He wanted her but it was still too soon even though he knew, he knew, that with just a little push, she’d ask him in. His instincts, however, told him she wasn’t ready. She still had a wary expression in her brown eyes when she looked at him and not quite enough hunger.
The trouble was, he ached for her. He had been hard as a rock all through dinner just because he sat across from her. He couldn’t remember ever being this worked up.
Right now, though, he meant to savor this time he had with her and to see what he could do to build up a fine head of steam in her gorgeous body.
Moonlight streamed over the porch at an angle to illuminate her face. She avoided looking at him. She pulled the screen door wide, turned her back on him and fiddled with her keys. She dropped her keys and retrieved them. She couldn’t seem to find the lock.
But he was to blame since he crowded her, rubbing his fingers down the backs of both arms. He slid his arm around her waist and pressed himself against her. He wanted her to feel his erection. He wanted her to know the effect she had on him.
“I dropped the keys again,” she said.
“Don’t bother with them. Not yet. Just say good-night.”
She let out a breath. His hand crept up and covered her breast. He could picture the shape of her breast as he fondled the peaked tip.
“I have neighbors,” she whispered over her shoulder.
“No one can see.” He leaned close to her ear. “Does this feel good?”
She pressed into his back. “Yes,” she whispered. “But you should stop.”
He kissed her neck and licked a line up to her ear. He flicked the tip of his tongue all over her ear the way she liked it. He kneaded her breast now and he could feel her struggle to breathe. He’d been right. She was hungry for him.
One little push.
She covered the hand that worked her breast. She pressed his fingers hard and moaned.
He wanted to grind into her backside. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take, but he had to hold back.
“You should stop,” she whispered again.
He really should. “Then turn and kiss me good-night.”
“Not sure I can trust you.”
“Not giving you a choice.” He rubbed his thumb over her nipple. “Because if you don’t, I’m going to keep this up for the next hour or two.”
Her breath caught in her throat and she whirled in his arms. “One kiss,” she whispered. “Then you have to go.”
He nodded. “Just one,” he said, but he didn’t tell her how long he intended that kiss to last.
He dipped his head and covered her mouth. He sought entrance and she didn’t hesitate, not one second, but took his tongue inside.
The first minute passed, then the second. He backed her up against the front door. The screen bounced off his shoulder. He didn’t care. He wrapped his arm around her neck and cradled her. She smelled so good, like wildflowers and a whiff of ocean in the desert-like canyon country.
Was she aware she’d started moaning and that her hand worked over the muscles of his arm like she’d taken up the art of massage?
He pressed his hips against her and ground his erection between her legs. Another set of moans left her throat. He plunged into her mouth and set a steady rhythm. When her hands reached his back and she dug her nails in, he knew he had to make a choice right now—continue seducing her for his own purposes or get her the hell into bed now.
But the stakes were high. He wanted her winery and he needed her to ask for an affair. She wouldn’t do that now, not yet.
He pulled back and thumbed her lower lip.
“Some kiss,” she murmured.
“Yeah,” he drawled. Her eyes were the barest glitter since his back cut off all that seductive moonlight.
He had to let her go at least for a few more nights.
He leaned down and picked up her keys. He handed them to her. He placed one last kiss on her lips then backed away. He kept backing up until he reached his car. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Uh-huh.”
Her voice sounded low and hoarse like she’d been gulping air for the past two days. He started to whistle. Whistling helped. It put his mind on something other than her low, needy voice. If he thought about how sexed up she sounded, he’d throw caution to the wind and attack her. He got into his car and drove away.
* * * * * * * * *
Carly watched him go. She ached to her toes.
But how was this in any way a good thing? From the time she’d learned he was making his home in Sedona for the month, she had been avoiding exactly this moment, when he’d start in with kissing and touching and wheedling away her resolve with the tip of his tongue.
Her thoughts turned to Jeff as they had so often of late. She knew he and Quint were similar types, powerful and driven.
She’d been in love with Jeff, but when push came to shove, he’d made it clear that his interests were foremost and he’d left her for a winsome blond in Phoenix because the woman knew how to support her man. The truth was, the blond came from a wealthy, well-connected Scottsdale family and Jeff had taken a VP position in his father-in-law’s company.
Three years was a long time to invest in a man. She hadn’t lied to Tina; she in no way regretted Jeff’s leaving, not when he’d proven his character so completely by his subsequent actions. But she’d always regretted that she’d never confronted him that day. Part of her had been stunned by his words, her own voice silenced. But another part had simply been afraid to offer her opinion that he was being selfish and cold. Somewhere in her mind had been an absurd hope that if she didn’t burn her bridges, he’d come back.
But he hadn’t come back and she’d been left with a feeling that she’d always erred in not speaking her mind, that she’d been weak in that way, that she’d kept silent throughout the course of their relationship. How many speeches had she rewritten in her head about his lack of character, his avarice, his essential meanness, even smallness of spirit? If she had spoken, would it have made any difference? She would never know, but at least she would have had a sense that she’d stood up for herself.
Now here Quint was, similar in drive, his complete character as yet unknown. What if he proved to be like Jeff, his spirit small and mean?
* * * * * * * * *
Three whole days had passed since the night at the Oak Creek Grill followed by that really wicked kiss at her front door and he still hadn’t pressured her into bed. Carly rather admired Quint’s restraint. The truth was, it wouldn’t take much at this point—she was so hot for him. But she was grateful he held back. She respected him for it and told him so.
He growled his response. “Just don’t expect me to wait much longer.”
Was she making him wait?
That evening, he would meet her out at her winery house to take a look at the progress of the design work. One of Sylvie’s assistants had moved to Sedona for the duration of the project in order to get the house ready on time. Much of the work had already begun.
Carly had just spent several hours with her winery manager reviewing the expenses for the upcoming harvest season. John wanted to bring in an enologist, a specialist in the winemaking process when the grapes were ready for the crusher.
Quint arrived just as John hopped in his car to head home for the night.
Sylvie’s assistant met them both on the porch. She was beyond professional in four-inch heels, a silk blouse and linen skirt, and that with the July temps climbing. The sun had set, however, and because the monsoon humidity had not yet arrived, the evening had turned balmy.
The assistant, Jessica Crane, took them on a tour. Quint expressed his surprise at just how much furniture had already arrived given the project had only been underway five days.
Jessica lifted a brow. “Sylvie’s éclat and of course outrageous shipping bills have done the trick. However, we’re bringing in a lot of the furniture from the various showrooms in Phoenix.”
She then opened h
er laptop and took them on a quick virtual tour of the design work just to indicate the changes that Sylvie had made, but Carly could hardly detect anything very different from Grace’s original work.
She breathed a sigh of relief. She and Grace had spent hours and hours pulling everything together. She was grateful to find that her vision for her new home was still intact.
When Jessica concluded her presentation, Quint thanked her and gave her permission to take off. Carly went through the process of locking up for the night, setting the alarm and once both remaining cars were outside the gate, she checked the lock on the gate just to be sure.
When she turned to get into her car, however, Quint leaned against the driver’s door of her Acura.
The July night was hot, but not as hot as this, a gorgeous man blocking her car door and holding his arms out to her.
He’d gotten into the habit of asking for a goodnight kiss, but this felt different. He didn’t smile. He just stared at her, determined, sure of himself, even a little fierce. Her heart stuttered and chills traveled over her arms even though heat still held the atmosphere captive.
She drew close, he reached for her and in one quick movement, she fell between his legs so that she connected with the hard ridge of his erection. He was aroused before he’d even touched her. The funny thing was, she felt the same way, all heated up before she even connected with his body.
What was this magic between them, this fiery chemistry that never seemed to stop?
He enfolded her in his arms, placed a hand over the nape of her neck and kissed her hard. She stretched out against him and before she even realized what she was doing, she undulated her hips into his pelvis. He groaned and thrust his tongue deep into her mouth. His hand slid down to cup her buttocks. He pressed her against him and rocked into her.
She couldn’t take it. She groaned against his mouth.
“Quint,” she whispered, her hips unwilling to settle down. “I think, I mean, I wish… I don’t want to wait anymore.”
He pulled away from the car, whirled her around so that her back arched against the curve of the door. He kissed her then ground his hips into her. Her breath caught. Her legs trembled. She could come like this, so fast.
“Do you want me?” he whispered into her ear.
Shivers rained down her neck. “Yes.”
“How much?”
“A whole Grand Canyon worth.”
“Drive back to my hotel then and spend the night with me.”
“Okay.”
“Promise? Because if you drift back to Uptown and don’t make it to my hotel I promise you I’ll destroy your front door just to get to you.”
She kissed him and slid her hand down the front of his pants. She stroked him until he caught her hand and forced her to stop. “I want to be inside you when I come,” he said.
“Let’s go then.”
He opened the car door for her, saw her buckled in, then kissed her once, a full heavy smack on the lips before returning to his car.
Desire washed over her in heavy waves. She needed to be back in his bed. She knew that.
But as she started her Acura and hit the accelerator and as she followed Quint’s dust until the cars hit 89A, her thoughts drifted to Jeff. She had been so in love with him at one time, but she’d misjudged him. Was she making a similar mistake now? Was she again risking her heart to a man with no more character than Jeff had ever possessed?
* * * * * * * * *
The entire trip back to his hotel, Quint kept checking his rearview mirror. Fifteen minutes was plenty of time for a woman to cool off. Would she?
But Carly never gave her word lightly. He knew that about her. He loved that about her. She’d promised. She’d follow and she’d be ready.
On the other hand, if she dared to make the turn toward Uptown away from his hotel, he wouldn’t hesitate any longer than the blink of an eye to turn his car around, chase her to her front door, catch her and throw her in his car. He smiled because all these thoughts, rather than causing distress had just put a new level of stiff in his erection.
In the end, he thought this could qualify as the longest fifteen minutes of his life. If the smallest doubt entered his head that there was a chance he was playing with a kind of fire he didn’t understand, he ignored the thought. After all, he’d suffered a horrendous childhood only to become a very wealthy man. He knew how to command his world and he could certainly command one brown-haired, brown-eyed woman who had at last begged for his bed.
Chapter Six
Carly looked down once more at the threshold of Quint’s suite. A powerful instinct warned her to back away, get in her car and drive home.
But she had promised Quint and she would never go back on her word.
So instead of running away, she watched mesmerized as her right foot stepped over the threshold then the left.
What was she doing?
She shouldn’t be here.
Too late.
Way too late.
Besides, she wanted Quint right now more than she wanted air.
Quint closed the door and before she could give even the smallest hint of her reservations, he whipped her against the inside of the door and trapped her in place.
She did the most dangerous thing she could do. She lifted her gaze to his.
“We made it,” he said. “And I want you more than I can say.” He dipped his hips against hers.
A faint squeak came out of her throat as his solid ridge teased her overwrought body. Her lips parted.
He stroked his fingers down her cheek then drifted his thumb over her lips. His gaze shifted over hers possessing her thoughts.
“Remember?” he whispered low. His blue eyes bored into hers.
As he rubbed her lower lip, she recalled the exact moment he had sunk his thumb into her mouth. He had been pounding into her, taking her to the edge…again. Then his thumb had pierced her mouth. She had thrown her head back, arching hard, and fallen into the most intense orgasm. He had increased his pace and moaned into her neck as she came yet again and he spent himself.
She nodded, sucked in a long breath then let the tip of her tongue drift over his thumb. He closed his eyes and groaned. Desire fluttered deep, clenching her internal muscles. She wanted him. She wanted him because she’d already had him and knew what he was like in bed. She wanted him because without blinking an eye he’d ordered a huge check for Grace. But mostly she wanted him because every time she looked into his blue eyes, she melted.
He slid his thumb into her mouth and thrust in a long, slow glide over her tongue. He took every bit of strength from her knees. He sensed her weakness and looped his arm around her waist. He held her upright.
He shifted just a little and whispered into her ear, “I want inside you now, Carly, like that first night. I want to drive into you in deep, long strokes until you’re begging. I want to make you come over and over.”
Desire swamped her. She sucked his thumb hard until he groaned against her neck.
She tried to find one last reason to deny him, even though she was well past that point.
Tina’s words slammed into her head, get back in the game, great sex, so what if it ends, get back in the game.
She knew what she risked. But the vulnerability of her heart was her responsibility not his. So whatever happened from this point forward could never be settled at Quint’s feet. She was a grown woman. She understood the risks.
She released his thumb. “You have a bed somewhere in this suite?” she asked.
He groaned and drew back from her neck. He met her gaze, his lids heavy, his eyes darkened with need. He kissed her this time, a slow, sensual drift of his lips over hers, his hips connecting low and grinding against her. Desire once more flowed through her.
After a moment, he drew back and settled his forehead against hers. “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked.
She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him. “Yes.”
“There’s j
ust one thing,” he said, rubbing his hand up and down her back. “Because I don’t want a misunderstanding.”
Carly swallowed hard. She already knew what he would say. She drew in a painful breath. “Go ahead.”
“I won’t remain here once the Napa guests leave.”
Already, her heart ached. How could that be? She hardly knew this man. But she nodded. “You’ll head back to Phoenix when the last guest leaves my winery house. Understood.”
He kissed her again, a slow deep kiss that forced some of the ache out of her heart. Her body heated up and her nails started clawing at his shirt.
He drew back and nodded several times. He took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He brought her right next to the bed and started to strip her like a man on a time-sensitive mission.
He struggled with her belt and cursed, then her shoes and her jeans and cursed. He didn’t bother with her thong. He set to work on her shirt with all those buttons and cursed a little more. He opened her shirt wide and pushed her back on the bed. He attacked her breasts with his mouth and his hands and destroyed her delicate lace bra.
She released a sigh of intense satisfaction.
Back in the game.
Great sex.
Oh, yeah.
Was this a mistake?
Of course.
But right now she just didn’t care.
She settled into the bed and closed her eyes as he covered her shoulders, her neck and her breasts in hot, searing kisses until she gasped and whimpered. She sunk her hands into his thick black hair again and drew him to her mouth so that she could feel his tongue penetrate her, demanding and fierce.
He kissed her and pushed on her shirt at the same time, dragging the fabric over her shoulders, but the long sleeves were still buttoned at the wrist. He paid no heed. She was now pinned by the shirt, unable to get to him with her hands. Somehow it didn’t matter, although it might, soon.
His mouth slid down her body. He tore her thong apart then slid his tongue the length of her. She cried out at the intense pleasure. He feasted between her legs groaning against her and sending shards of desire piercing her core.