Tangled

  and charm.” Her fingers trace my lips and brows. “That smile, your eyes, they really should be illegal. It was the only time in all my years with Billy that I wished I was single.”

  Wow.

  “And then at the office I’d hear the secretaries talking about you. How you had a different girl every weekend. But after a while…I saw that there was so much more to you. You’re brilliant and funny. You’re protective and caring. You shine so bright, Drew. Everything you do—how you think, the things you say, the way you move—it’s…blinding. I feel…lucky, just being close to you.”

  I’m speechless.

  If any other woman said that to me, I’d agree with her. I’d tell her she was lucky to be with me—’cause I’m the best of the best. There’s no one better. But coming from Kate? From someone whose mind I envy, whose opinion I actually admire? I just…don’t have any words. So, once again, I let my actions do the talking.

  My mouth presses against hers, and my tongue begs for entrance. But when I try to roll us over so I’m on top, Kate has other ideas. She pushes me on the shoulders until I’m on my back. Then she moves her mouth over my jaw and down my neck, burning a trail down my chest and stomach. I swallow hard.

  She takes my cock in her hand and pumps slowly, and I’m already stiff as steel. I was hard the minute she started talking. “Jesus, Kate…” I keep my eyes open, and watch from above as she wets her lips, opens her mouth, and slides me in. “Fuck…” She takes my entire length in deep and sucks hard as she pulls back slowly. Then she does it again.

  I’m sort of a connoisseur of blow jobs. For a guy, they’re the most convenient kind of sex. No fuss, little mess. If any of you out there have never given one, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Once a guy’s dick is actually in your mouth, he’ll be so happy, it doesn’t really matter what you do with it afterward. That being said, there are certain moves that make it better.

  Kate pumps me with her hand while increasing the suction at the tip with her hot little mouth.

  Like that, for instance.

  She swirls her tongue around the head like she’s licking a lollipop. Where the fuck did she learn that? I moan helplessly and grip the cushions on the couch. She takes me all the way down her throat once, then twice. Then she switches to fast, short pumps with her mouth and hand.

  It’s magnificent. I’ve been blown by the best of them. And I swear to God, Kate Brooks has the technique of a freaking porn star.

  I try to hold still, conscious that this really is her first time, but it’s difficult. And then her hands are under me—on my ass—urging me upward. She guides my hips back and forth, pushing me in and out of her mouth. Holy God. She removes her hands, but my hips continue to move in short shallow jabs.

  I’m close to losing it—but I always give a warning first. If a guy doesn’t warn you? Dump him fast. He’s a fucking prick.

  “Kate…baby, I’m…if you don’t move now…God, I’m gonna…” Coherent words are apparently beyond my ability at the moment. Still, I think she gets the idea.

  But she doesn’t move away. She doesn’t stop. I look down at the very moment Kate opens her eyes and looks up. And that’s all it takes. It’s the moment I’ve fantasized about since I first saw her. Those big brown doe eyes staring up at me as my cock slides between her perfect lips. With a whimper of her name, I fill her mouth with a pulsing stream. Kate moans and takes it all in, swallowing greedily.

  After what seems like an eternity, I start to come down. You know when you first step out of a Jacuzzi? How your limbs feel like Jell-O? Yeah—that’s me. Right now.

  I’m breathing hard and grinning like the village idiot as I pull her up by the shoulders and kiss her deep. Some men are grossed out about kissing a woman whose mouth they just came in. I’m not one of them. “How in holy hell did you learn to give head like that?”

  Kate laughs at the wonder in my voice as she spreads out on top of me. “Delores dated this guy in college. He was really into porn. He used to leave movies at our dorm all the time. And, once in a while…I’d watch them.”

  The next time I see Delores Warren? Remind me to drop to my knees and kiss her ass.

  Once the movie ended, Kate and I decided to have a full-out Will Ferrell marathon. We’re halfway through Blades of Glory when my phone rings. We’re still on the couch, lying comfortably side by side, and I don’t really feel like getting up. Or talking to anyone not currently in the room, for that matter.

  I let the answering machine pick up. Jack’s voice fills the room, yelling over the sound of pounding music in the background: “Drew! Dude, pick up! Where the fuck are you?” He pauses a moment, and I’m guessing he realizes I’m not going to pick up. “You have got to come out tonight, man! I’m at Club Sixty-Nine, and there’s someone here who wants to see you.”

  This doesn’t sound promising. I start to sit up, my Y-chromosomal instincts telling me to turn the machine off. Now. But I’m not fast enough. And a sultry female voice comes out of Pandora’s Box. “Dreeewwww…it’s Staaaacey. I’ve missed you, baby. I want to take another taxi ride. Remember that night when I sucked your dick so g—”

  My hand slaps down on the off button.

  Then I glance sideways at Kate. Her face is frozen on the TV, her expression indecipherable. I should probably say something. What the fuck should I say? “Sorry, one of my other come-dumps called?” Nah, for some reason, I don’t think that one would go over very well.

  She sits up stiffly. “I should probably get going.”

  Shit. Frigging Jack.

  Kate gets up, holding my pillow close against her, covering herself.

  Well, that’s not a good sign. An hour ago she was pushing her snatch against my face. Now she doesn’t even want me looking at it.

  Goddamn it.

  She walks past me toward the bedroom. Even with my stomach churning, I can’t help but admire the sway of her tight ass as she goes by. Predictably, my cock springs up like Dracula rising from his coffin.

  When I was ten, we had a dog. He humped everything and anything—from the maid’s leg to my parents’ four-poster bed. He was insatiable. My parents were mortified whenever company stopped by. But now I realize he really wasn’t a bad dog. It wasn’t his fault.

  I feel your pain, Fido.

  I sigh. And get up to follow Kate. By the time I make it to the bedroom, her skirt’s on and her blouse is buttoned. She doesn’t look at me when I walk in.

  “Kate—”

  “Do you know where my other shoe is?” Her eyes gaze at the floor, the bed—anywhere but at me.

  “Kate—”

  “Maybe it’s under the bed.” She kneels down.

  “You don’t have to go.”

  She doesn’t look up. “I don’t want to get in the way of your plans.”

  Who has plans? The only plan I had was to gorge myself on the juicy buffet between her thighs. Again.

  “I don’t—”

  “It’s okay, Drew. You know, this has been nice…”

  Nice? She calls what we did last night and all day—in the bedroom, the kitchen, the shower, up against the hallway wall—“nice”? Is she fucking joking?

  She must see the look on my face, because she stops mid-sentence and raises an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, was that the wrong adjective? Did I insult your fragile male ego?”

  I stutter indignantly, “Well…yeah.”

  “What word would you prefer?”

  FYI—I’m still naked, and if my dick’s posture is any indication, it doesn’t take Einstein to figure out what I’d really prefer at the moment.

  “Stupendous? Transcendent? Unparalleled?” I punctuate each word with a predatory step in her direction.

  She matches my forward momentum with nervous steps backward, until her ass bumps up against my dresser. I smirk down at her. “You’re a graduate of the most prestigious business program in the country, Kate. My honor demands that you come up with something, anything, better than ‘nice.’”

/>   She stares at my chest a minute. Then she looks up into my eyes. She looks serious. “I should go.”

  She tries to walk past me, but I grab her arm and pull her back. “I don’t want you to go.”

  No—don’t ask me why. I won’t answer. Not now. I’m only focused on here—and her. The rest doesn’t matter. She looks at my hand on her arm and then at me. “Drew…”

  “Don’t leave, Kate.” I pick her up, sit her on the dresser, and step between her legs. “Stay.” I kiss her neck and nibble her ear. She shivers. I whisper, “Stay with me, Kate.” I look into her eyes. “Please.”

  She bites her lip. Then smiles slowly. “Okay.”

  I smile in return. And then my mouth is on hers. The kiss is long and slow and deep. I push her skirt up, skimming the skin of her thighs with my fingertips. She’s still not wearing any underwear.

  You’ve got to love the easy access.

  I kneel down in front of her. “Drew…?” It’s a half question, half moan.

  “Shhh. If I’m going to top ‘nice’ I need to concentrate.”

  And there’s not a single coherent word between us for the rest of the night.

  Chapter 16

  EVERY SUPERHERO HAS A HIDEOUT—a sanctuary. At least all the good ones do. I have one too. My own personal Bat Cave. It’s where the magic happens. Where I’ve built the legend that is my career.

  My home office.

  It’s a male haven. A pussy-free zone—in the good kind of way. Every guy should have one. I decorated it myself—each piece, every detail. If my car is my baby, this room is my firstborn. My pride and joy.

  Mahogany floors, handmade oriental rugs, English leather couches. A stone fireplace and built-in bookshelves line one wall. Behind my desk is a full picture window that offers a priceless view of the city. And in the corner is a card table where the guys and I drink aged Scotch, smoke Cuban cigars, and play poker once a month.

  It’s the only time Steven is allowed to come out and play.

  I’m at my desk, in boxers, working on my laptop. It’s what I do every Sunday afternoon.

  Kate? No—she’s still here. But after our fuck-a-thon last night, I figured I should let her sleep in. Recharge the batteries. I canceled brunch with my mother and blew off the basketball game with the boys. And now I’m staring at the final draft of a contract when a sleepy voice calls me from the doorway.

  “Hey.”

  I look up and smile. “Hi.”

  She’s wearing another one of my T-shirts—the black Metallica one. It goes past her knees. That and the sleep-mussed hair make her look sweet but sexy. Alluring. Compared to Kate, work’s not looking so appetizing anymore.

  She runs a hand through her hair as her eyes sweep over the room. “This is a beautiful office, Drew. Breathtaking.”

  Kate is the type of woman who appreciates the importance of an awe-inspiring workspace. If you want to be a winner, you need an office that says you already are one. “Thanks. It’s my favorite room in the apartment.”

  “I can see why.”

  She picks up a frame from one of the shelves and shows it to me. “Who’s this?”

  It’s a picture of Mackenzie and me at the beach last summer. She buried me up to my neck in the sand. “My niece, Mackenzie.”

  She looks at the photo and smiles. “She’s adorable. I bet she worships you.”

  “Yeah, she does. And I’d pretty much cut my hand off for her if she asked me to, so it’s equitable. I’d love for you to meet her one day.”

  Kate doesn’t hesitate. “I’d really like that.”

  She makes her way over to my chair and perches herself on my knee. I lean forward till my lips find hers—my tongue driving deep into the mouth I now know so well.

  She snuggles back against my bare chest. “You’re so warm.” She rests her head on my shoulder and looks toward my computer. “What are you working on?”

  I sigh. “This deal with Jarvis Technologies.”

  Jarvis is a communications company. They’re looking to acquire a broadband satellite subsidiary.

  I rub my eyes.

  “Problems?”

  I’m usually a lone wolf when it comes to business. I don’t confide—I don’t share. My opinion is the only one that counts. But talking to Kate about business is kind of like talking to myself. I’m actually interested in hearing what she has to say. “Yeah. The CEO is all brains and no balls. I’ve got the perfect deal lined up, but he won’t pull the trigger. He’s nervous about the risk.”

  Her finger traces my jaw. “Every acquisition has risks. You have to show him the payoff is worth it.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

  She perks up then. “You know, I have something that could help you out. One of my old study partners from Wharton designed a template for a new valuation model. If you run it and the numbers are solid, it might just be enough to persuade Jarvis to take the plunge.”

  I’m starting to think Kate’s brain turns me on almost as much as her ass.

  Almost.

  “It’s on disk in my bag. I’ll get it for you.”

  As she stands to go, I grab the bottom of her shirt and pull her back down on my lap—so there’s no way she can miss the perpetual hard-on I’m sporting. My arms wrap around her waist, trapping her. My mouth’s against her ear.

  “Before we get into that, there’s something I want to do first.”

  There’s amusement in her voice as she asks, “What do you want to do, Drew?”

  I pick her up, sweep everything off my desk, and lay her down.

  “You.”

  We spend the rest of the day working. And talking. And laughing. I tell Kate about Mackenzie and the Bad Word Jar that’s sucking me dry. She tells me more about growing up in Greenville and her parents’ café. We eat lunch on the balcony. It’s cold, so Kate sits on my lap to keep warm and feeds me with her fingers.

  I can’t remember ever having such a good time. And we aren’t even screwing.

  Go figure.

  It’s after ten. We’re getting ready for bed. Kate is in the shower.

  Alone.

  She took my razor and kicked me out. Unlike women, guys don’t need privacy. There is no bodily function a man won’t perform in front of an audience.

  We have no shame.

  But whatever; if Kate needs her space, she can have it. I keep myself busy while I wait for her. I change the sheets. I take the box of condoms out of my drawer—to have a few in easy reach.

  Then my heart sinks. And if he could, my dick would cry.

  The box is empty. “Fuck.”

  “My thoughts exactly. Great minds think alike.”

  I turn at Kate’s voice. She stands in the doorway, one hand on her hip, the other braced against the doorframe. She’s beautifully, wonderfully naked. Her snatch is shaven even closer than before—just a whisper of dark curls. Sweet Christ.

  I keep waiting for the time when Kate’s body doesn’t get to me. When I feel been-there-done-that. So far, it’s just the opposite.

  It’s like…eating lobster. If you’ve never eaten it, you think, “Eh, maybe.” But once you’ve tasted it? The chance to eat it again gets your mouth watering like the goddamn Mississippi River. Because now you know how fucking delicious it really is. Even just the thought her…God. I may end up being the first man in history capable of masturbating without touching himself.

  Look, Mom—no hands.

  She walks toward me, wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me slowly, her tongue coming out to trace my lower lip in the sexiest frigging way. I force myself to pull back. “Kate, wait…we can’t.”

  Her hand slides into my boxers, around my already hard cock. She gives it a few pumps. “I think someone disagrees with you.”

  I press my forehead to hers. My voice sounds strangled. “No…I mean, we’re out. Condoms. I…um…” I put my hand over hers, stopping her strokes so I’ll be able to string a few words together that actually make sense. “I have
to go to the store on the corner and get more…and then…God, then I’ll fuck you all night.”

  Kate looks down and swallows. Her voice is hushed. “Or, we could…not…use them.”

  “What?”

  I’ve never gone bareback. Ever. Not even during my younger years. I’ve always loved my dick much too much to have it shrivel up and fall off.

  “I’m on the pill, Drew. And Billy…he’s a lot of things, but he’d never cheat on me. Have you been…tested?”

  Sure I have. Once a month, for as long as I can remember. It’s a must with my lifestyle. An occupational hazard, you could say. My voice practically squeaks. “Yeah. I…I have. I’m good. But…are you sure?”

  I’ve been offered a lot of things in bed. Every kind of kinky contraption and role-play you can imagine. Some you probably can’t. Fucking without protection has never been one of them. It’s not smart or safe. A woman can say she’s on the pill, but how do you really know? People can tell you they’re clean, but I wouldn’t believe them. That would require trust.

  And trust has never been a factor in my sex life.

  It’s not about sharing—getting to know someone and letting them know me. It’s about getting off and getting the girl off in the process. Period.

  “I want to feel you, Drew. I want you to feel me. I don’t want…anything between us.”

  I gaze at her eyes. The way she’s looking at me…it’s just like she did after our shower yesterday. Like she’s giving me something—a gift. That’s just for me. Only for me. And it’s her. Because she trusts me, has faith in me, believes in me. And you know what?

  I don’t want Kate to ever look at me any other way.

  “Kate, these last couple days with you have been amazing. I’ve never…I’ve just never…” I don’t even know how to describe what I’m feeling. I have no idea how to tell her. I make my living off the ability to communicate. By being able to verbalize an idea. Describe a plan.

  But at this moment words are pitifully inadequate.

  So I grab her by the upper arms and drag her against me. She moans from surprise or excitement—I’m not sure which. Her tongue slides against mine, and her hands pull at my hair. Somehow we end up on the bed, side by side, mouths fused together, my boxers on the floor. My hand slides over her tits, down her stomach, and between her legs.

  I groan, “Fuck, Kate, you’re already wet.”

  And she is. I’ve barely touched her and she’s dripping for me. Jesus. I’ve never wanted anyone or anything as much as I want her at this moment. She nips at my neck as I slide my fingers inside. Her pussy closes around them like a goddamn glove, and we both moan loudly.

  Then Kate’s hands are on me, all over me. Cupping my balls, stroking my cock, scratching my chest and back.

  I roll her under me. I need her—now. I tease her open with my dick, coating the tip with her sweet cream. Heat rolls off her, from her. She’s like a fire—calling to me, drawing me in. I push inside slowly but to the hilt, and my eyes fall closed in perfect fucking ecstasy.

  She’s bare, unguarded, all around me. She feels…more. Wetter, hotter, tighter. More in every way. It’s unbelievable.

  Kate grips my ass, kneading and massaging and urging me in deeper. But I pull all the way out, just so I can slide back in again.