Hot in the City (7 page)

“I never get tired of the view here. I love this city, and the deck shouldn’t be too crowded this time of night.”

“I can’t wait,” he said, pulling her up close against him and nuzzling her ear.

She turned into him, ignoring the few other people in the car who were not paying attention anyway, and pressed her lips to his throat at the opening of his shirt.

Della watched the pulse there pick up, and smiled. She was feeling bold, encouraged by his openness, and he didn’t seem to mind one bit. Then the doors behind her opened up, and she stepped back, her smile widening.

“Here we go!” she said, taking his hand and pulling him out through the small shop and onto the deck.

The city sprawled out before them. Together, they went to the least crowded spot on the deck, which wasn’t very busy anyway. It was like they had the entire place and the entire city, to themselves.

They stood side by side as she pointed out various features of the city, and one of her favorites, the water towers that supplied water to so many of the buildings.

She felt closer to Gabe after his revelation—being jealous meant he had to have some feelings for her, right?—and that changed everything, as did his willingness to walk along with her through the city. He wasn’t only going along with her for sex. He seemed to really enjoy spending time with her. Della supposed it was true, that women really did need an emotional connection to a man they were sleeping with, even when it was only a fling.

“It’s really beautiful. I’ve always known it was, but I never really took the time to look,” he said, staring out over the lights and the city landscape. Then he looked down at her. “Thank you,” he said.

Something about the expression on his face, and his tone, touched her. As if he hadn’t experienced enough of what was beautiful in life, and had perhaps forgotten that it was there.

“My place is about five miles in that direction,” she said, pointing.

He walked her back into the corner of the metal fencing, and lowered for a kiss that quickly became hot and left her wanting more when he pulled away.

“Time to go, then?” he asked, sounding somewhat raspy himself.

“Absolutely.”

The tone of his voice and heat in his gaze made every nerve ending in her body tingle. And Della knew that was only the beginning.

They made their way back down to the ground floor, and as they walked out onto the sidewalk, nearly collided with a couple heading inside.

“Della! What are you doing down here?”

Della refocused, and then smiled, accepting the hugs from Chloe and Justin as they stood on the walk.

“We were just out for a stroll.”

“And this is?” Chloe said, sliding her gaze and a beaming smile at Gabe.

“Chloe Brown, this is Gabe Ross. Gabe, this is my friend Chloe, and her fiancé, Justin Nelson.”

Gabe stepped in, offering a smile in return and shaking hands with her friends. Della watched his expression change, becoming less open, though still pleasant. Generic. The heat, passion and light that had been there only seconds before completely disappeared, as if he had donned a mask.

It was fascinating and disconcerting all at once, to see him draw back in so effectively. It also made her realize how open he had been with her.

“You should come out for coffee with us. The night is young,” Chloe exclaimed with her classic exuberance. “We won’t take no for an answer.”

“But weren’t you going up?”

Chloe waved her off. “We were getting some air and thought we’d go up, but you know we’ve seen it a million times. I’d rather visit with you.”

Della shared a helpless look with Gabe and sighed. Chloe was a force of nature.

“I suppose an iced coffee would be nice,” she said, caving to her friend’s demands.

Gabe only smiled briefly, and walked a short distance to a small Italian coffee shop where they all squeezed into a small booth, ordering their drinks.

“So, Gabe, Della mentioned you were with Homeland Security. That has to be an exciting job,” Chloe said.

Della could detect the slight stiffening in Gabe’s posture since they were sitting so close together in the booth. In fact, their hips and thighs were pressed tight against each other and Della found it distracting in the most lovely way.

Impulsively, she slipped her foot out of her sandal and touched it to his ankle, nudging her foot up under the cuff of his slacks. That would help him relax a bit, she thought mischievously. He jumped slightly at the contact, and then cleared his throat before responding to Chloe.

“That’s right, but it’s not very exciting, really. I’m involved mostly with logistics. It’s a lot of computer time, sitting at a desk. Lots of reports and meetings. None of the exciting stuff,” he lied as naturally as he smiled.

Della knew why he had to do that, but she also found it disconcerting. She was regretting very much telling Chloe anything about Gabe.

She cast him a concerned glance, but the smile he offered her was sincere. He draped his arm over the back of the narrow booth, sliding his fingers under her hair to rest on the nape of her neck. The weight of his hand there made her shiver with anticipation. It felt possessive and protective all at the same time.

“Isn’t that always the way?” Chloe said, not seeming to notice the subtle seduction going on right across the table. “I worked as a model for a while in college, and everyone thought that was all glamour, but it wasn’t. Wearing layers of cosmetics, your hair so full of product that your head itches, but you can’t touch it, all while standing around for hours in front of hot cameras in uncomfortable shoes. I didn’t last a year,” she said with a shake of her head.

“What did you end up doing?” Gabe asked as he lowered his arm again, setting it in his lap. Della missed the contact, and took a sip of her coffee, sliding him a look and licking her lips.

His eyes flashed with something hot, and she looked down, smiling to herself.

This was fun.

“I work in the math and science department at Columbia, which is where Della and I met. I’m a full-time research assistant. I help professors like Della with their scholarly work, do some of the grunt work while they teach and write, that kind of thing.”

“She makes it sound like nothing, but we’d be lost without her,” Della said warmly, offering her friend a smile. “And she has her doctorate in research methodology, so she does a lot more than the grunt work.”

Justin had been quiet to this point, but that wasn’t unusual. Della liked him, but he was very reserved, typically observing more than he participated. Maybe that was why he and Chloe matched so well; they were completely opposite. “I’m a self-employed IT analyst,” he offered, breaking into the conversation. “I’m also a gun collector. What kind of weapon do you normally use on the job? I read that the P226 is standard, but do you get a choice of weapon?” Justin asked.

Gabe shrugged. “I don’t carry for my job, but most guys I know are issued SIGs. They like them. A lot have their own personal weapon, of course. How many guns do you own?”

Justin smiled. “Eighty-five, most of them antiques. All legal, don’t worry.”

Gabe laughed. “Don’t worry, that’s not my wheelhouse, and I’m off-duty.”

Della caught a breath as his hand slipped from the table to her thigh and slid upward, no doubt a signal for them to say their goodbyes. The feel of his touch, moving ever closer to the crease of her hip, was all the inducement she needed.

“This is great, guys, but we need to get going. It was fun bumping into you.”

“We hope we’ll see you again, Gabe. There are several wedding events in the next few weeks and consider yourself welcome as Della’s plus-one, if you like,” Chloe said.

Della wanted to kick her friend in the shin, and sent her a glare.

“Thank you, that’s very generous of you,” Gabe said. “Maybe I will, if Della wants my company.” He looked over at Della, who was unable to hide her surprise.

They slid out of the booth and left the coffee shop, and Gabe tried to grab a few taxis, but they were off-duty or already taken.

“It was nice of you to say that, but I know you were just being polite,” she said reasonably, squeezing his hand reassuringly so he had an “out.”

“It depends on the case I’m working, and if I’ll be around, but if I am, I think it might be fun. I haven’t been to a wedding in quite some time. And we’d have another chance to dance,” he said, smiling at her.

“That would be nice. I would definitely enjoy your company, no doubt about that.”

“Likewise.”

“Let’s walk up a few blocks, and we might have more luck, or we can just take the subway,” Della said.

“I don’t know if I can keep my hands off of you that long.”

The way he said it, so serious, so...intense, made her tingle from head to toe.

“Me, either.”

She stopped, looking at the hotel they stood in front of, and then at him with the question in her eyes. He nodded.

Ten minutes later, Gabe was pressing her up against the wall of a hotel elevator, showing her just how urgent his need was. His kiss crushed her lips and she devoured him back. His hands were everywhere, and he muttered something about a security camera, but she didn’t care.

Neither did he, as he lowered his head to suck the tip of her breast into his mouth right through the fabric of her dress, making her cry out. Her hands traveled down over his chest to cover the hard evidence of how turned on he was, and when the bell finally rang and the doors opened, they couldn’t get out and down to their room fast enough.

Della giggled like a girl, though this was certainly not something she’d ever done when she was young. She hadn’t gone to proms or parties, or to hotels with her date afterwards, as so many other girls did.

And she didn’t care, because if she had to miss all of that in order to experience all of this with Gabe, then it was worth it.

He had the key, and they ducked inside the room—a suite, since there hadn’t been a regular room left. Gabe hit the light by the door and locked it behind them, then pulled her into another kiss.

Della sighed against his mouth as he eagerly slipped off his jacket and she tugged at his tie while she kicked off her shoes.

She tripped over him as he kicked off his as well, and he caught her, which led to several more minutes of very arousing kisses. If all he wanted to do was kiss all night, she’d be up for it, she thought, though he definitely had other things in mind.

7

T
HE
SIMPLE
TOUCH
of her lips to his skin zipped through him like a lightning bolt, and he pulled her closer, wanting more. He found her lips, explored and teased, walking her backward into the room as they kissed.

This time, he took it slower. Della liked to be kissed, and he was happy to accommodate, tasting her with long, deep, drugging kisses that made him lose track of everything as well.

Her hands drifted over him, her fingers closing on the fabric of his shirt when she gasped and held on as he dragged his lips from her mouth down the line of her jaw to her throat. And then down the deep scoop of the dress, above her breasts.

He lingered there for a while, liking the feel of her heartbeat against his lips and his jaw, before he rose to take possession of her mouth again.

She was so sweet and curvy, he thought, absently sliding his hands down over her rear so he could press her into his erection. He liked the noise she made when he did that, so he pressed in more, and enjoyed it a second time.

“Della, honey, turn around,” he whispered in her ear.

She turned, his hands on her shoulders, until her back was to his front. Sliding his hands around, he covered both of her breasts, enjoying their sensual weight, and how her nipples pressed through the fabric as if eager for his touch.

Della moaned as he fingered them, making them even harder, and him, too. Especially when she cleverly insinuated a hand behind her, closing her fingers around his shaft.

It was as close as he’d ever been to coming too soon, since he’d been a much younger man.

Taking his hands away from her breasts, he kissed her nape as he found the zipper of her dress again. The zipper slid down easily, and he pushed one side of the dress from her shoulder, revealing a pretty bra strap. Black satin lined a strip of transparent gauzy stuff; that alone made his imagination do acrobatics wondering what the rest would look like. Was it all see-through? All black?

His fingers trembled slightly as he pushed the fabric away from her other shoulder and then the rest of the way down. The dress fit loosely and didn’t need more help than that to fall to her feet, showing him everything.

“Sweet,” he breathed, falling to his knees and shaping his hands up the backs of her thighs and over the smooth, silky, see-through material with satin edging. “Gorgeous.”

He turned her around, slowly, and she gazed at him with those beautiful curls surrounding her face, her eyes uncertain, lips parted, cheeks flushed. She was so damned sexy he was about to lose it.

“You are incredible. You don’t need to wear things like this to be flat-out beautiful, but it sure is a treat.”

His gaze drifted from the patch of curls nested under the sheer fabric, to her breasts, which seemed even more perfect, framed with the strips of black satin.

Talk about eye candy, this was more of a feast. He couldn’t stop looking at her. Looking led to touching, which quickly made him want to taste.

Hooking his thumbs under the band of those lovely, tempting panties, he pulled them down her smooth thighs, exposing what he wanted to see. She stepped out of them and sighed when he slipped his hands in between her knees, widening her stance.

“You’re walking temptation, Della Clark,” he said, dragging his tongue up the inside of her thigh, loving everything about being so close to her. Her scent, her taste and how she responded with sighs and moans as he explored further, kissing her more intimately.

As he circled his tongue around the sensitive flesh of her sex, he listened, seeing what made her moan, what made her cry out or seek more of what he was offering. He hadn’t had such fun learning a woman’s body in a long time. Her knees sank slightly as he pushed her toward the edge of bliss. Then he stopped.

“Maybe we should find the bed,” he suggested, his voice rough with desire as he glanced up at her.

She was a vision, so aroused, full and soft and quivering. He stood and swept her up in his arms before she could respond, carrying her to the bed. She laughed, clinging to him and clearly having fun. It was a joyful sound that kicked off his own smile as he laid her down, watching her as he shucked his clothes quickly.

He leaned in with a hand braced on either side of her shoulders, taking her in again, committing her, and this moment, to memory.

“Don’t ever doubt yourself, Della. You’re insanely beautiful,” he said against her lips, before finding his way down her body again, settling in between her thighs and using every trick he knew to make her insane with need.

“Gabe, please, please,” she begged breathlessly.

He was on the edge as well, her arousal feeding his, so he granted her request. When she came, she arched from the bed, crying his name, and Gabe was dizzy from knowing he’d done that for her.

He wanted to do more.

Raising up over her, he settled down, covering her, finding her mouth for a kiss. She offered herself to him like a ripe peach, and the furious need that surged through him made him harden the kiss, his cock thrusting against the softness of her belly.

Panting, he pulled away before he did something really stupid and forgot to protect both of them.

“Give me a second,” he said, leaving her to find one of the condoms he’d brought with him.

He met her eyes as she watched him roll it on, and saw that made her breath catch. He paused, his gaze never leaving hers as he stroked his hand along his length. Her nipples peaked in response, and he enjoyed that, too, so he fought for self-control, letting her watch a little more before he couldn’t risk finishing before he intended. Right now, he wanted to be as deep inside Della as he could get. They could make time for the other later.

The word stuttered in his mind as he returned to the bed. Would there be a later? In the immediate sense, yes, but he had to be careful about thinking in the future tense.

It didn’t take long before he gasped as she closed around him, tight and hot, making him clench his jaw in an effort to hold on. He’d never wanted to let go so badly, but he also never wanted it to end. Being inside her like this was the most amazing thing he’d ever felt, and he wanted to make it last as long as possible.

But Della had other ideas, apparently. With a scorchingly sexy look, she drew him down flush against her, into her arms, her legs locking over the backs of his thighs. Gabe wrapped his arms around her instantly.

She kissed him, gently at first, but as the kiss deepened and became more carnal, she started to move, rotating her hips in a rhythm that triggered a groan from deep inside him. The slight tingling at the base of his spine, the heat that raced through his blood and straight to his cock, told him he was ready.

When Della claimed his mouth as her body pulsed around his, Gabe couldn’t hold on any longer. The resulting climax seemed to go on forever. He was captivated by Della’s kiss, by her softness and warmth. For a few wonderful minutes, his world was only made of Della and the pleasure they shared.

But it did. The pleasure ebbed, and he fell to her side, letting her breathe, and caught his own breath as well. He left her only to dispose of the condom, then returned to settle beside her.

“That was...” Della began.

“Mind-blowing,” he said, finishing her thought.

She looked at him with a big grin. “I was about to use that exact word.”

She still had the bra on, and he reached out, touched the tip of her breast, and she bit her lip as her body responded.

“I love that bra. But I think we’ll take it off soon.”

“I’m glad you like it. Really,” she said, so softly it landed somewhere in his chest, making him warm in a different way. “It’s new. Chloe talked me into buying some new things when we were shopping for bridesmaid’s dresses.”

“I can’t wait to see you in yours. Or is it something awful, like you see in YouTube videos? Big pink puffs of some awful fabric or something?” he asked, grinning.

She laughed. “No, it’s a beautiful dress. I can’t wait to wear it, actually. Even more so if you can be there, too.”

Gabe resolved that as long as nothing went terribly wrong, whether the current case was closed or not, he was going to accompany her to these wedding events. It was the least he could do, given the circumstances.

He liked Della. He didn’t only like having sex with her, he liked
her
. She was sweet and real, with no pretense or games. He had had far too much of the latter in his life. So much so that he couldn’t tell lies from the truth anymore, it seemed.

The problem was that he was still lying to her, and he had no choice but to continue to do that. The realization made him lay back and stare at the ceiling as he pondered what the hell he was doing.

He was still leaving New York as soon as he finished this job, and then Gabe Ross would cease to exist. She wouldn’t be able to find him even if she tried. Once upon a time, that reality would have offered him the escape he always kept handy. Now it left a strange, nagging feeling in his chest.

As much as he might have a soft spot for her, he was still using her for sex, and there couldn’t ever be much more to it than that. She wanted that, too, obviously. But she wasn’t experienced enough to be that easy about the intimacy.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, reaching out to touch his chest, running her fingers over his skin.

“You,” he answered honestly. He’d give her honesty where he could, as much as he could.

“Hmmm. Are you thinking about this bra again?”

She preened in a seductive pose on the bed, and he grinned.

“I am now.”

“Good.”

She lifted up to her knees, throwing a leg over his thighs and straddling him. She reached behind and undid the clasp on the bra, letting her pretty breasts free.

“What are you thinking about now?” she asked, teasing.

“Come here and I’ll show you,” he teased back, pulling her down for a kiss and groaning at the lovely press of her soft breasts against his chest.

She sighed into his kiss, and the heat built again as he hardened.

There would be a moment where he’d have to walk away from Della Clark, he knew that, and maybe it would be sooner than later. But as she cuddled against him, heat consumed him again as he reached for another condom, and he knew that moment wasn’t going to happen tonight.

* * *

T
WO
DAYS
AFTER
her date with Gabe, Della emerged from a building in midtown, near the Garment District, feeling dazed. She’d been to four male strip clubs so far that evening, and she was feeling rather overwhelmed with images of glistening pectorals and muscled thighs. Definitely a case of too much of a good thing.

She wished she had someone who was more experienced in planning a bachelorette party to come with her, but she was Chloe’s maid of honor, and no one else had been available that evening. Unfortunately, she’d probably waited too long as it was to make any plans.

Gabe had emailed her an invitation to meet, but she couldn’t really tell him what she was up to that evening, but had made a general excuse, hoping he hadn’t felt put off. Still, for all the exposed male flesh she’d seen in the last three hours, not one single man on the stage had compared to Gabe. Thinking about him standing over her, naked by the bed, made her shiver as she walked down the street toward her next and final club for the evening.

She wished she had accepted his invitation, but the bachelorette party was in a week and a half, and she had put this off as long as she could. Maybe she’d call Gabe and see if he wanted to meet for breakfast.

Standing in front of the door to the club she’d been heading toward, she balked. Maybe she just wasn’t up to one more show, but the strip-club option for the party felt like a cliché. Still, Chloe would enjoy something adventurous, not just a nice dinner with some dirty jokes or prank gifts.

Della truly was at a loss.

Deciding to pass on the last strip club, she kept walking, enjoying the cool air of the evening, and missing Gabe. Then, as she stopped at a corner, waiting to cross, she saw a flyer with bright colors announcing a “sensual cooking” class—a feast for all of the senses.

Pausing, she read more, and saw there was a class happening that evening, starting in an hour. They also did parties! Maybe this was her break—something original
and
sexy. She could have a sensual cooking party for Chloe.

Wasn’t it better to send her friend into married life celebrating her sensual future with her husband-to-be, instead of acting like this was her last chance to gawk at a bunch of naked men on a stage?

The more Della thought about it, the more she liked it, and she pulled down the flyer, heading toward the address stated on the front, which wasn’t too far away, near the culinary school.

On the way, she paused, the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly standing up. She didn’t know why, but she now felt as if she was being followed.

The incident from her office had almost been forgotten, but now came back in a blinding rush. She turned, peering circumspectly around her, but didn’t see anything or anyone in particular. It had to be her imagination, but still...

She turned and headed down the street again, holding her bag closer and staying amid the throng of evening walkers. She was safe here, in the middle of the busy street, right?

She was relieved when she found the address, and walked in, spotting a group of people lined up at a desk. It appeared to be the registration line for the class. Joining in, she finally got to the desk, and took out her credit card to pay, when the young woman sitting there shook her head.

“We do have one free table left, but this is a couples’ class, I’m afraid.” The young woman looked at her apologetically, and perhaps with a tiny edge of judgment.

Della felt the warmth invade her cheeks as the people behind her must have heard, but she pulled herself up straight and smiled. “I am part of a couple. My...partner, is at work, and will join me shortly. I’ll pay for us both. I’d also like information on booking parties here, a bachelorette party in particular.”