Summer Sizzle (13 page)

She slipped her arms around his waist. They stood together for the longest time. Neither of them saying anything. Neither of them making any effort to move. Neither of them wanting to break the spell binding them together. Disturbing and unsettling thoughts circulated through her mind. He totally muddled her usually clear thinking process, turning her need for logic and consistency into a shambles.

“Know what I’d like to do?” His words brushed softly across her cheek.

A wry grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Hmm, I wonder how many guesses that will take me.”

“If it’s more than one, then you need to take your crystal ball in for repairs.” A slight frown wrinkled his forehead. “Mmm, I don’t know if it’s a good thing for you to be able to read my mind like that.”

****

The morning sun shone brightly in defiance of the forecast of more rain by early afternoon. After making coffee, Blake took out the beginner’s stunt kite he’d purchased for Vicki. It was a perfect morning for kite flying. A sudden thought occurred to him. He glanced toward the stairs and listened. When he heard the shower, he knew it would be a little while before she appeared downstairs. He went into the dining room, then returned to the kitchen a minute later.

He looked around for anything that might pull her attention, anything she could claim as something she needed to do right away. His gaze lit on the furry little beast. He put out food and fresh water for Ty-Ling and even cleaned the cat box. Other than eating breakfast if she wanted some, nothing else should draw Vicki’s attention away from his plans.

“Good morning.” She walked directly to the coffee maker. “Fresh coffee…smells good.”

He poured her a mug and set it on the table next to his. “What would you like to have for breakfast? I’m cooking.”

An amused chuckle escaped her throat. “Why do I feel like I’m being rushed?” She glanced around, then shot him a questioning look. “What’s going on?”

“Going on? What makes you think that? It’s a beautiful morning. I thought we might take a walk on the beach before you go to work.”

“That’s it? Then why do you look like you’re hiding something? Are you going to tell me?” A knowing grin turned up the corners of her mouth. She snuggled her body next to his and lowered her voice to a seductive whisper as she slowly unzipped his shorts. “Or do I need to resort to drastic measures to get the information out of you?”

“Mmm…” He thrust his hips forward and ground his cock against her hand. “I was about to make a full confession, but I think I’ll hold out and let you have your way with me until I break under the pressure.”

“Tell me.” She withdrew her hand and playfully swatted his chest. “What’s on your mind, other than the obvious?”

He made an exaggerated effort of composing himself. “I bought you a present the other day, and I’ve been waiting for a sunny morning to give it to you.”

“A present?” Confusion wrinkled her brow. “For me?”

“Yep. And as soon as we finish breakfast, I’ll show it to you.”

Vicki wasn’t sure what to think or how to respond. He bought something for her? A present? Why would he do that? Suddenly, it all felt way too personal. They had been fully indulging their sexual desires, sometimes two and three times a day. That certainly qualified as personal. So why did his buying her a present suddenly seem so much more personal than sex?

“I thought I’d just take some juice and maybe a carton of yogurt into my office and have it while I’m working. You’ve sort of gotten me off schedule.” A rush of desire accompanied by dampness seeping across the crotch of her panties confirmed exactly why she’d gotten off schedule.

“Just juice and yogurt? Maybe you should check your daily planner and see if that’s on your schedule for this morning.”

She furrowed her brow, once more confused, then recalled the
stable boy and the innocent milk maiden
notation he’d put on her calendar yesterday. She rushed out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Grabbing her planner, she looked at the time slots for that morning. He had blocked out the time from eight o’clock until ten with the words
kite flying lessons
. He’d even drawn a small picture of a kite.

She turned to find him standing in the doorway holding a small kite. She wasn’t sure what to say or how to respond. “I…I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. The forecast is for rain again this afternoon. You can work then. But this morning is bright and sunny, and the breeze is perfect. This is a beginner’s stunt kite. I’ll teach you how to fly it.”

The memory of her one and only attempt at flying a kite filled her mind—the embarrassment of falling down and losing the kite. That memory, however, became tempered by the thrill she’d experienced as it lifted higher and higher into the air, the strong tug of the kite string against her hand, the bright colors soaring into the sky. Then a thud of harsh reality hit her. A week ago, she wouldn’t have given such a silly waste of time a moment’s thought. Now, she was about to agree. She glanced at the next page and noticed that he’d added Tim’s party on the schedule for Saturday night.

The twinkle in his eyes and the smug expression on his face said more than words. She tilted her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. “You seem quite pleased with yourself. Is this now an established, ongoing thing with you? I’ll need to constantly check my schedule to see what you think I should be doing?”

“Well, I hadn’t thought of it in those exact terms, but it sounds like a good idea to me.” He flashed her one of his dazzling smiles that never failed to soften her. As much as she wanted to be stern and businesslike, she couldn’t keep a grin from lifting the corners of her mouth. “Looks like I’m going to have to lock up my daily planner if I intend to get any work done.”

“Come on. Let’s go fly a kite.” He grabbed her hand. “I promise to let you go to work at ten o’clock, and you can stay in your office for the rest of the day. Until five o’clock, if you want. Tomorrow’s Saturday. Even by your own definition, it’s a non-work day. And Tim’s party is tomorrow night, just like it says on your schedule.”

“Since tomorrow’s a non-work day, why can’t we fly the kite then?”

“Because, my delicious temptation, right now it’s sunny. This afternoon and tomorrow are supposed to be rainy.” A mischievous grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. “You plan to work this afternoon, but for tomorrow we’ll need to find some sort of indoor activity to occupy our time before the party. I’m open to ideas, especially lewd and kinky ones.”

Vicki couldn’t hold back a laugh. She shook her head in resignation. “How can I possibly argue with such solid logic?”

“You can’t.” He led her outside onto the deck, where he showed her how to assemble the kite. After he explained the differences between a stunt kite and a box kite, they ventured onto the beach.

The soft sand felt good squishing between her toes. The sound of the seagulls and the waves breaking on shore filled her with a sense of contentment and well-being. How marvelous it would be to live here all the time. How carefree—

Her thoughts came crashing down around her. How ideal it sounded to be able to enjoy the beach every day, to sit on the deck and bask in a glorious sunset. To fall asleep every night in Blake Callahan’s arms after making love. To awaken every morning and start the day by making love again. Ideal, yes.

But practical? Realistic? Not even close.

Blake handed her the kite. “Okay, remember what I told you? Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She took in a steadying breath. “Hopefully, I won’t lose this one.”

“If it decides to fly away, then that’s the way it is.” He gave her hand an intimate little squeeze and flashed her a confident smile. “No harm done.”

She followed his instructions and soon, with his encouragement, had the kite flying high in the air. Her exhilaration soared, making her feel almost as high as the colorful kite. He guided her through a few basic stunt maneuvers until she was able to perform them on her own. For two hours they stayed out on the sand laughing, playing, and enjoying the moment. It had been a long time since she had felt so unencumbered. The freeing sensation lifted her spirits higher than they’d been in years. Maybe higher than they had ever been. She even admitted she might have been just a little bit too preoccupied with planning for the future, that her life wasn’t as well rounded and balanced as it might be.

And that realization left her unsettled and confused. All her carefully held notions and beliefs weren’t holding up against the onslaught of Blake Callahan’s mesmerizing presence.

The clock registered nearly eleven-thirty before Vicki finally returned to her office to start her work day, an hour and a half later than the ten o’clock notation written on her schedule. Where had the time gone? No, she didn’t need to ask herself that question. She already knew the answer. She had lost all track of time because she was…well, she was having fun. No more, no less. She had been simply enjoying herself for a carefree morning at the beach.

She remained in her office the rest of the afternoon, working steadily to make up for the time she’d spent that morning playing hooky. As Blake had predicted, the afternoon turned cloudy, then dark, and the rain finally returned about four-thirty with no signs of letting up any time soon. By five o’clock, she decided to call it a day. The smell of burning wood in the fireplace attracted her attention. She wandered into the living room, where she found Blake stretched out on the couch reading a book.

He looked up when she entered the room. “Are you through for the day?”

“Yes.” She allowed a moment of consideration before admitting to her decision. “In fact, I’m through in my office for the weekend.”

She had difficulty making the decision, especially after taking the morning off to play on the beach. It went against everything she’d thought she held near and dear.

He inserted a bookmark, then closed the book and set it on the end table. Holding out his hand, he beckoned her to join him. He sat up and scooted over to make room. “Well, that’s quite an admission, coming from you. What brought this on?”

She sat next to him. The sensual pull of his animal magnetism immediately grabbed her. The overwhelming power of his mere presence, of the slightest touch of his skin, sent waves of desire crashing through her. She had been preoccupied with sex from the moment she’d first seen him. But was that really a bad thing? If two people were physically compatible and enjoyed the pleasures of sex, then why should it be considered wrong? Why should they deny themselves?

Not that she’d been denying herself where Blake was concerned.

He slid his hand beneath her shirt and cupped her bare breast. She closed her eyes and emitted a soft moan of delight. His touch had become as natural as night following day. Would the intensely heated passion they shared eventually cool? Was hot sex their only common ground? He held her in his arms, brushed a tender kiss across her lips, then cradled her head against his shoulder.

The rain continued. Large droplets hitting the sliding glass door joined the crackle of the fire, creating a sensual harmony that fed into the emotion-filled atmosphere surrounding them. But what to do about it?

Chapter Seven

Vicki and Blake finished dinner, then took their wine glasses into the living room so they could enjoy the last remnants of the fire. He jabbed at the remains of the smoldering logs with the fireplace poker, moving them around until flames flared again. Then he added another log and turned on some soft music. Leaning back into the corner of the sofa, he pulled her next to him. They each sipped their wine, enjoying the fire and simply being together.

He had never in his life felt as comfortable with another woman as he did with Vicki. Hot sex aside, just being with her filled him with the type of contentment he’d never known. The realization had been difficult for him to admit, even to himself. The last thing he’d been looking for was any type of relationship. It had not even been a consideration for him.

Yet, with Vicki, what had started as a fleeting notion had turned into a fully formed thought that continued to circulate through his mind. It felt so good having her in his arms. It all felt so right. Did he dare consider a future with her? A
real
future? The troubling thought continued to swirl around in his consciousness. Was he already too involved? In over his head?

He didn’t know and seeking the answers frightened him.

He placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “Tell me, my sexy beauty, what made you decide to take off from work for the entire weekend? It’s certainly a different tune from the one you’ve been singing since you arrived at my door one week ago this afternoon.”

“Only a week?” She blurted out the words, the realization clearly taking her by surprise. Then her voice took on a faraway sound, as if she were thinking out loud rather than talking to him. “It seems like it’s been so much longer.”

“Oh?” He tried without success to eliminate the teasing quality from his voice. “You mean the time’s been dragging by so slowly it seemed like it surely must have been much longer than a week?”

A chuckle, half amused and half embarrassed, escaped her throat. “That’s not at all what I meant.” She twisted around to face him. With a slightly trembling finger, she traced the edge of his lower lip. Her tone softened until almost inaudible, but there was no mistaking the emotion that seeped through. “It’s only been a week, but in that time you’ve managed to make a shambles out of my carefully ordered life.” She placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

Vicki closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

“A lifetime, indeed.” His whispered words tickled her ear. “I know exactly what you mean.”

Neither of them spoke for a long time. The flames died down and then went out, plunging the room into near darkness. Only the light from the kitchen provided modest illumination.

Blake stirred first, finally rising from the sofa and offering Vicki his hand. Neither of them spoke as he led her upstairs to his bedroom. The soft warmth of emotion continued to surround them. Their clothing fell away, and they nestled into the softness of his bed. He captured her mouth with a tender kiss, their deeply felt emotional connection replacing the frenzied need of hot sex.