"I'm not going to lie," she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "What we just did was great. Really, really great. But we both know we shouldn't do it again. Never, ever again." Yet something in her voice, in the way her fingers brushed against his wrists as she straightened the edges of his sleeves, made him wonder if she secretly wanted him to talk her into continuing where they'd just left off.
"Okay, now I'll tell you the truth as I see it."
She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide.
"There's fire between us. You and me, we're good together." She shook her head, pulled away from him, and he reached for her hand. Held her close.
"There's no point in denying it. We have chemistry. And whether we like it or not, I don't think it's going to do either of us any good to try and ignore the sparks between us."
Julie took a deep breath, her eyes trained on their hands. "I just don't see how this could work." He had to convince her once and for all to throw caution to the wind and have a damn good time with him.
"Look at it this way: We've got almost two weeks together, all day every day. I'm already in your house; you're my date for every event. I think we're both strong enough to enjoy what we want without it screwing ourselves up permanently, don't you?"
He knew she couldn't admit that she wouldn't be able to handle a sex-only relationship with him.
"Maybe," she conceded.
He smiled in anticipation of pleasure to come.
"On one condition," she said.
He nodded, knowing what she was going to say. "No strings attached. That's a given." Something in her eyes gave him pause, made him wonder if he should have kept his big mouth shut. Especially since he wasn't even sure he meant what he'd just said.
"Of course there won't be any strings attached," she finally said, waving away his words as if they didn't matter one bit. "But I was going to say that I can only do this if you agree to keep our after-hours relationship completely secret."
He felt like he'd been punched in the gut.
Shit. Why did he care if she didn't want anyone to know they were doing each other? It wasn't like they were dating; they were just going to be having sex. Lots and lots of mind-blowing sex. Why did he care if all these years later, she was still ashamed of who he was? If she thought he was just a new-money piece of flash who just happened to know how to rock her world?
After all, they were both going to take what they wanted and then go their separate ways.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he agreed.
Together, silently, they left the balcony, walked back through the sex chamber, and headed back downstairs to the party.
Great,
Ty thought. He'd gotten what he wanted.
So why wasn't he happier?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
By the time the party wound down, Julie was a basket case.
If she'd thought one taste of perfect love-making would see her through the rest of her days, she was dead wrong. It wouldn't even see her through the evening. She'd been watching the clock all night, desperate to be alone with Ty again. In her house, in her bed, for as long as she pleased. But what really upset her was the way
"No strings attached. That's a given,"
kept playing over and over in her head like a skipping CD.
"I'm done being a show dog," Ty told her at last, and they went to find their host.
"Had a great time tonight," he said to Gordon. "Thanks for the invite."
"I'm so glad you could be here tonight, Ty. And thank you for bringing your very lovely companion." Gordon might as well have called her skanky, the way
lovely
sounded coming out of his mouth. Her mind flashed back to his sex room and she barely contained her revulsion.
"I had a wonderful time as well," she said, shaking his dry, bony palm.
"I know you did," he said.
What a weird response.
Ty extricated her hand from Gordon's grasp by leading her toward the front door.
"Most days, I love my job," he said for her ears only.
She nodded, knowing exactly what he was getting at. "Me too." As Ty alerted his driver via cell phone that they were ready to leave, she looked back up at the house. The tower's balcony, mostly hidden by oak trees, would forever be a wonderful memory. They slid into the limo and she said, "You were fantastic tonight." One corner of his mouth quirked up and his eyes gleamed wickedly. "Glad you thought so."
"I was talking about how you interacted with the guests."
"Sure you were."
She laughed, glad she could finally let herself enjoy being with him. Not only was Ty sexy, but he was fun. And surprisingly quick.
She lowered her voice so his driver, Jose, couldn't hear them. "You know how fantastic you were up on the roof."
"Tell me more," he said and she looked pointedly at the front seat. He pressed a button on the armrest and the glass divider between the front and back seats slid closed. The faint buzz of the talk radio station Jose was listening to disappeared.
"Trust me, he can't hear us."
She shifted as far away from Ty as her seat belt allowed. "I can't ... do anything. Not while he's still here."
Ty relaxed back into his leather seat and she marveled at how nothing seemed to faze him. Here she was burning up with desire, wondering how she was possibly going to make it through the entire drive home without climbing on Ty's lap and riding him like a cowgirl, and he looked completely relaxed.
"He can't read lips," Ty said.
Her brain was a step behind her hormones. "I don't get it." Then she blushed. "Oh!" He grinned again, the lazy look of a cat who has already gotten the cream. And wouldn't mind the cherry on top for dessert.
"I'm happy to get us started," he offered and she tried to focus on something other than his perfect mouth, his big, strong hands, the telltale bulge in his pants.
"Go ahead. I can't stop you." She'd be sorely disappointed now if they didn't see this game through to its inevitably sexy outcome.
"I wish you hadn't worn that outfit tonight."
"Why?"
"Covering up all that gorgeousness. It felt like you were punishing me." She blushed again. That was exactly what she'd intended to do.
"But that was before I realized how hot it would be to unwrap you."
Julie clenched her thighs together as wet warmth seeped from her core. Her mouth had gone dry and her heart was racing.
"Your turn," Ty said.
She clamped her lips together. Shook her head. "I don't know how." But he was persuasive. "The more I know about what makes you feel good, the better I can make you feel."
She practically had an orgasm right then and there.
"Tell me what you liked," he urged.
Everything.
But she couldn't tell him that. So then why were the words "I liked everything" bouncing around the limo?
He didn't smile now, just sat there with every muscle tensed.
For the first time, Julie realized she could be in control. If she forgot about being the perfect lady and gave in to her sexuality, she could turn this game around, pin Ty in a corner of desire.
"Tell me what I should have done differently," he said.
She inhaled deeply, taking in the musky scent of their lovemaking, the hint of cedar and spice that would always make her think of him.
"Nothing."
His voice was soft. "Then tell me what to do next."
She couldn't have formed words if there was a gun to her head.
"Tell me what you want me to do when we get back to your house, when we're all alone again. Just you and me."
He was doing it again, taking control of her mind, her entire body, and it was so hard for her to remember that she could have the same kind of power over him.
She shifted so that the hem of her dress rose up her thigh several inches. She played with the pearls at her neck to focus Ty's attention on her breasts and throw him off just as much as he'd thrown her.
"I want to take a bath."
A small muscle jumped in his jaw. Julie held back a victorious smile. "Together." He shifted uncomfortably, betraying his pent-up sexual energy.
Something wild and new bloomed into life within Julie's chest. For the first time ever, she had free reign to create and express her sexual fantasies. Nothing would shock Ty—yet she didn't feel like she needed to be kinky to impress him, either.
She could just be herself.
Ty obviously had faith in her unleashed sensuality, and if she did exactly what she wanted to really do, the next two weeks with Ty could be a little scary.
And incredibly exciting.
"Tell me more," he begged.
"Patience is a virtue," she teased. "Especially when it comes to pleasure." He spread his legs, revealing his arousal. "I haven't wanted to play with myself this bad since I was a kid."
"Do you want me to stop?" she asked, hiding a smile.
"Hell no!"
"Good. Because before we bathe, you're going to take off your clothes while I watch. Don't forget to flex a little, show off for me."
"Will do," he murmured.
"Do you want to know what would
really
turn me on?"
"More than anything."
"I want you to get into the tub first. I want to know you're waiting for me, hard and ready, while I slowly undress."
He swallowed hard and she wanted to press a kiss to his Adam's apple, wanted to run her tongue over every inch of his body.
"And then what?"
She closed her eyes, laid her head back against the leather headrest. "And then I'm going to sink down on your cock and fuck your brains out."
She could hear his rapid breathing, which matched hers. Her pulse was jumping and she was this close to forgetting about his driver having a front-seat view to their sex show. The slightest touch from Ty and she was going to explode.
After what had to have been the longest wait of her life, they finally pulled up to her curb. She wasn't normally rude enough to shoot out of the car and run up her steps without thanking the driver, but she'd apologize to Jose later.
She'd just turned the key in her lock when Ty's hand snaked around hers and opened the door. Next thing she knew, they were inside her foyer and she was up against the wall with her dress pushed up to her waist.
"I really, really like your bathtub plan," he said, "but I'm afraid I'm not going to make it any farther than your front door."
A hot wave of arousal hit her and she ripped at his pants and shirt as he pulled another condom out of his jacket and ripped it open.
"Hurry," she said and a moment later he was shoving the crotch of her panties aside, and she was wrapping her legs around him again. He plunged his enormous erection all the way in, then out, then in again, harder, deeper this time, and she was crying out his name, begging him for more, sobbing as the orgasm she'd been waiting for shook her whole body. Again and again he rocked into her, until he stilled and she felt him pulsing inside her.
Yet again she gave thanks for his powerful physique, for the job that had perfectly trained him to hold her as if she weighed nothing at all.
His torn clothes lay on the floor, ripped apart by her greedy, lusty hands.
"I hope you packed more than one suit," she teased.
His soft chuckle reverberated through her rib cage.
At last, she understood why so many women pursued Ty, why they were willing to give up anything for one night—or more, if they were fortunate—with him. He knew how to make a woman feel good. Not just how to give her pleasure, but also how to tap into her inner vixen and laugh with her at the same time.
Last week she never would have admitted that he was more than a playboy jock who could barely add or spell. But now she knew that Ty Calhoun was so much more complicated and wonderful than he ever let people know. Her stomach hurt when she thought about going their separate ways once her assignment had ended and his new season started.
Still, she had nearly two weeks with the most sexually fulfilling man on the planet, and she was going to squeeze every ounce of pleasure from them. As long as she didn't make the mistake of letting herself fall in love with him, she'd be just fine.
"Ready for that bath?" she asked, smiling as he carried her down the hall.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Bright and early the next morning, Julie's Black-Berry buzzed a reminder that they had to be in Lake Tahoe by noon for another big fund-raiser. Ty would have been hard-pressed not to do her in the limo during the four-hour drive north if they hadn't both needed to catch up on sleep. A couple of hours into the event, Julie found him sitting at a table signing autographs for a very long line of kids and their parents.
She handed him a bottled water and leaned over to whisper, "How's it going? Need a break anytime soon?"
He inhaled her cinnamon and cream scent and immediately got a boner. He wished he hadn't agreed to keep their relationship under wraps. He wanted to pull her onto his lap in front of everyone and kiss her. He wasn't sure if she realized that everyone pretty much thought she was his girlfriend, that a guy like him didn't have a gorgeous handler if he wasn't doing her.
Still, a promise was a promise. And he didn't want to do anything that could mess up the good thing they had going.
"I'm fine," he said, liking the way Julie looked with the Lake Tahoe pines behind her. He used to think a woman like her would only fit in at fancy cocktail parties or shopping at Tiffany's, but after watching her in action, he knew she had the stamina of an athlete and was willing to go the distance for her clients.
"Were you able to block out the afternoon?"
She nodded. "As soon as you're done here, we're free until tonight's gala at Northstar Lake Tahoe." Before turning back to his fans he added very softly, "Glad to hear it. I hope you're ready to get all wet."
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her nipples harden through her dress. She really did have a dirty mind. Little did she know he was just talking about taking a dip in a private beach he knew about deep in the pines.