Chapter Ten

She walked along the floor to ceiling windows. Wineglass in hand, she stared out at the twinkling city around them.

So much for her plans for a quick supper and a faster exit.

She’d let Caleb stuff her full of pot roast and feed her decadent chocolate cake for dessert. Now she stood in his living room sipping wine, feeling no desire to be anywhere else.

The logical part of her brain said she’d put in her time. There was no need to stay.

Unless you want to, the devil on her shoulder whispered. Where’s the harm enjoying his company a little bit longer?

“It was the view,” he said, coming up behind her so close she could feel the heat of his skin. “That’s why I wanted this place.”

“It’s gorgeous,” she agreed. “I’ve always been a sucker for a view of the skyline. It’s the only thing I like about Lux.”

“The only thing?” he asked, cupping her elbow and leading her to the white couch angled to take advantage of the view.

“I hate having to show up like a servant tracking down her boss,” she replied, noting he was sitting too close to her. She should really say something about it. Instead, she took a sip of wine. “But sometimes there’s no avoiding it.”

“That’s why you never stay,” he mused.

She looked up at him. “I just soak in the view and head back to my own life. One that doesn’t revolve around yachts in the Mediterranean or summers in the Hamptons.”

“Trust me, it’s not as fun as it sounds.”

“It’s not a world I know anything about. And I’m happy to keep it that way. My life is pretty great as is.”

“The only thing missing is dear old Alec.”

She smiled, looking back at the window. “You mock me, but don’t you ever dream of the same thing? I’m sure your rotation of pretty women is a fun way to live, don’t get me wrong. But don’t you ever want someone who’s simply yours? A person who understands the best and worst of you and wants you anyway?”

His lips traced the shell of her ear. “Sounds like a fairy tale.”

She closed her eyes. “I’m just ready for my life to be fuller than it is right now. There are so many possibilities out there, Caleb, just waiting for you to take advantage of them.”

“And you think Alec will make you happy.”

“Maybe.” Opening her eyes, she turned to look up into his face. “Can you really tell me I’d be better off putting all my eggs in your basket?”

Even in the dim light, she saw his eyes darken.

“Maybe not,” he replied. “But I’m not backing off.”

A chuckle escaped her. “Why?” she asked, no heat to the word. She was merely curious. “Why me?”

“Maybe you’re my happily ever after,” he teased.

The words were light, joking, but a shiver arched through her all the same. Fate would have a twisted sense of humor if that was true.

Caleb was the man you enjoyed, not the one you kept forever.

Wasn’t he?

Her hand moved of its own volition, rising to drag a finger down his cheek. Their kiss at the club filled her mind. He’d made her body ache for his. It wasn’t a feeling she’d forgotten, even while having dinner with another man.

And now here she was, practically in his arms and not wanting to be anywhere else.

Watch out. She was making the wrong choices.

And it felt so damn good.

Her hand curved around his neck as she pulled his mouth down to hers. She twisted in his arms to better position herself and teased her lips over his.

Caleb held still under her touch, letting her explore as she would. A thrill shot through her at the power she held. She pressed a kiss to his mouth but kept it light. Just a gossamer touch when she wanted so much more.

When she drew back there was a smile on his face. “That’s the first time you’ve kissed me,” he said. “Progress.”

“Tell me again.”

“What?” he asked, leaned down to nuzzle her throat.

“That this bargain was about me. That you want me, not access to Alec. Tell me this has nothing to do with him, and I’ll believe you.”

His movements stopped for a moment before he lifted his head. “I’ve never lied about how much I want you,” he said.

As his mouth came down on hers, she realized it hadn’t exactly been an answer to her question. But when one hand slid over her breast she ceased to care.

Squirming, she shifted until she fit under him, her back pressed against the end of the couch. With both hands free, she cupped his face and returned his kiss. They were playing a dangerous game, but right now she didn’t care.

But what about Alec? He was the one you wanted.

He was the man who had starred in all her fantasies. Yet with Caleb’s hands on her, she couldn’t remember a single one of them.

His hands tugged the shirt out of her skirt, his fingers on the buttons.

She bit her lip, torn. The thought of his hands on her naked skin fired her blood. But at the same time, this was Caleb. A man she wasn’t sure she could trust. One she didn’t want to want.

Am I really going to do this?

Being with him was like dancing on the edge of a precipice. She wasn’t all that sure she wanted to fall off.

He must have sensed her hesitation, for his fingers stilled.

“Tell me the rules, sweetheart,” he said, looking down into her eyes.

“Rules?” she breathed.

“What do you want?” He pressed his mouth against her mouth. “Set the parameters if that’s what you need to feel secure.”

She closed her eyes, turning toward him. “I’m not sleeping with you.”

“But you want to play.”

“I want to play,” she agreed.

His smile was blindingly bright. “I can work with that.”

Fingers flew over her buttons, and in no time he pushed the material apart.

Hailey lay beneath him, watching his expression.

“White,” he growled, looking at her bra. It was one of the new additions from their shopping trip.

She rolled her eyes, reaching for his clothing. His black dress shirt was no match for her eagerness, and she couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped her when she pushed it off his shoulders.

Just as she’d always thought, the man was well built. Her fingers traced along the muscles on his chest, dancing across the naked skin. He was perfect. Every woman’s wickedest fantasy.

And right now he was hers.

“Caleb,” she sighed.

His mouth was on her, claiming her in the exact way she wanted. One leg rose to hook over his as her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

“You are beautiful,” he said.

A smile curved her lips. With other men she might feel self-conscious. After all, she didn’t look like the women who circulated through Caleb’s life. The ones with breasts that somehow defied gravity and barely-there waistlines. No, instead she had the curves of a real woman. One who ate the last piece of cheesecake and didn’t apologize for it. And this sinfully delicious man didn’t care. He saw her half naked under him and only wanted more.

It was almost enough to make her love him. Just a tiny bit.

She twisted her arms underneath herself to find the clasp of the bra. He didn’t like white. So let’s get rid of it.

The clasp sprung free, and she stripped the material down her arms. The bra was dropped off the side of the couch, and she didn’t give it a second thought. Not when his burning eyes were fixed on her.

“Christ,” he murmured before bending down and capturing a nipple in his mouth.

A gasp escaped her. Her head arched back as pleasure swept through her body. She wanted more. Wanted him. Play wasn’t enough.

Her fingers delved into his hair. She was torn between pressing him closer and pulling him away. When his teeth grazed her hardened nipple oh so gently, she nearly rocketed from the couch.

He lifted his head to kiss her. Her legs wrapped around his, or rather tried while her skirt hindered the motion. But Caleb knew what to do.

With one hand he pushed her skirt up around her waist. He shredded her panty hose and pushed her legs apart.

It would be so easy.

So simple to give and in just revel in the sex that would surely be mind-blowing. Maybe she should relax her parameters. After all, he was a man who knew his way around the female anatomy. Was she really going to give up her chance to experience his artistry? This was the kind of story she wanted to have when she was old and gray, looking back at her life. She wanted to say she’d had an incredible night with a playboy who had made her forget how to spell. She wanted to experience one impossible romance.

He kissed the skin between her breasts before sliding lower.

“Wait,” she whispered as his lips grazed her navel before moving down.

She should stop him. Knew it. But his hands slid over her thighs, pushing them apart with a dominance she admired.

He tossed her a flash of a smile before his head dipped between her legs.

“Dammit,” she groaned as his tongue flicked along her slit.

What am I doing?

How would she go into work tomorrow and meet the gaze of the man she was supposed to want? She should be more controlled than this. Think more logically about what she was doing.

His tongue lapped against her clit, driving a gasp from her.

Screw logic.

Where had it ever gotten her? She always did the right thing, and all she had to show for it was a few years of hopelessly crushing on her boss while more senior jobs passed her by. She never simply jumped without looking.

Her fingers threaded through his hair as his tongue lapped against her.

Caleb defied logic, and for the first time in her life, she didn’t give a damn. This was what happened when you let go. It wasn’t the disaster she’d always thought it would be.

Her head rolled to the side as she bit her lip. Pleasure was building within her. She’d said no sex thinking they could keep things light. Just a little play.

But this felt more personal, more intimate. Her past lovers had seen such an act as a box to be checked in the quest for good sex or at worst, as a quid pro quo scenario for some personal attention for their own. But Caleb didn’t make her feel rushed or pressured. She felt…savored. As if she were worth every second of effort he spent on her behalf. She tossed her head back, her mouth open on a silent gasp as his fingers pressed into her.

She couldn’t even form words. His finger thrusting into her as he curled his tongue around her clit. Waves of sensation buffeted her. She’d love to tell herself this was just good foreplay because she’d been single too long, but there was no denying the truth. The lust, the need, she felt had everything to do with Caleb. She couldn’t imagine feeling this way with anyone else.

She was getting in far too deep, and she had no idea how to stop.

Fingers curled into couch cushions as her climax built within her. Just a little more. That was all she wanted. Her mouth opened to say exactly that, but no sound emerged. She writhed under his touch, rocking her pelvis against his mouth.

Until, with a last flick of his tongue, she broke apart.

A cry was ripped from her throat; her hands cast out for something solid to anchor her. Her orgasm crashed over her, sending wave after wave of pleasure spiraling through every nerve ending.

I’m in trouble. But with Caleb pressed against her body, the thought wasn’t as alarming as it should have been.

She tried twice to form words without any luck.

He merely smiled, lying next to her body as he pressed a kiss to the skin over her heart.

“Play,” he murmured, running his lips up her neck. “I told you I was a fan.”

She tried to summon the will to move. Blindly she reached out, her fingers curling around the erection straining through his pants.

He hissed, grabbing her wrist and holding her fingers away.

“It’s not fair,” she said, fighting his hold.

His smile was infinitely gentle as he looked down at her. “This was just a taste,” he said. “Trust me, sweetheart, I could make you forget your own name with enough time. But tonight was just about…you.”

She blinked up at him.

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Go home and dream of me,” he said. “Think of this the next time Alec takes you out. Remember my mouth on you when you’re alone at night.” His hands smoothed the hair away from her face. “Remember me putting you first.”

He cuddled her close even as words of protested bubbled inside her. Something had shifted tonight. She didn’t want to see him as anything other than his hedonistic self, but even she had to admit there was far more to Caleb than she’d ever imagined.

This was just about getting a little pleasure. It doesn’t have to mean anything more than that.

Except as she snuggled into his arms, she knew it was more. She’d never been one to do casual, and letting Caleb touch her that way made everything more complicated.

Like it or not, this wasn’t a night she’d soon be able to forget.