Underneath It All Read online

  Bryce left the office and Devon returned to his desk aggravated until his cell phone rang and he saw the number.

  Flipping open the phone, he smiled. “Hey, beautiful.”

  Nicole’s sweet voice sounded in his ear. “The roses are beautiful. And expensive, from what I’ve been told.” And with a tease in her tone, she added, “What can I ever do to thank you?”

  The obvious innuendo told him their next encounter might go a lot like their last, and he wondered if those admirable intentions would ever see the light of day.

  “Go on a date with me,” he said, trying to keep to his personal promise. Though a dozen other ideas had come to mind, he had to make it clear in words and actions that he wanted this thing between them to be more than a tryst. Nicole was special, what they had was special, and before they were through, he’d make certain she knew it was a lot more than physical attraction.

  “Hmm,” she moaned, and his dick hardened. “I was thinking dinner. My place. Tomorrow night.” And with a giggle, she added, “I’ve cleared the area of all park rangers.” “You typically keep a supply of park rangers at your place?”

  Her laugh deepened, the sound warming his mood.

  “No, but if you care to show up in the uniform, that might be interesting. Word around the jailhouse is I’ve been a very bad girl.”

  His dick turned to steel.

  “I may need to be punished,” she added.

  Then his throat turned to stone.

  He swallowed hard and tried to speak. “I thought you had a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card?”

  She lowered her voice. “I don’t know that I want to use it. It might be interesting to see how well the warden handles his gun.”

  He swallowed again. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  “Yes.”

  “What time?”

  “Seven o’clock. Don’t be late.”

  DEVON STOOD IN FRONT of Nicole’s high-rise apartment building and checked his watch. Six fifty-nine. Was showing up exactly on time a sign of consideration or desperation? He currently felt both. Though he was generally an on-time kind of guy, tonight, showing up for a date at exactly zero hour had more to do with eagerness than punctuality, and for a split second, he considered walking the block for a few minutes to avoid making it that obvious.

  Then he pressed his finger to the button and ended the debate.

  “Devon?” he heard through the speaker.

  “At your service.”

  “Come on up,” Nicole said, then he heard the click of the glass lobby door indicating she’d tripped the lock. He made his way to the elevator and up to the ninth floor, down the richly colored hallway to number 914. In his hand was another bouquet of flowers, this time pink tulips, and when she opened the door, her eyes lit with a bright smile.

  “You look beautiful,” he said as he stepped through the threshold and closed the door behind him. And she did. The pale blue sundress and white sandals made a simple canvas that showcased her natural beauty. She wore no make-up other than a light gloss on her lips, and her smooth, tanned legs left him aching for a touch.

  He handed her the flowers then pressed a light kiss to her cheek, using the gesture to breathe in her fresh soapy scent.

  “How about a drink?” she asked, passing through the short hall and into the main living area where the kitchen and sitting room combined in one large open space. “I noticed you’d ordered bourbon the other night.” Holding up a bottle of Bookers, she added, “They tell me this is good.”

  “I’d love one,” he said. Surveying the space, he noted it was decorated exactly as he would have expected, minimal yet tasteful. She allowed the contemporary furniture to stand on its own without the excess adornment of lots of decorative pillows and knick-knacks. She used color and texture to accentuate the room. A white shag throw rug over the dark oak floor defined the seating area that consisted of a sleek orange sofa and matching chair. A glass and maple coffee table held only a couple magazines and a dark blue art glass bowl filled with fresh lemons.

  An entertainment center remained hidden in the confines of a large maple cabinet, and opposite it was a floor-to-ceiling view of the Atlanta cityscape. The wall to his right consisted entirely of white painted built-ins filled with books, photographs and other mementos, and curious to know more about his new love, he stepped over and began perusing the shelves.

  Pointing to a somewhat grotesque ceramic bust, he had to ask the question. “What’s this?”

  Chuckling, she crossed the room with his drink and a glass of white wine. “Nate made that for me when he was six years old. It’s supposed to be me.”

  He studied the purple blob that wouldn’t resemble a human at all if it weren’t for an obvious nose and eyes. “I don’t see a resemblance.”

  “Good answer.”

  He pointed to a photo of her and a man he suspected might be her brother. The two had similar blue eyes and blonde hair, although the resemblance ended there. “Is that your brother?” When she nodded, he added, “Are you two close?”

  “Very,” she said. “In fact, this is the longest I’ve gone without seeing him. When I moved to Atlanta he came with me to check out where I planned to live and where I’d be working. The fact that I’m in a high-security building on the ninth floor is all Nate and Dad.”

  “I get the high security building, but what’s with the ninth floor?”

  “Too high for someone to break in from the balcony, but low enough for a fire truck ladder. Ladders only go as high as ten stories. Did you know that?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Neither did I, but those are the kinds of things my family thinks about when the baby moves away.”

  He studied the picture again, two cheeks pressed together and bright smiles grinning for the camera, and he wondered if Nate would want to check him out.

  “Do you miss Nate?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I do. He’s an architect and keeps a busy schedule, but he’s been hinting about coming to visit lately. The way Nate is, he could show up any minute unannounced. He tends to fly by the seat of his pants sometimes.”

  “Well,” he said, his body warming from the drink and his close proximity to Nicole. “Let’s hope he doesn’t show up unannounced tonight. We’ve already been rudely interrupted once.”

  “Twice if you count both the park ranger and your brother Todd.”

  Devon winced. “I guess the two were conspiring that night to keep me an honorable man.”

  The smile on her face turned from playful to seductive. “Well, there’s nothing keeping you honorable tonight,” she said, licking her bottom lip and turning him from warm to hot with the one simple statement.

  She moved closer and ran a finger up the buttons of his cotton shirt, studying each one of them as if she were contemplating how quickly they could come apart.

  “In fact,” she added, “I may have to confiscate your cell phone for the evening.”

  Without another thought, he pulled it from his pocket and placed it in her hand, and after flipping it open and shutting it off, she set it on the bookcase. “No more conspiracies,” she said.

  She placed a hand on his chest and a wash of heat moved through her touch, spilling through his body and hardening him on the spot. He’d come here expecting a nice dinner, casual conversation and a parting kiss on the lips, all the things a chivalrous man does when he wants to show a woman he’s interested in more than her body.

  And less than five minutes alone with her it all went out the window.

  Those lips were too close, those breasts too supple, those legs too silky and that scent too inviting. No more conspiracies? On the contrary, every part of her body had come together to spin him into her web of seduction, and when she pressed her lips to his chin and took a small bite, he held up the white flag and surrendered.

  He clamped his hands to her waist and she gasped with delight, and when he brought his mouth to hers, her resulting moan nearly buckled hi
s knees. The fruity taste of her, the tender press of her lips, the firm lines of her waist all worked together to boil him over with need. His cock hardened, his thighs stiffened, and when she brushed her waist against him and moaned again with pleasure, he wondered if they could make it to the bedroom or if they should both just drop to the floor.

  Instantly, his mind began warring between physical desire and the impression he wanted to make with Nicole, and in a last-ditch effort to regain control of the evening, he pulled his lips from hers and whispered in her ear.

  “What’s for dinner?”

  “Me.”

  Bad answer.

  Pulling back, he smiled, not at all liking the flush of her cheeks or the dark look of sex in her eyes. He was supposed to be a good boy tonight and that take-me look on her face was making that nearly impossible.

  “You’re for dessert,” he teased, trying to lighten the moment. “What are you cooking me tonight?”

  She took a step back and he inhaled a breath of relief, until her next move sucked the wind back out.

  Reaching behind her, she began unzipping her sundress. “I don’t cook.”

  “But I thought—”

  “I asked you to dinner. I never said I was going to make it.” The sound of her zipper sliding down her back was the only thing louder than the thump of his heart. “The pizza guy’s coming in an hour and a half.”

  Then she nudged the dress off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Underneath was the sexiest example of the human form he’d ever seen, all wrapped up in a lacy blue bustier and matching thong. Sleek, silky legs seemed to stretch for miles, her navel was pierced, adorned with a single blue topaz, but it was the cleavage that snagged his attention like a glistening pot of gold.

  His heart pumped faster, his cock swelled and his hands fisted at his sides. He didn’t know what to sample first. Her body was like an expansive buffet set out before a sex-starved male. Question was would he be the one to feast or be feasted? The look in her eyes said it could go either way.

  “And as for dessert,” she said, “I’m one of those people who prefer it before dinner.”

  She slid up against him and he almost feared her touch. He’d wanted to remain a Southern gentleman, at least for a date or two, but with one brush of her lips to his neck, one caress of her hands to his chest, she’d reduced him to his most primal animal form. His mouth returned to hers, his hands found their way to her ass, and when he squeezed those silky cheeks, every ounce of civility drained from his blood.

  He’d gone back to that caveman state, his hot hardened body fighting the urge to pick her up and drag her off to his den. But when she grabbed his hand and nudged him toward the hall, he realized he didn’t have to.

  His primal mate was already leading the way.

  6

  NICOLE WASN’T ABOUT TO let anything interfere with her plans for Devon tonight. Eighteen months. She’d counted. Eighteen months since she’d last been with a man. No wonder her insides turned to flames every time she came near him. Her tank was clearly on empty, running on fumes, ready to ignite with the slightest spark. That had to be it, had to be the reason she’d stripped naked in front of the man before he could even finish his drink.

  Okay, so she had planned that he would catch a glimpse of her new lingerie, she’d just expected it to happen a little later. She hadn’t thought a mere kiss would have her skipping the preliminaries and rushing to Act Two before the curtain came down. And the way she felt right now, even this wasn’t happening fast enough. In her hurried attempt to get Devon into the bedroom and out of his clothes, his belt got stuck, his shoes wouldn’t slip off, and how many damn buttons did they have to put on this shirt, anyway?

  Shrugging out of his sports jacket, he let it fall to the floor then moved to help her with the shirt, probably noting the look of frustration in her eyes.

  “I want you now,” she said, realizing too late that she’d said it out loud. She hadn’t wanted to sound so desperate, yet there was something about the man that brought it out of her.

  Yanking open the last two buttons, he pulled off his shirt. “That won’t be a problem,” he said, then he took her in his arms and claimed her mouth with his.

  He cupped her cheek in one hand and held her against him with the other, exposing his chest in all its glory, pressed against her breasts like a pulsing mound of stone. His woodsy scent encased her and she let herself fall against him, to drown in his embrace and feed on the sensation of his touch. His tongue circled hers, telling in no uncertain terms the many ways that tongue could pleasure her, and a guttural moan slipped from her throat as she considered each one.

  She brushed her hands up his back wanting to feel every inch of the sinewy flesh, to replace what she’d imagined with the reality in her arms. Pressing her waist against his groin she felt his cock jerk and harden when she squeezed a hand to his ass, and her stomach fluttered at the thought that she’d found an erogenous zone. She wanted to know everything that turned him on, how he liked to be touched, his weaknesses, his delights, and what kinds of things could reduce him to a shuddering, sated mass.

  “I think I need you horizontal,” he whispered.

  Tugging against his trousers, she replied, “I think I need you naked.”

  Like a willing captor obeying a command, he tossed them off then kicked them aside with one foot, and when she took a step back, she found herself staring at six feet of perfection.

  The man was long and lean, with hair in just the right places and bulk where it belonged. Nicole lowered her eyes to one impressive erection. She couldn’t stop herself panting in anticipation.

  Her body swelled with desire, the new bustier turning to a vise against her breasts, the thong a tight belt at her waist. She wanted to be as unobstructed as her mate, but before she could move to pull the lingerie off, Devon whisked her into his arms and deposited her on the bed. The sweet look of affection in his eyes had darkened to steamy need, and when he grabbed the scraps of fabric and pulled them off, she knew this particular encounter would be everything she’d hoped.

  “Condoms,” she said, pointing to the bedside table, but Devon moved to his pants instead, rummaging through the pockets and cursing under his breath before coming up with the foil packet.

  He sheathed his length and moved back to the bed, and the hot rise of arousal swept through her. She couldn’t wait to take him in and feel his impending release, and holding out her arms, she urged him on top of her.

  Instead, he stood at the edge and pulled her closer to him, leaning over her but keeping his feet on the floor. He brought his lips close to hers and gazed into her eyes, brushing a stray hair from her face with the tip of his thumb.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said, the depth in his tone touching something inside. It was the seriousness in his eyes, the layers of emotion on his face that told her there was more to the statement than those words, and if it were possible to get any hotter, she’d just crossed over into molten.

  Her clit swelled with need, her breasts ached, her heart pounded, and when she ran her hands over his dense, rigid chest, he moved down and took her in his arms.

  “I need you,” she groaned, squirming against him, his hard cock wedged between them, taunting her, sending the ache even deeper. His eyes never leaving hers, he tucked one arm under her knee and raised her leg over his shoulder.

  “You drive me crazy,” he said, the sharpness in his voice telling her he was as tight for release as she. Then he brought his mouth to hers and slipped his shaft between her folds, brushing over her slick heat but not venturing inside. Her clit pulsed against his touch and he moaned, his chest vibrating against hers, his mouth devouring her mewling pleas.

  She couldn’t catch her breath. The ache between her legs had swelled to a throb, and when he slid his cock over her again, she pulled her mouth from his and whispered, “You’re killing me.”

  His evil smile said that’s what he’d intended. The man was teasing her, tortur
ing her, and the fact that he had the strength to hold back turned her need to fury.

  She wiggled under him then grabbed her hands onto his ass and squeezed; that newfound weakness was all it took to rip the smile from his lips and toss him toward the edge. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and groaned, his cock twitching between her legs before he pulled his hips back, rose up and drove himself inside.

  Every muscle in her body went limp with the glorious feel of him stretching her, filling her, until he’d buried himself completely.

  “Oh,” he groaned. “This is going to go fast.”

  “I don’t need time,” she pressed, curving her back to take him deeper inside.

  Almost involuntarily, he began pumping inside her, his eyes fixed on hers, his face taking on more color with every thrust.

  “Too fast,” he said, and even that seemed an effort to expel. His eyes had glazed over with need, the propriety stripped from his facade so that what she saw was the inner workings of a man driven with desire.

  She dug her fingers into his ass and pulled him closer, a rippling sensation running through her, marking the start of an orgasm that threatened to rip through her with one more thrust.

  He pulled out then pushed in again, out and in until the searing bolt of pleasure tore through her with a scream.

  Convulsing under him, her body fisted hard around him. White light blinded her, a high-pitched whine deafened her, and before the fog cleared, Devon threw her other leg over his shoulder and cried out as he poured his climax inside.

  Their bodies moved without will, thrusting and jerking, clasping and contracting until a wave of silken pleasure smoothed over and she collapsed against the bed.

  Devon’s bare chest thumped hard against her. His breath came out in grunts. And before his weight bore down on her, he pulled out and fell onto his back beside her.