Three
Ark poured two glasses of wine from the wet bar/kitchen combo in his hotel suite. Then he walked toward the leather couch.
Tess sat there looking at a list of movies he’d handed her. He remembered her. The rush of fear when he looked over and realized Tess had been swept away by a riptide was part of the reason she stayed in his memory. His dad’s obvious pride in him for getting her out of the riptide was another. But what really cemented the memory was what his dad said to him on the way home. “Ark, I love you more than driving stunt cars. You know that, don’t you? You, your brothers and your mom, you guys are my life.” As an adult now, Ark understood that his father had been upset at the coldness of Tess’s parents. That he didn’t want his family to ever feel as if they were in the way of his career. But at thirteen, he’d been a little surprised and embarrassed.
But those words had lived with Ark after his father died, a reminder of his dad’s love and his belief in him. That memory had helped him deal with his dad’s sudden death. Tess had no idea of the gift she had left him with.
And now she was here. Grown up from a scrawny kid to a warm, vibrant, and sexy woman.
It’d been years since he’d wanted a woman this badly. She was beautiful with her long brown hair cascading down over her shoulders, left bare by the halter top of her dress. Her brown eyes were on the movie list, but he could practically see her mind working.
He doubted she’d read a word of the list. Instead, he guessed that she was going over her decision to be here with him. Typical shrink.
But it was more than her looks that got him. It had been her honesty. She’d been in an awkward, humiliating position with that e-mail, and she’d told him the truth. She believed in the truth. Ark lived in a strange world where the press and media and, to be honest, his sponsors, agents, publicist, etc., created their own truths. Being the bad boy of NASCAR generated controversy that attracted more fans.
And a few drivers out to slam him into walls. He got along fine with most drivers now. But a few resented the media coverage he got. It was war out there on the track.
So Tess’s honesty touched him. Writing an e-mail was such a shrink way of attacking a problem. Sex problem. A woman who earned a black belt had passion. A woman who earned a PhD had passion. What she’d lacked was a man she could trust.
Until now.
This was why he was determined to watch a movie and give her time to relax. He held the glass of wine out to her. “See anything?”
She jerked her head up. “Not really.”
Ark sat down next to her on the couch. He took the list and tossed it onto the coffee table. “Tell me more about yourself. When did you get your black belt? What discipline is it in?”
She eased back against the couch. “Five years ago. One of my friends, Josie, and I both took karate in college and got involved. It’s American-style karate. Now I teach a class.”
Her eyes lit up. He could see that she loved karate. But he wanted to know more about the core of her. He decided to ask about her family. “A PhD and black belt ... your family must be very proud. I bet your sisters and brothers don’t give you a hard time. You could either analyze them to death or beat the crap out of them.” He could smell the orange blossom scent—he thought it was from her hair. He wanted to touch the long wavy strands, wrapping them around his hand.
Tess looked away. “My parents died in a car accident over a decade ago. No brothers or sisters.” She took a sip of wine, then turned back to him and said, “You have two brothers, right?”
Christ. He hadn’t expected that about her folks. Her parents hadn’t seemed like June and Ward Cleaver but to lose them both had to be awful. He also noticed she changed the subject, but left it alone. “Yeah, Nick and Bobbie. Nick’s doing some stunt driving around finishing up college. He’s good at it, just like our dad was. Bobbie is into football and girls. Mostly girls.” First year of college, the boy had hormones the size of Rhode Island. “My mom held us all together after my dad died.” Who held Tess together? He leaned forward and set down his wine.
“You’re close with your mom and brothers?”
Ark put his arm around her, resting his hand on her bare shoulder. “Yes. They’ll be around this weekend, so you’ll probably meet them. But I’m more interested in you. How old were you when your parents were in the accident?”
“Fifteen, it was a long time ago. Does your family come to all your races?”
He moved his hand to rub circles around the curve of her shoulder, enjoying the feel of her firm muscles beneath soft, smooth skin. “In California, they do. Our home is in Valencia. Otherwise, they fly in if they have the time or inclination. I usually take a suite so there’s plenty of room.”
She tensed up. “They will stay here? I should leave.” She sat forward.
Ark dropped his hand to her waist and was surprised at the stab of panic. He didn’t want her to leave. “Tess, relax, they won’t come until Saturday. It’s a two-room suite, and this couch pulls out to a bed. You don’t have to go.”
“Oh.” She didn’t move.
Ark wondered what the hell her reaction to his family staying with him was about. “Tess, come here,” he lifted her and pulled her onto his lap. Setting her firm ass on his thighs, it was all she could do to hang on to her wine. Which kept her from fighting him. Once he got her settled, he touched his hand to her face. “You’re not leaving, not tonight. You had two glasses of wine at the restaurant and one here. I don’t want you driving.” She roused a protectiveness in him.
She took a breath.
Probably to tell him to go to hell. He didn’t give her the chance. “I have two rooms. If you change your mind about sleeping with me, you’re welcome to sleep in there.”
She met his gaze. “I haven’t changed my mind. I just thought ... if your family was here ... I wouldn’t belong here.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Why the hell not?” Most women tried to ingratiate themselves into his family. This was new. And if he wanted a woman friend in his hotel suite, he was thirty years old. He didn’t have to ask his mother’s permission, for Christ’s sake.
She shifted on his lap. “Because, they are your family.”
She was serious. Ark couldn’t help but wonder why. Probably something to do with losing her parents so young and not having brothers or sisters. “Forget my family. All I want to think about tonight is you.” He slid his hand into her hair—so thick and soft it slid sensually over his skin—and pulled her mouth to his.
She leaned into his kiss. Her mouth soft, her lips tasting like the wine. He wanted more, needed more. With gentle pressure from him, she opened her mouth. Her hot breath drove him crazy. He wanted to taste all of her and slid his tongue inside. She responded until he groaned as his cock strained against his pants to get to her rounded butt.
He broke the kiss. Took her wineglass and set it on the side table. Then he reached up under her heavy hair for the tie that held the top of her dress in place. “I like this dress, Doc. But I want to see your breasts.” He pulled the tie open and tugged down the two ends. Leaving her bare.
Damn, she was hot. Full mounds topped with very erect nipples. A slight flush spread over the tops of her breasts and up her chest. Can’t have the doc thinking too much. Ark took one full breast in his palm and drew his thumb back and forth across the distended nipple.
She shivered, her hands clutching his shoulders.
He wanted more. He leaned forward and took the other nipple into his mouth, suckling and moving the tip of his tongue on the pebbled surface.
She arched her back, and he took her more deeply in his mouth. Every time she shivered or squirmed, it was torture on his dick. Lifting his head, he looked up into her face.
Flushed. Swollen lips, and dark swollen nipples. She looked like a woman ready for sex. The way she responded to him was every man’s wet dream. He had no idea why she thought otherwise. “I want to make love to you on a bed, Tess.” He reached his hand down to her knee, then slid up to her smooth muscular thigh. “I want to pull off your dress, then your panties.” He moved his hand higher, up to the edge of her panties around her thigh.
She stared at him, her brown eyes getting heavy with need.
“I can feel your heat from here.” He drew his finger along the edge of her panties.
She licked her lips.
He was going to lick her lips. Both her mouth and between her legs. All night long. “Tell me you want me, Tess.” He slid his finger under the elastic and touched her. Her heat made him groan.
She arched slightly against him. “I want you. I want to see you naked.”
He could feel her holding back. That arch had been instinctive, seeking; then she had pulled back. He slid his finger between her folds and along her seam. God, she was wet. So damned hot. He felt the nub, gently circled it. “Sweetheart, I’ll give you anything you want if you’ll just open your legs a little more.” He shifted her, pulling her back in the cradle of his left arm, using his hand to spread her thighs.
She tensed up.
He’d put her in a vulnerable position, so he spoke to her, wanting her to relax and trust him. “Lean back, let me hold you. I want to hold you against me while I touch you.”
She relaxed.
He looked at her face, using all his self-control. “Close your eyes. Just feel me touching you.”
She slid her eyes closed. Her mouth parted.
He tried not to think about her mouth. Just pleasuring her, getting her to trust him. Her clit was swelling, getting so wet his mouth went dry with his longing to taste her. He pressed his finger to her opening. He slid it inside of her, watching her face. Pleasure darkened her skin with a flush. He felt her hips rise.
But again she stilled them.
She didn’t want to let go.
Too bad. Ark had every intention of making her let go and come. Over and over. While he touched her, while he tongued her, and while he was thrusting deep inside of her. He needed to feel her coming apart under him. Wanted it as much as he wanted to bury himself in her and come.
What started out as pure lust had become something much more. Deeper. Women like Tess did not come along every day.
He took his hand out from under her dress and slid it under her knees. “Put your arms around my neck.”
She opened her eyes. “I can walk.”
“You can also trust me.” He stood up, heading to his room on the right side of the suite. Where he had a big bed and plenty of condoms. At the closed door, he stopped. Looked down into her face. She was watching him, probably thinking again. Probably realizing they really didn’t know each other that well. But they had a very real connection. “You are safe with me. You can trust me, Tess.”
Typically, she met his gaze directly. Her brown gaze locked on him. Then she said, “I believe you.”
It eased something tight in his chest to hear her say it. He smiled. “Then lean down and open the door, Tess.”
She proved she trusted him by reaching down and opening the door. Then she pulled back. “Ugh, what’s that smell?”
Ark’s muscles coiled. He stepped back and set Tess down. “Stay here.” He had a bad feeling. It wouldn’t be the first time someone, a fan or reporter, had broken into his room. Carefully, he reached to the wall and hit the light switch by the door.
The first thing he saw was the dead man on the floor at the foot of the bed. He was sprawled on his back with his pants at his ankles. His dick still had a bright pink erection enhancer ring around the base with a clitoral stimulator attached. Scattered on the floor were a few blue pills that appeared to be Viagra and Ark’s box of condoms. What the hell was going on?
“My God, it’s Fred!” Tess tried to get past him.
Ark grabbed her by the waist and hauled her into his arms. “Tess, he’s dead.” He had a hole in his forehead. A small gun, no doubt one with a silencer or the entire floor would have heard the shot. Ark wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest.
Then he realized what she had said. Fred. The tabloid journalist he and Tess had had a very public argument with a few hours ago. Tess had been with him and was now with Ark. Then Fred turns up murdered in his hotel room.
He was so screwed.