Taking Care of Business. Kathy Lyons
cleared his throat awkwardly. “It, um, doesn’t have to end right now. We could go out for a drink. Have dinner—”
She abruptly spun around and pressed her fingers to his lips. “I can’t,” she said. “I mean …” What should she say? That she was leaving the state in three weeks? That there wasn’t time to build a relationship, so why start? “Oh, God, I’m horrible,” she murmured to herself.
He gently pulled her hand from his mouth. “Service-oriented industry, remember? Whatever you want is fine.”
“I doubt this was exactly what the janitor’s union had in mind,” she returned drily.
He let go of her hand to stroke her face. It was a soft caress with the pad of his thumb as he swept past her mouth up along her cheekbone. And damn if she didn’t lean into the caress because it was just so wonderful. She searched his expression, the warm chocolate of his eyes were completely open and non-judgmental.
“It doesn’t have to be dinner,” he said. “There’s coffee upstairs in the robotics lab. Or ice cream sundaes down the street.”
“I’m leaving,” she abruptly confessed. “The state. In three weeks. I don’t want to lie to you—”
He kissed her. It was swift, it was deep, and it was thrilling. His hands delved into her hair to cradle her head, his tongue thrust into her mouth. She arched into his attack, trying to tease him with her tongue, and loving that he took control. He was powerful, her Elevator Man, and she reveled in it.
Within seconds, she was as hot as she’d been before the elevator doors had dinged open. Good God, she was insatiable! “This is nuts,” she said against his mouth.
“I know,” he agreed, as he obviously forced himself to slow down. A moment later, they were looking at each other, their mouths apart, but everything else entwined.
“The thing is,” she said, struggling to put words to the feelings colliding within her, “I’ve been working so hard for a really long time. Not only at my business, but before that, just to make it to Chicago to start.”
“You don’t have to explain anything,” he began, but she shook her head.
“I need to. You need to understand. It’s been going badly for a while now. We’ve fought hard, but it didn’t work. We’re going to have to close.”
She saw sympathy warm his eyes. “That’s why you’re leaving,” he said.
She nodded. “But then, wham, there’s you two months ago. No talking. No work. Just desire. And suddenly I feel good, you know? I’m not thinking about work or bankruptcy or anything. Just you and me.”
“Bodies without pressure.” He released a rueful laugh. “I understand. Believe me, I get it.”
“I don’t want to lie to you,” she said. “I just want to feel good for a while. Like I’m on top of the world.”
He let one of his hands slide down. Within a moment, he was gripping her hips, pulling her gently forward to press against him. God, he was just as hot and hard as she’d remembered. As she’d lived and breathed in her fantasies for two months now.
“I’m okay with feeling good,” he said. “No connections, no relationship. In fact, that’s exactly what I want right now.”
She took a deep breath, amazed at her own boldness. “I have condoms in my purse.”
“I’ve got some, too,” he said. Then he slowly touched her chin, tilting her face up toward him. “I’ve got a clean bill of health, and in case you’re wondering, I’ve never done this before either.”
Relief flooded through her. He could be lying, but she didn’t think so. “I’m clean, too.” She didn’t say more. Just looked into his eyes while her heart beat faster and faster. She saw his nostrils flare and felt his body tighten as he slid his hand into her hair to cup the back of her head. She didn’t think it was possible, but he suddenly felt bigger to her, stronger, more demanding. It was exactly what she wanted from him and she willingly gave herself over to it.
Their kiss was explosive. He thrust his tongue into her, exploring every inch of her mouth. She surrendered to him, opening herself up as never before. With other men, she was always thinking. What did that kiss mean? What did she want? Where was their relationship going—did he fit into her life plans?
But there was no thinking this time. She knew there was no future between them. And with that worry gone, her mind surrendered to the joy of the experience. Sam’s kiss was all about pleasure, and she wanted to live every moment.
They toyed with each other for a while, their tongues tangling, their mouths fused together. Before long, Julie found herself impatient to touch him. She pulled at his T-shirt, trying to work her hands beneath the soft cotton. He let her, and her fingers soon slid across the rippling planes of his abs. And while she was glorying in the exquisite feel of his body, he gently backed her against the wall.
She hit the paneling with a soft thud, made all the better because he was pushing between her thighs, his penis rubbing her just how she liked it. Then he kissed down her neck, and opened her sweater again. Her nipples were tight, her skin so sensitive to the slightest brush of his thumbs or lave of his tongue.
He teased her left breast with his tongue, sucking it into his mouth where he nipped at it. She bucked at the incredible sensation and was startled to find that he’d already undone her pants. The fabric was drooping off her hips, and she pushed them the rest of the way down. Now that the rules were established, she was not going to hold back. She wanted him inside her. So she lifted his face, her breath too short to say much.
“Condom,” she gasped out.
He grinned and hooked his hands behind her thighs. As he straightened up, he lifted her as well. Not far, just enough to perch her bottom on the railing as he wrapped her legs around his hips. Perfect! She got to watch the play of muscles across his chest as he twisted slightly to pull a foil packet out of his back pocket. A moment later, he’d popped the button on his fly and his erection sprang free.
He was big, just like she knew he would be. And while he fumbled with shaking hands to open the foil, she was able to touch him. She measured the length of him, stroked the velvet head, even rolled her thumb across the bead of moisture and wondered what it would be like to taste him.
She didn’t get the chance. He touched her wrist, stopping her motion. “You wanted pleasure,” he rasped. “That’s going to shorten it for both of us.”
She nodded and let her hand drop away, enjoying the sight of him suiting up. And again, she marveled at how easy this was. Her blood was humming, her heart was beating so fast, and a gorgeous man was moments away from fulfilling a fantasy she’d dreamed a thousand times. It didn’t matter what had gone on earlier in the day. Failing business or not, this moment was perfect. Absolutely perfect. She smiled and was startled to find him looking at her, his eyes a dark chocolate mystery.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she answered. “That’s the whole point.”
He seemed to take that at face value as he slowly leaned in to kiss her again. She met him halfway, enjoying the feel of his lips, the play of his tongue against hers and the way his hand slid down her belly to the cotton of her panties. Then she broke the kiss, gasping at the shock of sensation as his thumb rolled over the fabric to stroke her clit.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” he said.
“Do a woman in an elevator?” she asked.
“Nope,” he said with a grin. “This.” He brought his other hand up to the edge of her panties. She watched in surprise as his forearms bunched and the elastic snapped. A second later her underwear was in shreds and he tossed it aside. Julie bit back a gasp while a silent thrill shot down her spine. So, okay the clothing had been old and probably easy to tear, but it didn’t matter. The sight of his muscular arms ripping