds good." He turned the wheel and brought the little white car smoothly onto the unpaved road, meanwhile shooting her a strange half smile. "You don't really want to go straight home, now do you, Kerrie?"

She didn't know what to answer as a lightheaded excitement took hold of her. Oh, this was crazy. She didn't know what she wanted any more. Gary somehow had sensed her ambivalence, though she had no idea what he intended to do about it.

He bounced the car carefully over the road until he came to a good sized oak tree, well screened from the main highway. After pulling under the spreading branches of the tree, he killed the motor and the lights. The car rolled to a gentle stop.

Sighing, Gary clicked open his door and got out. Kerrin watched as he strolled unhurriedly around the hood of the vehicle and then pulled her car door open.

Kerrin stayed in her seat, her belt fastened, and peered out at him. His face was calm, if a bit long-suffering.

"If you wouldn't mind stepping out of the car, Ms. Horton, there's a matter I'd like to discuss with you."

Kerrin gave an assessing sweep of the area beneath the oak tree. "Out there?"

"Yep."

"Why do we have to discuss it outside?"

"Come out of the car and you'll find out."

Kerrin knew it was a trick. Gary didn't really have anything he could only say to her under this old oak tree that he couldn't say just as well inside the car, safely across the gear shift from her.

"You're going to kiss me," she accused.

Gary paused.

Evidence of guilt. Once again, she wished she knew if she wanted this or not. She wished she knew what "this" was. How far did he intend to go?

He gave her a close look and frowned. "You've got to forget all that other stuff, the old garbage. You're with me now."

Kerrin blinked.
Old garbage
?

"I know," Gary said brightly. "We'll do an experiment."

"An experiment?" The idea made Kerrin forget Gary's mysterious statement about garbage.

"Sure. Being your father's child I'm sure you're comfortable with the idea of a scientific experiment," Gary claimed.

"Um..."

"A joint biology slash psychology type of experiment."

Kerrin tilted her head at him. She might be ignorant, but she wasn't born yesterday. This sounded way beyond kissing. Once again, the excitement trembling under her skin split between anticipation and fear. Primly, she said, "I believe those types of experiments tend to get out of hand."

"Not this one." Gary sounded certain. "That's the beauty of it. You're going to be the one in charge. Completely in charge."

Her inner meter nudged from the fear zone over toward anticipation. "Me? In charge?"

"That's right. I'm going to do whatever you say, and only what you say."

Crickets sang in the cool desert air. The branches of the oak tree stood out silver in the starlight. Kerrin's heart began to beat a strong and demanding rhythm.
She
was going to be in charge. They wouldn't go any faster or further than
she
wanted.

Slowly, she unsnapped her seat belt. "Okay. I could give this experiment a try." Her inner excitement expanded. Had she actually said that? Yes, she had. And now Gary's whole, graceful male body was at her disposal.

She only had to decide what to do with it.

She stepped out of the car. She was trembling again, but now it was almost all excitement. She knew she wanted Gary's arms around her. She knew she wanted his kiss. Okay, she even wanted his tongue in her mouth like he'd done once before.

But how in the world was she supposed to get that across? She bit her lip, utterly abashed.

"Maybe we'd be more comfortable," Gary remarked, "if we got into the back seat."

Kerrin threw him a sidelong regard.

He smiled, oh-so-innocently, and crossed to the back door. He opened it and looked toward Kerrin.

"I thought I was in charge."

"Oh, you are." Gary still looked very innocent. "This is only a suggestion."

Kerrin regarded the open car door. "That's...some suggestion."

Gary lifted a shoulder. "It's all up to you."

Kerrin bit her lower lip again.
It was up to her
. But he felt he had the right to make 'suggestions.' For a short moment Kerrin studied Gary, with his cocky air of physical confidence. She thought of the difficulty she had enunciating the desire for a simple kiss. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a few suggestions from an expert.

"Okay, fine," she said, before she could chicken out. "The back seat."

But the back seat was a lot closer quarters than Kerrin had imagined. With Gary's knee brushing her thigh and his forearm resting on the seat top against the nape of her neck, she felt her fear of the unknown steal back. He was so...
male
.

"All right," Gary said, utterly casual, himself. "Now what?"

Kerrin breathed through her nerves. She was in charge here, she reminded herself. Besides, he was just sitting there, not making a move. Literally.

All the same, she couldn't make herself say a word. Even though she wanted to. She really wanted to!

"Wasn't there some thought earlier," Gary mused off-handedly, "about a kiss?"

"Uh, I did say something about that, yes." In a quelling way, but Kerrin was willing to forget that part if Gary was. "Um, so...maybe you could...?"

"Sure thing," Gary replied, as if Kerrin had been crisply articulate instead of stammeringly dopey.

He put his arm around her shoulder and drew her toward him. Sweet excitement rose inside Kerrin. The excitement crested when his mouth touched hers. His lips were incredibly soft, achingly warm.

Gary got between her own lips with no fuss whatsoever. It was possible Kerrin had opened them herself, possible the craving for the play of his tongue had temporarily overwhelmed her inhibitions.

Oh yes, in fact somehow her own tongue was starting to get involved, dancing around his and outlining his lips. This was...oh, so good. Exhilaration spread from her chest to her fingertips.

A tortured groan came from Gary. "I'm gonna die," he muttered, tearing his mouth from hers.

Kerrin was instantly appalled. "Am I doing something wrong?"

He answered with a rough chuckle. "Hardly."

"So...you liked it?"

Kerrin's heart was in her throat with the question, but Gary, panting slightly, gave her a thoroughly wicked smile.

"I adored it."

"Oh." His smile did something very strange, but not necessarily bad, to Kerrin's insides. She felt powerful, even while her nervousness and fear of the unknown had by no means deserted her.

"Wanna do it again?" Gary asked, and the wickedness in his smile deepened.

The expression on his face made Kerrin wonder what she'd sparked in him. "Uh..." Her nerves jumped to the forefront, as did her desire to keep a firm hand on the brakes. "Maybe we could try something...a little different."
A little safer
.

His brows rose with interest. "Such as?"

"What if you..." Kerrin racked her brain for something safer than a kiss with tongues. "...if you kissed me here?" With a finger, she indicated the spot on her neck just below the jaw line. Her finger was still there when she realized she'd actually taken some initiative. She felt an unexpected rush of pleasure.

Especially when Gary lost no time in answering her request.

"Here?" His hand lightly held the opposite side of her head as he pressed his lips against her skin.

Kerrin hadn't guessed
--
Oh, my. This wasn't safer. His lips were hot; they seemed to burn a hole straight through her.

"There," Kerrin moaned, twisting under this delightful torch. Amazingly, she heard herself request, "Again."

He did it again, then brushed his lips an inch lower down her neck. He brushed every nerve ending she owned as he did so. Next he opened his mouth around the kiss, sucking gently on her neck.

"Oh...my..." Kerrin grabbed hold of Gary's strong shoulders, her fingers digging into the material of his shirt. That felt…
so good
.

"More?" Gary asked. His own voice sounded choked.

"Yes," Kerrin said, even as she marveled at her own boldness. "Lower," she hoarsely added.

At the angle between her neck and shoulder, Gary gave her a gentle nip. The sudden contrast with the soft wetness of his kisses sent a crack of additional excitement through her. She opened her eyes.

She found herself staring right into Gary's dark gaze. He laid his finger on the spaghetti strap running over her shoulder. "I think this is in the way, don't you? Want me to slide it down?"

Kerrin knew he was 'suggesting' they move beyond kissing, exactly what she'd been afraid of, yet she made no negative reply. His voice, his eyes, the echo of his kiss-bite, all made her feel dazed and complaisant.

"I'll take that as a yes," Gary decided. With unhurried matter-of-factness, he moved the strap over her shoulder. The action did nothing substantial to undress her, but Kerrin felt the possessiveness of the gesture nevertheless. It was the first tread down a steep and uncontrollable slope.

But before Kerrin's mind could wake up and bring her back up the slope, Gary was brushing his lips across the top of her shoulder. Sensation swept across her whole upper body; a tingling, incredibly exciting sensation. Kerrin pushed one hand into the thick silky hair at Gary's nape and closed her eyes. She'd never felt as vulnerable before another human being, but she didn't want to stop and protect herself. Maybe because, oddly enough, she felt safe. Every limb in her body was trembling; she should have been mortified with physical embarrassment, but all she wanted was for him to keep on doing this to her.

"Kerrin?"

"Hmm." She belatedly noticed that he'd slipped her other strap over her shoulder. While his lips were creating havoc on one shoulder, his hand was caressing the other.

"I want you to let me put my hand on your breast. Through your dress," he added when she started to stiffen. "Just a touch. That's all."

Her brain started to lift out of the sensual fog in which it had been resting. "Um, Gary, I don't -- "

"It'll only be a light touch. Very light. Only for a second. I promise. You can handle that."

He waited, letting her know she was still in charge. She breathed fast. A man's touch on her breast. Could she handle that? It was another step down the increasingly slippery slope. She wanted to stay in control.

But a part of her wanted to let him go ahead, wanted to know what it would feel like.

"Okay," she heard herself breathe.

His gaze went down to her chest, unabashedly, unashamedly. To her astonishment, her breasts started to ache, as if his look was not enough. Finally, he reached out and brushed a finger across the upper half of her right breast. It was an astonishingly unsatisfying sensation, particularly considering the build-up.

He slanted his gaze to her face. "More?"

The manipulative little -- He was making her ask for it!

He waited, kneeling now on the floor of the car, his hands resting to the seat on either side of her. Why, it would serve him right if she --

"All right," she heard herself say, letting her sensual curiosity get the better of her pride. "But you stop any time I say."

His expression was full of innocence. "Oh, absolutely."

Then he moved his hand and covered her right breast with it. He left it there; still, assured, warm. So warm. The warmth of his hand seeped through the material of her dress and travelled right into her chest.

"That's...that's really nice, Gary," Kerrin breathed. Instead of fear or apprehension, the warmth of his hand on her breast gave her a deep sense of security.

"I'm glad you like it." Gary's voice came out low and hoarse. Leaning forward, he kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I like it, too."

"Do you?" Kerrin was suddenly worried.

"Mmm hmm." His palm and fingers made a gentle, massaging motion. The heat wasn't only in his hand. She could see it warming behind his eyes. "I'd really like to look at your breasts, Kerrin. Think you could let me do that?"

Her heart gave a sudden, lurching knock. This would be true exposure.

"Let's just start with the zipper at the back of your dress," Gary quickly retreated. "Just to get you used to the idea."

"Nothing more than that?" Kerrin asked.

"Not unless you ask me to." He didn't wait for her assent this time as he smoothed his free hand up her back. "This is a real nice dress. I don't think I told you that, did I? Makes you look like some junior heavenly angel. An angel with a terrific set of legs."

The open zipper let cool air down her naked back and loosened the material of her bodice. Kerrin whimpered as the rough, warm skin of Gary's hand moved in the open placket to caress her back.

"Feel good?" Gary murmured, pressing a kiss against her cheek. "God, you're soft. So soft and silky. I could do this for hours, just touch you."

Kerrin didn't have a thing to say in return. At one and the same time there was Gary's skin against hers on her back and his hand caressing her breast. Warmth spread all the way through her.

Gary lifted his hand to the top edge of her bodice. "Let me pull this down, Kerrie."

"Okay. Yes." Her breasts were throbbing, aching. She didn't particularly want Gary to see them, but he seemed so intent on doing it that she didn't want to disappoint him.