If You Dare (24 page)

Joe brushed the hair back from her forehead with a gentle touch and Cordelia closed her eyes, wishing this perfect moment could last.

His voice settled around her, drawing her closer. “I guess you’re having a good time, this being your last party before going home.”

She nodded. Lied.

“That’s good.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked up toward his condo. “I could change and come back down. But I have a ton of work.”

Disappointment clawed at her heart. “I know it was hard since you took the so much time off for me.”

He laughed. “I think I took the time off for me just as much as for you.”

Yeah. That was probably true. “Well then, I guess, you’ve got to go.” God, she hated that it felt so awkward.

He looked almost as miserable as she felt.

How could it end this way?

Cordelia felt like she’d been plopped down in the middle of a nightmare of high school proportions.

Behind her someone shouted, someone splashed, someone turned up the music.

But none of that mattered.
 

This was it. The all time worst moment of her life.

So Long, Farewell and Play it again, Sam rolled into one.

Damn.

Joe didn’t know why he felt helpless. Why he felt like a kid asking a girl to dance for the first time, knowing she was going to say no.

He’d spent all day thinking about her and now that she was here, standing right in front of him, he couldn’t figure out what to say or how to say it. He was actually thinking about going upstairs and leaving her down here alone. Was he freaking crazy?

“You know, I’d really like it if you came up too.”

“I guess you want to talk, huh?”

He so deserved that. He could only laugh. “Not exactly.”

That certainly got her attention.

“What do you have in mind?”

He’d been worried that seeing her today would be different. That he wouldn’t feel the same instant heat. He’d been out of his mind.

“Oh I think you know exactly what I have in mind.”

She slipped right back into the roll of temptress. “If I agree to go with you, do you promise to tell me?”

He stepped closer, brushed her cheek with his finger. “You like it when I tell you first, hm?”

She shrugged, not bothering to deny it. “There’s just something about your voice.”

Whatever. He was ready to show and tell, and he didn’t figure the audience around them needed to hear any more. The words he wanted to say were for her ears only.

But first he had one more order of business.

He turned toward his sister and Irene who were, of course, standing together. “You,” he pointed to his sister, “stay with Irene tonight.”

He’d find out about the call and his sister’s possible job later. Right now he wanted one thing and one thing only.

Time alone with Cordelia before she left.

Cordelia kept her hand in his as they left the party. A hand had never felt so good. She wished she could hold on forever.

You could.

Right. Stay here and give up my life. My home. Everything, for a man. A man I don’t even really know.

She shook her head to clear it and followed Joe into his apartment.
 

One week. So much had changed.

She wished he’d say something, anything.

Instead he did something better.

Pulling her into his arms, he simply held her. She felt his chin rest on the top of her head, felt his fingers twine behind her back. Felt the soft material of his charcoal suit as it brushed against her bare skin.

Lord it felt so good to be in his arms.

To rock in time to their own silent dance.

She sighed and wished she could climb right into him. Forget all about the real world. When he finally spoke, his voice practically rumbled over her.

“I should be breaking out the champagne.”

Celebrating her departure? She tilted her head up, looked into his eyes. “Why?”

“I made partner. At least they informally told me. It’ll be official in the next three months.”

Well, good for him. If they knew him, her parents would be proud. “I guess your quest for the almighty dollar is on the right track.”

“I guess it is at that.” He stopped talking, let his hands brush over her shoulders. “I thought I’d be more gratified. Excited. Instead all I can think about is the fact that you’ll be gone tomorrow.”

She knew all about that, but the knowledge that she ranked higher on his list than one of his driving forces sent her a little thrill.

Still, she had to say what she was thinking. “It’s really better this way though, Joe. Just think about it. We had our week. We have our memories. We’ll never fight over stupid stuff like toilet seats and toothpaste. What we had was a fantasy. And we won’t get the chance to screw it all up.”

There. That sounded just like it had when she said it to herself.

He pulled her against him again, wrapped her in his arms and started the same slow dance from before. “We won’t have the chance to make it great either.”

“We did that already.”

He disagreed. “I don’t even know you.”

Well, there was that. “You know all that matters.”

He laughed. “If it deals with you and sex, I know it. That’s all.”

She shrugged. “That’s enough.”

“Is it?” He started a light massage on her bare shoulders.

“It was enough for this.” He knew what she was talking about.

He repeated her words. “For this.” And then he lowered his lips to hers catching any reply she might have made.

Kissing Joe now was a thousand times better than before. Cordelia wanted to lose herself in his touch, soft and gentle as it was.
 

She’d spent the last day resigning herself to the fact that she’d have to live with memories of him instead of the real thing. The realization that she had one more chance left her breathless, almost desperate.

For the first time, she understood what poets meant when they talked about melancholy kisses. They felt different. Sadder. Lonelier. Almost painful.

She tried to turn off her mind, to just feel, but thoughts bombarded her again and again. Thoughts about Joe, about her, their lives, what might have been.

And all because of a kiss.

Oh man.

She felt his arms settle around her, pulling her even closer. Felt his tongue on hers.
 

Live action was a heck of a lot better than a mental replay.
 

When he stepped back and held out his hand, she willingly followed him down the hall.

His room was immaculate—all greens and reds, a little too woodsy for her. The bed huge. The weight bench in the corner unexpected.

He led her to the bed, a ravenous look in his eye, a mischievous smile on his lips. “You’re a trusting soul, coming in here with me when I want you this much.”

How much he wanted her had nothing to do with it, Cordelia realized. The simple fact was she did trust him.
 

And suddenly she desperately wanted to talk. They only had a few hours left. She wanted to know about the rest of his family. The partnership. His grandparents. What flavor ice cream he liked best.

Stop thinking. Just feel.

Cordelia repeated the mantra, but it didn’t work. Not even when Joe sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. Not even when he turned all Han Solo on her, stretched her out on the cold bedspread and whispered exactly what it was he wanted to do to her.

How could she stop him after that and say “Let’s talk. Share. Get to know each other for real.”?

“Pistachio or rocky road?”

Joe stopped undoing his tie and looked down at Cordelia with a puzzled frown. “Am I missing something here?”

She shook her head. “What?”

“You seem distracted.”

“I’m not.”

Right. “A few seconds ago I whispered something hot and sexy, Cordelia. I think it had something to do with exactly what I was going to do with this tie. And your answer was pistachio or rocky road. I’m thinking we might not be on the same page.”
 

She looked startled for a second and then guilty before settling on determined. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

Okay. So he was thinking about bondage and she was thinking about ice cream. Definitely different pages. “Thinking about…”

She let her head drop back against the bed and he tried not to focus on the way her nipples pressed against the fabric of the swimsuit, about the fact that he hadn’t tasted her in two days. About how she’d look naked, arms tied to the headboard, back arched as he…

“Your favorite ice cream flavor.”

Hel-lo Houston. We have a problem. “What?”

“You know, ice cream.”

“If I can spread it on your body and lick it off inch by inch, any flavor will do.”

He almost laughed at the way her facial expression changed from determined to daring. So she liked that idea. Maybe they’d make a run to the store.

“Seriously, Joe.”

“Hey, I was definitely being serious. But I guess if I got to choose the flavor first I’d pick vanilla.”

“Vanilla? Boring old vanilla?”

Hey, he liked boring old vanilla, but still…”Cordelia, I was talking about tying you up and you want to talk about ice cream. What’s going on, seriously? I don’t know. I just have all these questions about you running through my mind.”

He’d finally resigned himself to the fact that this was all about sex and now she wanted to talk.
 

“I realize you’re new at this sex for the sake of sex thing, so I’ll take it easy on you, Cordelia. Now’s not the normal time to talk about favorite ice cream flavors. But for you, I’m willing—ask away.”

A few hours later Cordelia couldn’t believe they were lying in his bed, still dressed, laughing about his childhood fear of grass.

He must’ve been a cute kid.

She wished she could stop time right this second. Before the sun came up. Before her flight out of town.

“I can’t believe I told you I was afraid of grass. I’ve never told anyone that.”

She laughed. “I feel privileged.”

“You ought to. Now I have to swear you to secrecy. Can’t have that story getting out.” He stopped and his arm behind her neck. “I always laugh when I’m with you.”

She knew exactly what he meant. Reaching up, she brushed his hair back off his forehead. “Thank you.”

He looked into her eyes, smiled and she felt her heart break a little more. “Hm?”

“Staying up with me and talking when you have to go to work in a couple hours. Not making me feel ridiculous.”

“There’s nothing ridiculous about you, Cordelia.”
 

She snuggled closer to his side and smiled. He made her feel like the sexiest woman alive. “I had the greatest time this week.”

He nodded, absently running his hand down her arm. “It was pretty incredible.”

She sat up on her elbow and looked down at him. “You’re not mad any more?”

He shrugged. “No. You were right. You never pretended this was about anything other than a good time. And we definitely had a good time.”

Why did his words leave her feeling so sad? “Do you think…” How did she ask this question?
 

“Do I think what?”

She shrugged. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”

Sitting up he leaned against the headboard and pulled her into his arms. “It does. Say what you’re thinking.”

She leaned against his chest. “Would you say we’re friends now?”

His laugh rumbled in her ear. “Not exactly.”

In all honesty she knew what he meant, but still. “So what are we?”

He laughed again. “I’d say we pretty much fit the definition of lovers to a tee.”

The word didn’t seem big enough. “But what about when I’m gone?”

Joe knew he shouldn’t be upset. Hell he’d spent the night with a half naked woman on his bed and all they’d done was talk and laugh.

She felt perfect in his arms now.

But dammit she was leaving in a couple hours, and now she wanted to talk about classifying their relationship. She was the one who said it was all about sex.

“When you leave, I guess we’ll be former lovers. Does it matter?”

“It shouldn’t.”

Ah. “But…”

“But I want us to be able to be friends.”

How had he ever thought she was anything other than Irene’s naive younger sister?

Somehow he didn’t think talking would work here.

He lowered his head and kissed her neck, brought his hands up to finally touch her nipples. They hardened instantly against his palms at the same time he felt her breath expel in a sharp gasp.

Pulling her closer to his body he made sure she felt the way she affected him, the hard erection he walked around with anytime she was in the same room.

Her skin was warm and soft against his hands and he wanted to feel every inch of it.

Unclasping the top of her swimsuit, he pushed the material off the bed and covered her now bare breasts with his hands.

Slowly he kissed down her back, lowering his hands to the cleft between her legs as his kisses descended.

He felt her press against his fingers, felt the wet material between her legs and knew she was ready, wanting.

In that moment he knew he could simply push the bikini material aside and bring her to orgasm. Could push high inside her and lose himself for just a few minutes.

But that wouldn’t show her why what she wanted was impossible.

Instead he lowered her onto the bed, slipped the swimsuit off her legs and dropped it to the floor beside her top.
 

She was the picture of perfection laying on his bed, naked, hair covering his pillow, arms above her head, eyes closed.

Taking her nipple in his mouth he bit gently and watched her back arch in response. Her other nipple hardened even more against his fingertips. Her legs spread instinctively.

When he lowered his mouth to her stomach he heard her hissed breath, felt her muscles clench.

Dropping to the floor on his knees, he pulled her to the side of the bed and nudged her legs open. He touched her first, heard her gasp, watched as she surged against his fingers searching for the release he could give her.