She was soft and sweet as she pressed against him. Parker felt his body harden more as she leaned into their kiss. In the past five years he’d been aroused on occasion. There were mornings he awoke with the lingering physical evidence of an erotic dream. A cold shower quickly diluted his need. But not this time. He could feel heat burning away the barriers he’d constructed. This time there was no turning back.
He broke their kiss and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I think we need some privacy,” he said.
“What?” She glanced around the terrace, then smiled sheepishly. “Oh, we’re outside. I’d forgotten.”
“Good.”
As they crossed to the stairs, she looked at him. “Parker, are you sure?”
“I haven’t been as sure of anything in a long time.”
“I’m a little nervous.”
“Because of everything in the past?” He wanted to reassure her. She was the only woman he was thinking about. Briefly he wondered if that was wrong. Should he still be caught up in the grief of his wife’s passing? Then he decided he didn’t want to have to think about that right now. Tonight he wanted to feel alive. In Erin’s arms, in her body, he could find life again. He could see the colors and do away with the dull gray of his world.
“Actually it’s because I haven’t, well, done this sort of thing in a while. What if I’ve forgotten how?”
They’d reached the second-floor landing. A light glowed in the hallway. He turned to her and studied her large, hazel eyes. Confusion dilated her pupils.
“It’s been a long time for me, too. I think we can fumble through together.” He ran his hands up and down her bare arms. “I did some remodeling on this floor a few years back. Kiki helped. We moved the master and put in different furniture. The bed is about three years old.”
She frowned. “Why on earth are you telling me that now?”
“I didn’t want you to think-” He paused, not sure how to explain it.
“Oh!” She smiled. “You didn’t want me to think that it was the same room and bed you’d had while you and Robin were together.”
“Yeah.”
“Parker, that’s so sweet.” She raised on her toes and pressed her mouth to his.
Her lips were hot and slick from their last kiss. He wanted to devour her. Instead he held back, pressing gently, testing the seam until she parted for him.
This time, instead of allowing him to enter and taste her, she thrust into his mouth. She explored him, then teased the tip of his tongue with hers.
Desire ripped through him with all the force of lightning across the sky. The pulsing in his body increased as his erection flexed painfully against the fly of his shorts. He hauled her hard against him, then tilted his head to allow her to go deeper and reach all of him.
She was the aggressor, circling him, retreating, then advancing. Her teeth clamped down on his lower lip and she nibbled the sensitive skin. He was breathing hard. Every muscle in his body tightened. He could feel the blood racing, fed by the rapid pounding of his heart.
He ran his hands up and down her back. The curve of her rear taunted him. He slipped lower and gripped the fullness, squeezing gently and urging her closer. Her belly brushed against his arousal. He groaned and wondered if he would explode right then.
He broke the kiss and leaned close. “The bedroom is about ten feet down the hall. If we concentrate, I think we can make it there.”
She giggled. “You think so?”
“I know so.” With that he put his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground. “At last I have you under my control,” he murmured.
She was still smiling when he kissed her again. The smile faded as she sighed. This time he was the aggressor. He licked her lips, tracing the shape before dipping inside.
She clung to him, then shifted so she could wrap her legs around his hips. Her hot center pressed against his need. She rocked her hips slowly.
He caught his breath. “I don’t think you have to worry about having forgotten a damn thing,” he said.
“Oh, Parker.” She buried her face in his shoulder. “You make me laugh. I didn’t know how much I missed that. I was so scared and nervous but this is going to be fun. Thank you.”
“Don’t you think you’re thanking me a little too soon? It could still be awful.”
She raised her head. “No, it couldn’t.” She kissed the tip of his nose.
He started for the bedroom.
When he kicked the door shut behind him, they were plunged into darkness. Erin’s legs were still wrapped around his hips and she still pressed sweetly against his erection. He wasn’t sure if he should let her slide down and risk losing control all at once or if he should continue to be tortured to death. He settled on a compromise. He made his way to the bed and sat. She was still close to him, but now she was on his lap and not pressed up against his need.
He reached for the lamp on the nightstand. Soft light filled their half of the room. He could see the faint flush on her cheeks and her hard nipples pressed against her T-shirt.
He brushed her hair back, then fingered the red-brown strands. “You’re very beautiful,” he said.
“No, I’m not. I’m average.”
“I’m the man, and I get to think you’re beautiful if I want to.”
She smiled. Her hands rested on his shoulders; her thighs hugged his. The night stretched before them, endless in its possibilities. He was in physical pain from desire, but he wanted to go slow. He wanted this to last…for both of them.
“I’m the woman and I get to tell you that you’re wrong,” she said. “But thank you for saying it anyway.” She leaned close and kissed his cheek. “Besides, you’re the beautiful one.”
A faint heat rose on his cheeks. “Men aren’t beautiful.”
“Oh, but they are. Your eyes, the hard lines of your face, the shape of your chin, your dark hair. I’ve thought about touching it.” She placed her fingers on his head, then fingered the short strands. He’d never thought of his hair as an erogenous zone, but he felt her caress down to his toes.
“What else?” he asked. “Where else?”
“Here,” she said, running her index finger across his mouth. She repeated the action, this time with her tongue. His hips arched toward her.
“I’ve thought about touching you here,” he said, circling the sweet spot below her right ear. He pressed his lips there and tasted her skin. She shivered.
“Here,” she whispered, touching the bottom of the open V of his shirt. Hot breath fanned his skin an instant before she kissed him there. He had to hold back a groan.
“Here,” he murmured and touched the puckered point of her breast. Her eyes widened and her fingers tightened on his shoulders.
He dropped his hands to her waist and drew her up until she was kneeling in front of him. He opened his mouth and blew warm air over the small point, then bit her gently through the layers of her T-shirt and bra.
She sucked in a breath and arched toward him. With one quick jerk, he pulled her shirt hem out of her shorts and drew it up over her body. She freed her arms and tossed the garment aside.
Her bra was white and lacy. He could see her pale skin and her rosy puckered nipples. He buried his face between the lush curves.
“I want you, Erin,” he groaned. “I can’t tell you how good this feels.”
“I know,” she said, and hugged him close.
As his fingers moved up her spine toward the hooks on the back of her bra, he inhaled the female scent of her. The valley between her curves was a tempting resting spot, but he had other places to be before the night was over. He pressed a kiss to her breastbone, then turned his attention to her generous curves.
He nuzzled her skin. She was warm and as smooth as silk. He licked the first hint of fullness. He found then released the hooks of her bra. Thin straps slipped off her shoulders. The lace inched down, exposing more and more of her feminine flesh until he could see the pink circles around her nipples.
She pulled her bra off her arms and let it fall to the ground. Her full breasts swayed with the action. He caught them in his hands. The lush curves filled his palms. He cupped her gently, then brushed his fingers against the tips. She sucked in a breath and exhaled his name. Her hands tangled in his hair, urging him closer. He opened his mouth and tasted the tight pink peak.
She was sweeter than he would have imagined. Sweet and alive. He circled his tongue around the firm tip, then drew it deeply into his mouth. She surged toward him, swaying in time with his ministrations. Her breath came in tight little gasps, as if she had no control over herself.
He turned his head slightly and found her other breast, his fingers touching the damp heat of the first. He repeated the action, drawing her inside, tasting her, learning what made her stiffen and what made her sigh. She trembled in his embrace.
With his free hand he explored her back, then slid around to touch her ribs. She was all curves and valleys to his hard planes. Even her skin felt different than his, so smooth and supple. He dropped his hand to her bare thigh, then rode the lean length up to the hem of her shorts. He moved over cloth to cup her rear. He could feel her heat as she arched against him.
She whispered his name. She pressed her breasts toward him, urging him to take more, to touch her more. She wanted him and her desire made him drunk with life. He’d forgotten what it was like to hold another person so intimately, to taste skin, to feel flesh rippling with fire. He’d forgotten the intensity of the heat. The few times he’d sought release had been quick couplings without emotional connection. He’d forgotten what it meant to make love with someone. He’d forgotten the soul-healing pleasure of intimacy.
He wanted to bury himself inside her and explode into waiting feminine warmth. But more than that, he wanted to bring Erin to the edge of sanity, then watch her fall off the other side. He wanted her shaking and frantic, out of control.
To that end, he moved his fingers around her leg and up inside her shorts. He sought and found the elastic edge of her panties, then slipped inside. He could feel her need beckoning him.
Moist heat engulfed him. Slick female flesh promised paradise. He explored her, the tender folds, the damp curls, the tight passage that would lead him to ecstasy. He dipped inside of her, fitting first one finger, then two. She spread her knees wider. Her hands clutched his head, holding him against her breasts. Then he slid up until he found the tiny place of pleasure.
With the first stroke of his fingertip, a shudder racked her body. He felt an answering echo down to his groin. He pulled his hand free, grabbed her by the waist and drew her down onto the bed. Her wide hazel eyes watched his every move. Her mouth was parted, as if she was having trouble catching her breath. In the lamplight, her skin glowed. He wanted to cup her breasts and sup on them again, he wanted to love every inch of her with his mouth. But first he had to get the rest of her clothes off.
He made quick work of her shorts and panties. When she was naked before him, he stared at her, at the beauty inherent in the female body. He touched her shoulders, her slender arms, the indentation of her waist and the swell of her hips. He followed a path to the red-tinted curls guarding her feminine secrets, then dipped down to touch her.
Instantly she parted her legs for him. He bent over and pressed a kiss to her belly. His fingertips found that magical spot and slowly began to caress it. The nub swelled under his gentle assault. Her legs spread more and her muscles trembled. Her breathing came in quick panting gasps.
He stretched out, supporting himself on one elbow. He could see the color climbing her chest to her face. Her pupils dilated, her hands clutched at the bedspread. His own need swelled to the point of explosion, but he ignored the pressure. He ignored everything but her pleasure.
Her hips arched against his touch. As he felt her gather herself for that final pinnacle he reached down and drew her nipple into his mouth. He gently nibbled the taut peak. She groaned. He moved his fingers faster, circling around, brushing over, teasing her into mindlessness. He raised his head so he could watch her.
Her body stiffened. Her eyes closed, her mouth parted, but she didn’t breathe. Then a great shudder swept over her. Beneath his fingers, muscles contracted and released. She clung to the bedspread and trembled uncontrollably. The flush on her chest and face deepened.
Slowly he circled around that most sensitive place. When the shaking stopped, he drew his hand up her belly. Her skin rippled everywhere he touched. He cupped her breasts, then dropped a kiss on her mouth. When he raised his head, she smiled at him.
“Not bad,” she murmured, smiling.
“I could tell.”
She blinked as if bringing him into focus. “I think it must be working with the mouse,” she said.
He nipped her earlobe. “What are you talking about?”
She turned toward him and pulled him close. They pressed together from shoulder to ankle. Their legs tangled. She smelled of sweet perfume and musky sex. He wanted to devour her. He settled on a couple of deep kisses that left her sighing.
“The computer mouse,” she said, kissing his cheek, then his jaw. “All that eye-hand coordination you do every day. That’s why you’re so good at this.”
He rolled on his back and laughed. “I knew all that time at the keyboard had to be good for something.”
Erin stared down at him. Dark hair flopped across his forehead. He was handsome enough to take her breath away. Actually her breathing was still a little shaky from her recent release. She’d heard about the earth moving before, but hadn’t had the pleasure of experiencing it herself. But with Parker, she’d felt a definite tilt in the universe.
“It was very good,” she said, and straddled his hips.
She shifted until her damp center rested on his erection. He groaned softly.
“Keep that up much longer and you’re going to make me embarrass myself,” he said.
“Good.”
She tugged his shirt free of his shorts and pulled it up a few inches. The exposed band of flesh was tanned, muscled and covered with a firm layer of muscle.
“Impressive,” she said and touched him. She slid her hands up under the shirt. “Maybe you could take this off.”
“No problem.” He half sat up and pulled his shirt over his head. It went sailing across the room.
He was as broad and strong as she’d imagined him to be. The pattern of hair began below his shoulders and tapered down to a dark narrow line that disappeared into his shorts. She bent over him. As she touched his mouth, his hands cupped her breasts.
She sought entrance between his lips. He parted for her. Tongues circled. His fingers did the same on her nipples. She brushed him once, his fingers repeated the action. It was unbearably erotic. As she did to him, he did to her. Heat spiraled between them. She rocked against his hardness, the stroking bringing her back to readiness.
Her skin was on fire. Every nerve ending quivered in anticipation of the release to come again. She wanted him, she needed him. All of him.
She broke the kiss and pressed her mouth against his neck. He tasted faintly salty. She bit his shoulder, then traced a damp line through his dark curls until she found his nipples. She circled them until Parker was the one having trouble catching his breath. His hands grabbed her hips and he urged her to rock faster against him. Faster and faster until she was ready to explode again.
He sucked in a breath then held her still. She looked at him. His face was taut, an obvious battle for control waged in his eyes.
“I don’t mind,” she said.
“I do.” He ground out the words between clenched teeth. “I want to be inside you.”
Her body tensed with pleasure at the image his words invoked.
“Yes,” she said, sliding off him and onto her knees.
He sat up and pulled off his shorts and briefs, then he reached for a drawer on the nightstand. He paused and half turned toward her. “We need to use protection.”
“Oh.” Erin shook her head. “Oh, my. You’re right. I haven’t-” She cleared her throat. “There haven’t been many-”
He leaned over and touched her cheek. Dark eyes softened with understanding. “Yeah, Erin. Me, too. Fortunately for both of us, Kiki is an optimist. She’s been trying to get me interested in one of her friends for years. I never was, but she supplied protection, just in case.”
Erin figured this could have been more embarrassing, she just wasn’t sure how. “Great.”
He pulled open the dresser drawer and drew out a box about half the size of a loaf of bread. They both stared at it. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting. Something small and discreet. Maybe a little box with two or three condoms inside. The one Parker had set down between them could hold enough protection for an entire football team.
“I’m going to be really sore,” she said without thinking.
He grinned at her. “If you think it’s intimidating, imagine how I feel.”
The shared laughter made her feel better. He opened the top. “I don’t believe it.”
She leaned over to see what he was looking at. A strangled half gasp, half laugh caught in her throat. There were a rainbow colored assortment of fluorescent condoms. Purple, green, orange, yellow.
Parker gingerly picked one up. “They even glow in the dark.”
“Let’s turn the lights out and see,” she said, then clamped her hand over her mouth.
He looked at her, his expression unreadable.
“Sorry,” she said, trying to hold back a bubble of laughter. It escaped.
One corner of his mouth tilted up. Then he smiled. Then his laughter joined hers.
Erin sagged back on the mattress. She had trouble catching her breath. “I can’t believe she bought those. They’re so bright, and there’s so many. Where would you buy them?”
“I don’t think I want to know.” He was still staring at a bright yellow condom. “I don’t think I can wear this. Besides, the mood is definitely broken.”
She glanced down at the impressive proof of his gender. “It doesn’t look broken to me.”
Parker moved next to her and wrapped his arms around her. “You think you’re very funny, don’t you?”
“I am very funny. Ask anyone.”
He kissed her hard.
Her humor faded and was replaced by desire. “I want you,” she said.
“Not as much as I want you.” With that, he lowered his head to her breasts and teased her into incoherence. His fingers once again sought and found her sensitive place.
She retaliated by running her fingers up his thigh to the dark crown of curls, then lower to his hard maleness. She encircled him and he groaned low in his throat. She stroked his length, pausing to brush her thumb against the silky tip, and he trembled. She repeated the action and he came up on his knees.
“It’ll damn well have to do,” he muttered, tearing the package open.
She parted her thighs for him and held her breath as he slid inside. She was tight. He moved slowly, stretching her, pausing so she could adjust to his width and length. When at last he was buried deeply in her waiting warmth, their gazes locked. He braced his weight on his hands and began to move.
She watched his passion grow. Brown eyes darkened. His mouth pulled taut. She knew her face reflected the same sensations as the pressure inside built to an unbearable pitch. She grabbed his hips and urged him deeper, faster. Her skin burned hot, her pelvis surged toward him. In and out he thrust, taking her higher, further, stretching until only a slender thread kept her grounded in this world.
Then he reached between them and touched her core. He rubbed the tiny spot and tossed her out into the wild storm. She exploded into a million parts, each a vibrating, quivering moment of perfect pleasure. She was vaguely aware of his final surge into her, the tight muscles that convulsed in answering ecstasy. Then there was nothing but a shared embrace and the steady thudding of their hearts.
“Pretty amazing,” Erin said as she snuggled closer. She inhaled the scent of his body, knowing she would remember this night forever.
Parker had his arms around her. They tightened briefly. “That’s what I thought, too,” he said.
She raised her head and rested her chin on his shoulder. “I think it was the condom.”
He grinned. “Too bad Kiki won’t be getting a report. She’d be thrilled that I finally used one.”
“You think she won’t know?”
“I wasn’t going to tell her.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “I was hardly going to announce it over breakfast, but I think she might notice we’re both grinning like fools.”
“I can control myself,” he teased. “You’re the one with the crush.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, I happen to know you find me very attractive. I’ve seen the proof.”
“Impressive, wasn’t it?”
“I swooned.”
He laughed, then pulled her up on top of him. Her breasts rested on his chest, her legs slipped between his. He tucked her hair behind her ears.
“Did I hurt your feelings?” he asked.
“About what?”
“Teasing you about the crush. I was just being playful.”
“Parker, it’s fine. I knew how you meant it.” She leaned close and touched her nose to his. “It could be worse. I could be in love with you.”
He grimaced. “Please no. Anything but that. Love is hell.” He hugged her. “But this is very nice.”
“I have to agree.” She liked being with him this way. The sex had been wonderful, but the intimacy afterward was better. She liked the closeness and the conversation. She liked that they could tease each other.
“I’d forgotten how good it felt to make love,” she said.
“Me, too. We’ll have to do it again real soon.”
She wiggled her hips. “Hmm, is that a bit of interest I feel stirring even as I speak?”
“Maybe.”
“Great.” She scrambled off him and leaned over the side of the bed. Condoms were scattered everywhere. “Looks like the box got kicked off. It’s a real mess. Do you have a favorite color?”
“You pick.”
She grabbed a bright purple one then sat up. “Can we please turn off the lights?”
“Erin!” he growled.
“Is that a yes?”
He frowned, as if trying to intimidate her. She just batted her eyelashes at him.
“Oh, all right. I don’t know why I’m agreeing to this.”
She moved closer and kissed him. His mouth parted and she tasted his heady flavor. Passion flared between them. He caressed her breasts, stroking them gently as if he were concerned she might be tender from the last time. The combination of his concern and his actions had her trembling and ready in seconds.
He lowered her onto the mattress and slipped his hands between her legs. As he began to work his magic, she sighed. “Now I know why Kiki slips out every night.”
“Me, too.”
He brought her close to release, then reached for the protection. When he’d slid it on, he stretched up toward the light on the nightstand.
“Yes,” she said, trying to muffle a giggle.
He turned the switch, plunging them into darkness. She could see a faint illumination around the edges of the drapes and from under the door. Aside from that nothing in the room was visible, except a bold, bright purple erection.
“It’s huge,” she said without thinking.
Parker laughed. It bounced in time with amusement. “It’s no bigger than it was before.”
“Well, it looks bigger and you’re not getting anywhere near me with that.”
She started to scramble off the bed. He grabbed for her, catching an ankle. She shrieked and started laughing, too. She struggled for leverage, but he was pulling her steadily toward him. She couldn’t see any part of him except that which was sheathed in fluorescent purple latex.
She was on her belly as she slid across the mattress. Laughter left her breathless. Then he cupped her rear and laughter softened to passionate sighs. He turned her gently. She parted her legs, allowing him to enter her waiting heat.
Once again he quickly led her to release. In the past she’d had a difficult time with sex, her response had been slower than her partner’s. But not with Parker. He seemed to know what she was feeling. He touched her everywhere, leaving her mindless and ready for the ultimate pleasure.
When their breathing had returned to normal, she turned on the light and glanced at the condoms scattered across the rug. “I liked it,” she said.
“They’re okay for once in a while, but I think I’d like something more normal for the rest of the time.”
She looked at him. Was he inviting her to his bed again? She wasn’t sure. Then she glanced at the clock and saw it was close to two.
“I’d better head back to my room,” she said. “If I stay here, I’ll fall asleep. I don’t want Christie to wake up in the morning and find me gone.”
She stood up. He followed her, unselfconsciously naked and amazingly beautiful. “I wish you could stay,” he said. “But I understand.” His dark eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “Thanks for tonight.”
She collected her clothes and quickly pulled them on. “Thank you.” They kissed, lingering until the flickering fire warned her she better leave now or she’d risk not leaving at all. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I can’t wait,” he said.
She slipped into the hallway. She could feel herself smiling and knew that she’d been right. Kiki would be able to tell what they’d been doing. How embarrassing.
She made it to her room without breaking into song. Once there, she changed into her nightgown then got into bed. Despite the late hour, she wasn’t especially tired. Her body was pleasantly relaxed but her mind raced. She relived the events of the evening and wondered if she would regret giving herself to Parker. If they both tried, they could be friends and lovers. Other people did it. She was an adult, she could do it, too.
She got up and crossed to the window. After drawing back the drapes, she stared out at the black night. Stars winked overheard. She could hear the ocean below. She opened the window and inhaled the scent of the salt air.
Restlessness gripped her. She wanted to do something, anything but sleep. She looked around, hoping to find something to read. Her gaze fell on Stacey’s diary. She walked over to the dresser to pick it up, then paused when her attention was caught by her reflection.
She stared in the mirror, gazing at the face of a stranger. She didn’t know this woman. Her eyes were wide and bright, her face flushed, her mouth swollen from kisses. With her hair in disarray and her nightgown silhouetting her naked body, she was a wanton temptress.
Erin searched for some sign of herself, some hint of the sensible sister, the one who planned and carefully waited her turn, but she was gone. Lost in a fire of passion that had swept her away. Unfamiliar emotions passed across her face. She tried to figure out what she was feeling, but she couldn’t focus on anything long enough. But she knew something was different.
She touched the diary, running her fingers across the cool leather cover. Inside her sister’s hopes and dreams filled every page. It had been easy to feel sorry for Stacey. Her sister had gotten caught up in a romantic dream that had no basis in reality while Erin had always prided herself on knowing the truth.
She returned her attention to the reflection in the mirror. To the stranger with a deep emotion shining in her eyes. She’d confessed her crush to Parker, and he’d teased her about it. A crush was safe, but love was dangerous. For both of them.
She had been so sensible. She’d waited for her turn; she’d taken only what was offered. She never demanded or grabbed for anything in her life. Hiding had made her world seem safe. Until tonight. Until she’d grabbed passion with both hands and been burned.
She glanced down at her palms half expecting to see singe marks and blackened skin. There was no sign of what had occurred, but she knew the truth.
She’d made the “sensible” decision based on all the available facts, save one. Erin had never made love to a man she didn’t think she loved. She couldn’t. So if she’d been intimate with Parker tonight, she would have given away more than her body. And she had. Sometime during those hours of passion, she’d handed over her heart.
That’s why she looked different. It wasn’t about sex, it was about caring. She’d given Parker the one thing he didn’t want. Just like her sister, she’d made the fatal mistake of falling in love with him.