Karma (14 page)

She raised an eyebrow, surprised by his words. Enough that her breath caught in her throat. Her flight instinct was screaming at her again, but she understood she was facing a crucial moment. He’d given her an opening, one where she could find out what exactly he wanted from her and whether it was something she was willing to give.

Before she lost her nerve.

Liza ran her tongue over her lips. “Umm, just why would I be in that situation again?”

“I’d think that was obvious. He grinned and stepped closer. “Because I hope you’ll be seeing a lot more of me.” He said
hope
, but he spoke with the certainty of a man comfortable in his own skin. Comfortable with himself and with her.

He was irresistible, Liza thought, which meant one thing. She was in deep trouble.

Dare took a step closer to Liza, crowding her against her front door, wanting to be sure they had a clear understanding. “Did you hear me? I want to see a lot more of you.”

She ran her tongue over her lips. On any other woman he’d take it as a tease. With Liza, he knew it was an honest statement of nerves. “I want that too,” she said.

He smiled and brushed her hair off her shoulder, pleased to see her tremble. “Good.”

“But Dare?”

“Hmm?” He leaned in and inhaled her fragrant scent. His body hardened immediately.

“I don’t do relationships.”

He stiffened but didn’t back away. He wasn’t about to let her innate fears rule what he knew could be damned good. “Let’s clarify that.” He placed a kiss on her jawline. “You want to see me too?” He followed that question with a lick of his tongue.

“Mmm hmm.” Her words came out like a moan.

“Well, I don’t share. So if you’re seeing me, you won’t be
seeing anyone else. Agreed?” He braced one hand on the door behind her and nuzzled her neck. Damn, she tasted sweet.

She exhaled a trembling breath. “As long as when you’re with me, you’re following the same rule.”

He swallowed a pleased laugh. “That’s fair. So, is there anyone you need to end things with before we…”

She ran a finger down the razor stubble on his cheek. “No, anyone I’ve seen is in the city and to be honest, it’s just an occasional thing that has no strings, no expectations.”

“What about that work guy?” He hated asking but he had to know.

“Just a work guy. I don’t date co-workers and I’m not interested in him anyway.” She paused. “What about you? Any women who might come after me with a butcher knife? Boil a bunny in my kitchen?”

He tipped his head back and laughed. “Hell, no. I don’t do those kinds of games. I already told you I’m a relationship guy. When I’m with a woman, I’m with her.”

Needing to taste her, he followed a trail of kisses up her neck until he was at her ear and bit down on her lobe. Her knees shook and her response to him eased any lingering jealousy.

“You’re kind of a rare breed, huh?” she asked him.

He hoped she’d find that a good thing. “I’m just me.” He kissed her sweet lips, licking lightly with his tongue. “And we’re just us. And just so you know?” He deliberately paused a beat. “That’s what I call a relationship,” he murmured before sealing his mouth over hers.

The kiss started hot, letting him know she was equally invested—in sleeping with him at least. But he wasn’t interested in a quick fuck and he certainly didn’t plan on doing anything with her while she was injured. He’d already gotten what he wanted tonight, an acknowledgment that she knew he was in this and she wasn’t pushing him away. So he slowed things down, trying to calm his body, and instead planned to do something he hadn’t concentrated on in a while.

Enjoying a kiss.

He stepped back and grabbed her hand, leading her into the family room and over to the couch, where he pulled her onto his lap and picked up where he left off. Threading his fingers through her hair, he returned to her luscious mouth, kissing her slowly and thoroughly. She curled into him and they made out like they were teenagers. There was no other word for the greedy kisses they exchanged. He slid his tongue inside her mouth and he groaned at how good she tasted, how aroused she made him with just one kiss. Her fingers gripped his shoulders and little sighs of delight escaped from the back of her throat and made him rethink his plan to just kiss her senseless and leave her to get some sleep. Obviously her head wasn’t hurting all that badly after all.

He threaded his fingers through her hair and nibbled at her lips. “Mmm. I taste chocolate chips.”

She laughed. “That’s Tess’s fault.”

“Yeah, I saw her slip you a cookie. She likes you.” He looked into her flushed face and glazed eyes. “So do I.”

“I suppose you want me to say it?” she asked, blushing.

“I can handle it if you don’t.” But he wouldn’t be happy.

She smiled and nearly blew him away. “I like you too. But don’t let it go to your head. And don’t think just because you seduced me into accepting your version of a relationship that I’ve changed my mind.”

He forced an easy grin. “Wouldn’t think of it. As long as we’re on the same page.”

She nodded. “For as long as we’re together.”

“Works for me.” He wasn’t going anywhere for a long while, he thought, and brushed another kiss over her lips. “Now let’s get you tucked into bed. You’re still recuperating.” It wasn’t what he wanted, but he had to make the suggestion.

Her frown gave him hope and his cock jumped inside his pants at the possibility.

“Do you think you’re leaving me worked up like this?” she asked, deliberately squirming in his lap.

He blew out a relieved breath. “I hope not. But being a gentleman, I had to make sure you’re feeling up to anything more.”

He wanted to stay, Liza thought, and everything inside of her eased. She wanted the same thing. Because let’s face it, he made her heart race faster and just being with him put a smile on her face. She could even learn to deal with the intimacy of being around his family every once in a while. He kissed that good. He took care of her that well. Not to mention he made her feel a whole host of other things she wasn’t about to look into too deeply.

“I’m up to it,” she assured him.

He grinned. “So am I.”

“I see that. Or should I say I feel that.” She laughed and wriggled in his lap.

“Okay, you. Up. Unless you want me to take you here on the couch.”

To her surprise, the thought had its appeal.

“Didn’t I tell you not to look at me that way unless you were prepared for the consequences?” he asked gruffly.

She hadn’t realized she telegraphed her desire on her face and swallowed hard. “I don’t believe you finished the thought last time. At least not in words.” It had led to their first kiss, though, and her body flushed with heat at the memory and pulsed at the hope of going further tonight.

“That’s it.” Somehow he stood with her in his arms. “Bedroom?” he asked in a dark, desire-laden voice.

This was her last chance to say no. “What are you waiting for?” she asked him instead.

With a low growl, he headed for her room, and next thing she knew he laid her down on the bed. She took in the predatory gleam in his eyes and everything inside her went to liquid mush. Moisture slickened between her legs, dampening her panties. Her breasts felt full, her nipples hardened. And her stomach clenched with unfulfilled need.

All that from one look.

“I wish you didn’t have to worry about being gentle,” she admitted, wanting him with everything she was.

“Slow and easy’s good for the first time,” he assured her. “There’ll be other times for hard and fast.”

True to his word, he began to undress her at a leisurely pace, unbuttoning her jeans and pulling them down over her legs. He paused to run his lips over her bare skin, licking a delicious trail from her stomach down her calves, past the sensitive flesh behind her knees, to her toes, only to travel up again. With painful slowness that let her feel his lips over her skin, he finally returned by the same path, lingering on the inside of her thighs but skipping the parts hidden by her skimpy underwear.

She trembled beneath the sensual assault until his tongue dipped into her belly button, then worked its way down to the top of her panties and her stomach clenched in building need. He continued to torment her, his tongue trailing along her panty line until her clit throbbed painfully and the pulsing between her legs wouldn’t be denied.

He ran one finger down the center of her sex.

Her hips arched upward against his hand and she let out a moan. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a tease.”

“It’s not teasing, it’s foreplay.” His voice sounded richly decadent and she swallowed a sigh at the sexy rumble.

Dare merely chuckled and returned to his task. He hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties and pulled them down and off, revealing her to his heated gaze.

“Nice,” he murmured, his eyes darkening.

She knew what he saw, having been to her favorite spa last week. She wasn’t bare, but she was cleanly waxed, and he clearly approved, she observed, as he lowered his head and set about tasting her.

His warm mouth touched her damp heat and set her entire body on fire. He’d promised slow and steady and damn him, the man kept his promise. Long strokes of his tongue along her almost bare outer lips were merely a prelude and she
raised her hips, pushing herself into his mouth, silently begging for what he wasn’t yet ready to give.

His low chuckle sent hot air circling over her sex. “You want more, baby?”

She loved when he called her that. “Yes,” she said on a hiss. “More. Please, more.”

“Since you asked so nicely.” Without warning, he parted her opening with his fingers and thrust his tongue deep inside.

She cried out, shocked that he’d elicited such a guttural sound. Liza liked sex, but this? Wow, the man had talent. He alternated between unexpected nips that at once stung and heightened her pleasure followed by soothing, loving sweeps that had her squirming beneath him, shifting then arching her hips as he drove her higher and higher still.

Could she come from this? She never had before.

Without warning, she had her answer, the building waves reaching a crescendo and crashing over her, taking her out of her body and mind. The incredible sensation went on and on and Dare didn’t let it end quickly either. He stayed right where he was, nuzzling at her until the peak receded and she came back to earth, her body still shaking, her mind a puddle of mush.

“Good?” he asked.

A lazy grin edged her lips. “Amazing,” she admitted, surprised she could speak. “Yet I feel strangely empty.” As if to make her point, her hips rotated in needy circles, her body begging to be filled.

Before she could react in embarrassment for being so brutally honest, he pushed himself up and met her gaze, his brown eyes nearly black and full of need. “Then we definitely need to rectify that.”

He didn’t ask her if she was prepared. Instead, he pulled a single condom from his jeans’ pocket. Though she might wonder later that he kept one on hand, as if the need arose often, right now she was simply grateful to avoid any lengthy
discussions of their sexual past, and besides, she never had sex without protection.

She’d had enough taking. She needed to give as he’d given to her. She wanted to participate, to touch him. She held out her hand, silently asking him to place the wrapper in her palm.

Dare raised an eyebrow and complied.

She wasn’t usually bold, but he made it easy, and the next thing Liza knew, she was opening the packet while Dare quickly stripped off his clothes and rejoined her, sliding beside her on the mattress.

His body heat wrapped around her as he brought his mouth down on hers. She moaned and opened for him, amazed at how right it felt to be with him this way. She still held the condom in one hand but used the other to work her way down his body, feeling the differences between his skin and the taut muscles beneath.

When her fingers reached his rigid flesh, she encircled his impressive erection, and he groaned low and deep, releasing another surge of moisture between her thighs.

“We’d better get on with it or it’s going to be over too damned fast,” he muttered.

Liza bit the inside of her cheek. “What happened to slow and steady?” she asked laughing, pleased she could work him into the same frenzy he caused in her.

He grasped her other wrist in his hand. “Put it on now.”

“Yes, sir.” She sat up and got the first real look at him naked. It was all she could do not to whistle in appreciation. He was tanned, hard, and strong.
A damned good-looking man,
she thought.

And while he was here, in her bed, he was all hers. On that notion, she sheathed him with the condom, rolling the latex slowly over his rigid shaft. His entire body shook and he seemed to grow harder and thicker beneath her touch.

She wanted him just as much and the thought made her smile.

“What’s the grin for?” Dare asked, his entire body on edge as she finished her task.

She blinked once before she finally answered. “I do this to you,” she said, sounding completely in awe.

“Yeah, you do.” And it floored him too, the depth of his yearning. He wanted nothing more than to flip her onto her back and take her as hard and demanding as his body desired.

Unfortunately, he still had to worry about her concussion. “Your choice, baby. Top or bottom?” he asked. “Whichever will hurt your head less.”

She jerked in surprise, but then her eyes softened in appreciation. Every time he did something for her, she seemed taken off guard. She’d had too little caring in her life and he hoped she’d come to realize that she deserved more because he certainly planned to give it to her.

Finally she lay back against the pillows and beckoned him with a crook of her finger.

So she wanted him on top. “This puts me in control and I don’t want to hurt you.” He had to be sure.

“Actually, this puts my head against soft pillows and you couldn’t hurt me if you tried,” she said, parting her legs and opening herself to him.

He took one look at her, hair spread wildly over the pillow, her soft body offered to him, and he smiled, easing himself up and over her. He breathed in the luscious scent he’d come to think of as unique to her.