Pipe Dreams(25)

You could never outmaneuver a world-class competitor-not when he really wanted to win.

As his nibbles became soft, open-mouthed kisses, Lauren's nipples grew  tight. And when he pulled her earlobe into his mouth and sucked, she  felt slickness gather between her legs. But she stayed silent, a  death-grip on her champagne glass, until his fingertips snaked around  the front of her body and began to tease her breasts. Even then, the  sound she made was just a needy, breathy gasp. Hardly audible.

His whole body stilled. "It's been too long since I felt your skin on  mine," he said. He tugged her backward with his hands at his hips until  her ass was tucked against his legs, and his hard cock could be felt  through the fabric of his tuxedo pants.

The feel of it tightened her lungs and made her dizzy. Alarm bells went  off in her heart. It was easy enough to just jump into bed with him.  Lord knew she could use a night of naked fun.

But not with him. Anyone but him. The hangover would be too much to bear.

Sucking in a breath, she stumbled forward out of his grasp. "I can't, Mike. I just . . . I can't have a fling with you."

"Who says I want just a fling?"

She spun around and checked his face. It was flushed with arousal, but  his expression was dead serious. Her heart gave a quiver. "I can't  reevaluate my life choices just because you turned up in my hotel suite  with a bottle of expensive bubbly. That's not fair."

"I'm not trying to rush you." He shook his head and then ran a hand  through his hair. "Okay, that's a lie. I am trying to inspire you. But  only because we've lost too much time already."

"So all of a sudden you remember that I exist, and now you're in a hurry?"

He walked over to the bed and perched on the edge. "Baby, I dream about  you more often than it's healthy to admit. You're the one, Lo. There's  nobody else."

Seriously? "You had a hell of a way of showing it."

"You own me," he said. "I never wanted to let you go."

"It's not easy for me to believe in you," she said quietly.

He looked up at her. "I know. But I'm going to change that."





FOURTEEN



Mike watched her expression from too many feet away. Her face was  flushed with defiance. He didn't know how to break through her anger,  and there very, very few tools left in his arsenal. Charm hadn't worked  yet. And his apology had only gotten him so far.

Laying all of his cards on the table, he tried to make her understand. "What if I told you the last person I kissed was you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Since you ambushed me on the sidewalk just the other night, forgive me if I'm not impressed."

Slowly, he shook his head. "Not then. Two years ago."

Her disbelief was palpable. "What are you trying to say?"

Bracing a foot on the carpet, he leaned forward and snagged her hand,  tugging her close to where he sat. As soon as she was in range, he put  his cheek to her ribcage and wrapped his arms around her waist. "The  last person I kissed was you. The last person I took to bed was you.  Just you."

Her body went still, but he could hear her heart pounding beneath his ear. "You can't be serious," she whispered.

Tilting his chin upward, he found her gaze. "I've never been more serious."

"But . . ." she stammered. "You . . . Your wife . . ."

He shook his head. "It wasn't like that with us. I was there to ease her pain. And Elsa's."

"That's so incredibly sad," she whispered.

Now she gets it. "Yeah, I noticed. I signed up for a whole lot of sad.  But Shelly got one final year with her child, and she got a husband who  came home whenever he could to tuck our kid into bed and try to convince  the two of them that everything was going to be okay."                       
       
           



       

Lauren's arms closed around his head, her fingers gripping him distractedly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." His throat was rough but he cleared it. "Not trying to  depress you. I'm just telling you how it is with me, and that I've  always wanted you. Even if it's only for tonight. I'm not dumb enough to  ask you to make promises."

Her fingers brushed through his hair, caressing his scalp, and he closed  his eyes and tried to memorize the feel of her touch. She smelled of  expensive perfume and sunshine. She smelled so fucking whole and alive  that his eyes stung with happiness.

"I'm sorry for your troubles," she said. "I really mean that."

He made a grunt of acknowledgement, though it sounded like he was about  to get the brush-off. "I know I came on strong tonight. But I meant  every word I said."

"It's not easy for me to give in to you."

"I'll bet it isn't. Tell you what-let me fill up that kickass tub in the other room."

"W-what?" she stammered.

"Let's have a soak. I'm trying not to paw at you like a beast."

She actually laughed, but he hadn't been joking. He was hard as a goalie  stick and having her body in his arms was making him crazy. Without  waiting for a response, he gently disengaged from her and stood up. He  nabbed the bottle of champagne and their glasses, and carried them into  the giant spa bathroom, where he started the water flowing.

The lights were on a dimmer switch, so he lowered them to just a glow.  Then he refilled both their glasses and stripped out of his clothes.

He was already in the tub, sipping champagne, when Lauren came to stand in the doorway, still fully dressed.

"Last one in is a total babe," he said, taking a casual sip. But his heart was thudding inside his chest.

She gave him a tiny smile. "I can't believe I'm actually considering getting in that tub with you."

"You hold all the cards, sweetheart." No truer words were ever spoken.

Lauren looked him over with gentle eyes. "You know I want to. I never stopped wanting you, you jerk."

He grinned.

"If I do this, it's just for tonight," she said. "My life is complicated right now."

His smile faded in a hurry. "Is there someone else?"

She shook her head. "Just a lot of changes I'm considering. Graduating in a few weeks, making plans. That sort of thing."

"Oh." He tried to imagine what that could mean. Maybe she was  considering moving away from New York? Now there was a ghastly thought.  "Hop in, Lo. If a night is all I can have, I'll take it." Not that he'd  give up on her tomorrow. But a guy had to start somewhere.

When Lauren's gaze perused his body, he knew victory was near. They'd  always had the kind of sexual chemistry that other people only dreamt  about. He closed his eyes and relaxed against the slanted tub, inviting  her gaze to linger.

He heard the rustle of clothing, so he opened his eyes again. She'd  turned her back on him. But he made an involuntary grunt when he  realized she'd reached back to find the zipper of her dress.

"Want help with that?" he offered.

Wordlessly she took a couple of steps backward until he could reach her  with his free hand. She held the fabric taut while he lowered the zipper  slowly. The dress began to fall away, leaving her in a tiny strapless  bra and a white lace thong.

"Jesus," he muttered. "Way to kill a guy."

"You don't have to look," she pointed out, stepping out of the dress.

He groaned, his cock jumping below the surface of the water. "Yeah, I  really do. But it's been two years since I saw anything that hot, so I  might need one of those things you use to look at an eclipse of the sun  without burning your retinas."

"A pinhole camera?" she asked, hanging the dress on a hook on the back of the door.

"Yeah that."

She turned around suddenly, giving him the front view of a beautiful,  shapely woman in tiny lingerie. Her tits spilled over the tops of that  inadequate bra, and his mouth began to water. "You know why I wore the  dress?" she asked.

"Mmm?" he managed.

"Eyes up here," she said, pointing at her own. "The dress. I wore it  because it's beautiful. And I wanted to feel beautiful again."

"Well it worked." His voice was like gravel. "Never seen anything so beautiful."

Lauren crossed to the counter at the far end of the room and began  removing her earrings. His gaze was affixed as tightly as a bumper  sticker to her perfect ass and those long, shapely legs.                       
       
           



       

It was hard to believe he was enjoying this view again. He wouldn't take it for granted, that was for damn sure.

When she bent over to zip the jewelry away in a case, he couldn't hold  in a sharp intake of breath. Lifting her chin, she spied him in the  mirror. Her serious expression suggested she knew exactly what effect  she was having on him.