Open In Private (7 page)

He wrapped her in his embrace. "And your first thought was exactly why I didn't. I did not want you to believe that my only interest in you was sex. Since I've been divorced, I've discovered just how readily available sex is, and I'm not talking about paying for it. It's been an eye-opener. Women—even the wives of my business associates—are coming on to me. It's unnerving. It also makes me suspicious. Are they cheating behind their husband's backs or is it a business strategy with their husband's approval? I don't like the feeling of always looking for an ulterior motive." He placed a quick kiss on her lips. "That's one of the many things I've always appreciated and respected about our business arrangement, your honest straight-forward manner."

She believed every word of his heartfelt confession, the bare bones truth obviously coming from a place deep inside him. A man who conducted himself in a forthright manner, who took his promises seriously whether business or personal, a man of honor and principle. An errant thought hit her, one that nearly evoked a chuckle at the coincidence. She could very easily have been one of those women he referred to as throwing themselves at him.

What did she need to do? How could she establish a committed relationship with this unique and special man, one she held in the deepest admiration and respect as a person? What did he want? What was he looking for in a woman? And the most important consideration…did he have any interest in being involved in a committed relationship so soon following his divorce? Or at all?

Then another consideration popped into her mind. Exactly when was it that she decided she wanted that committed relationship specifically with Parker Simmons? Had it happened gradually over the years without her realizing it? True, he could have her creaming her panties with nothing more than his sexy smile and smooth voice. But hot sex and committed relationship weren't the same thing. Hopefully, that relationship would include the hot sex, but all the heated passion and incendiary sex did not make for a serious commitment between two people who truly cared for each other to the exclusion of anyone else.

A rush of pleasure rippled across her skin as he moved his hand from her breast to her inner thigh. As if waiting for a cue to drop the self-analysis and allow her physical needs to take over, her pussy once again throbbed with desire. The heated frenzy that pushed them into bed reclaimed the upper hand. She sensually ran her fingers across his stomach, then fondled his balls. His low throaty moan excited her senses. She moved her hand to his rigid shaft, the tautly stretched skin making her fingertips tingle. He slipped two fingers inside her, invading her wet and ready pussy. Her hips bucked upward against his hand in an involuntary response to his stimulation.

Then his mouth captured hers in a kiss that screamed heated passion and hot sex. He pulled her on top of him again. Her entire body pulsed to the rhythm of his increased heartbeat, momentarily replacing the sense of loss when he withdrew his fingers from her pussy. His hard cock pressed against her belly, the heat spreading across her skin.

Strong hands grabbed her around the waist and lifted. She opened her legs wide as he lowered her onto his erect shaft until she was fully impaled.

Carli sat upright, closed her eyes, and slowly rocked back and forth, reveling in the deep penetration. She rubbed her engorged clit against him. Surges of hedonistic delight ebbed and flowed through her body, taking her on a journey to the pinnacle of euphoric pleasure. Never had she enjoyed sex more than her encounters with Parker. As a lover, no woman could ask for more or better.

Her hips jerked erratically, and her body bounced as she rode him with wild abandon. A moment later, his hands grasped her jiggling boobs, cradling her tautly pointed nipples in his palms. She leaned into his touch. Whimpers of exhilaration turned to cries of rapture when the orgasmic convulsions exploded inside her. Waves of incendiary release crashed through her body. She fell forward against his chest, gasping for air.

Parker's lungs strained as he gulped in as much oxygen as he could. Her orgasm had almost sent him over the edge. Her pussy muscles squeezed, rippled, and tugged at his cock. It took all his conscious control to hold back. And it had been worth the effort. Being able to watch her face glow in the grip of orgasmic ecstasy had been an added pleasure. But now it was his turn.

In one quick and smooth motion, he lifted her off, positioned her on her stomach with her legs drawn up under her and her knees splayed to each side so he could probe her from behind. He grabbed her ass cheeks, then slid his dick into her wet pussy. Again imbedded to the root, he savored the way her still contracting pussy muscles latched onto his shaft. He tried to establish slow, smooth strokes, but the effort only lasted a few seconds. Harder. Faster. He couldn't get enough of her searing, tight sex.

Each of his thrusts were met by her enthusiastic response. He wrapped one arm around her hip and manipulated her clit. With his other hand, he ran his fingers up and down the crevice separating her perfect ass cheeks. He pressed a finger against her anus, then wiggled just his fingertip inside.

Her body jerked in response at the intrusion, then a sensual moan reached his ears. He carefully inserted his finger a little farther into her ass with his dick still filling her pussy. He bestowed several kisses across her shoulders and back.

His chest heaved, the moment of ultimate release teetering on the edge. His body stiffened, followed by hard spasms that shuddered deep inside him. Each spurt of cum shooting into her pussy sent an added ripple of excitement through his body. He withdrew his finger and wrapped his arms around her, cupping her breasts in his palms. He stayed there, relishing the contentment until his breathing returned to normal.

He reluctantly withdrew his cock, then turned her over. Passion glowed in the depth of her blue eyes. Her blonde hair surrounded her face in an earthy, wild disarray. He had never seen anyone more beautiful and desirable than she was at that moment.

"Carli…that was fantastic." Even though his breathing was mostly under control, his words came out as a raspy whisper. In fact, it had been more than fantastic. Each sexual encounter with her, every fuck to orgasmic completion, had been the best.

He held her in his arms, the intensity of their shared passion continuing to course through his veins. But at the same time, confusion clouded his mind. He wanted her, no doubt about that.

He tried to put some rational thought to the problem. Charlene Vance was nothing like his ex-wife. He had known her long enough to believe in her honesty, to be assured she wasn't hiding behind a façade. But everything between them had changed so drastically in the blink of an eye. A week ago, she had arrived at his office for their scheduled Christmas shopping meeting and that night they had fucked until the early hours. And here they were again, the middle of Friday afternoon a week later, naked in her bed enjoying the moments following a powerful orgasm. What a strange life twist.

And even stranger…he didn't want to leave.

Chapter Four

"Done!" Charlene Vance surveyed the decorated Christmas tree. "Now let's see what it looks like with the lights turned on." She plugged in the cord and what seemed like hundreds of twinkling lights came alive.

"It looks terrific." Parker put his arm around her shoulders. "In fact, the entire house looks great. Even the outside, if I do say so myself."

Carli placed a quick kiss on his lips. "You did a marvelous job on the outside. I especially like the added items you purchased this morning. I usually get it all done on Friday, but with rearranging the furniture and other distractions…" She felt the heated flush on her cheeks and forehead.

He tilted his head, raised an eyebrow, and flashed a teasing grin. "Are you saying that you would have preferred to eliminate those
distractions
?"

A sensual warmth flooded through her body as she thought back to yesterday afternoon and the sex that threatened to set her bed on fire. She had mixed feelings at the time about his decision to go home last night and come back this morning rather than spending the night.

She gave an affectionate pat to his butt, then worked her hand into the back pocket of his jeans and squeezed his ass. "Not on your life. A girl can always use a distraction or two."

And Parker Simmons definitely qualified as a distraction…a
major
distraction if ever there was one. But a distraction she would happily embrace if allowed the opportunity. A distraction that could last a lifetime? She didn't know, and from the honesty he shared with her the previous afternoon, she knew he didn't want to rush into any kind of a commitment. So…without discussing it, they each silently agreed to take it one day at a time. A decision he seemed to be comfortable with, but one that disappointed her. She intellectually understood his reticence, but emotionally she wanted more.

He pulled her hand from his back pocket. "You keep that up and our decision to go out for a late lunch won't get us any farther than the bedroom."

The twinkle in the depth of his green eyes told her he was teasing but with a touch of truth to his words. Almost as if the direction for the rest of the afternoon was up to her. It was nice not having to deal with the feeling of being pressured. But knowing there weren't any ties between them, that he could walk out of her life as easily as he arrived left her unsettled with the sensation of being adrift, nothing to anchor her in a safe harbor of permanence.

With the holiday decorations all in place, they went out to lunch. Casual, very comfortable, as if they had known each other all their lives. She loved his laugh and humor, his intelligence, his ability to put anyone and everyone at ease. She also realized the level of trust he had placed in her when he bared his inner fears and vulnerabilities. Being with him felt so right. A lifetime worth of right? She wished she could be certain.

As with the anxiety he had expressed about having rushed into his marriage and not wanting to repeat that mistake, for the last seven years she had also been taciturn about considering the possibility of getting married again at some time in the future. Her business was good, and she had carved out a comfortable life for herself. True…until a week ago her sex life had been lackluster at best. Was this sudden rush of thoughts really about relationships or just the byproduct of not wanting to lose the greatest sex of her life?

****

After lingering over a glass of wine in front of the fireplace in the lounge section of the restaurant, they finally left. He took her hand as they walked to his car, an action that felt as natural as breathing. "Would you like to do something else? How about going to a movie?" He glanced at his watch. "I'd suggest dinner, but it's only been an hour since we finished lunch."

She emitted a soft chuckle. "It's strange finishing lunch so late in the afternoon. A movie sounds good, but I don't know what's playing locally."

"I'll take a look." He took his cell phone from his pocket and checked the movie listings on a local website. A frown wrinkled across his forehead. "Nothing here that grabs my attention." He handed his phone to her. "See anything that interests you?"

She looked over the selections. "You're right, nothing here that grabs my attention, either." She handed the phone back to him. "I have several old movies at home on dvd. I like old movies."

He smiled at her. "I like old movies, too."

It all flowed naturally, so comfortably. Everything about it felt right. But a nagging fear in the back of her mind kept asking if maybe it was
too
comfortable, if she was getting in over her head. She refused to entertain the thought in more depth. She didn't want to know where that particular thought might take her.

They returned to her house where Parker went through her stack of movies. He handed a dvd to her. "Here…I've always liked this one."

"
The Maltese Falcon
…a good choice. I'm a fan of mysteries."

"I got that impression from your collection of movies. Some musicals, dramas, comedies, and a lot of mysteries." He looked around. "We need a fire in the fireplace and something to drink before we start the movie. I'll build the fire if you can find a bottle of wine."

They each quickly completed the tasks then settled into the large floor pillows with their glasses of wine, their backs against the front edge of the sofa. Carli pressed the
play
button on the remote and the movie came up on the screen.

It became obvious to each of them that they had both seen the movie several times. Parker did some of the Sam Spade dialogue using his best Humphrey Bogart impression and occasionally throwing in a line from
Casablanca
. Carli played along doing some of Mary Astor's
Maltese Falcon
dialogue.

Carefree open fun, a relaxed stress-free time without any pressure. Even though sex between them was hot and addictive, after the movie ended, they remained in the living room, continuing to talk and enjoy each other's company. Parker relished this opportunity to spend quality time where they could get to know each other. As much as he liked being with her, the idea of considering a committed relationship still did not sit comfortably.

To consider it meant accepting yet another life changing upheaval and step into an unknown future. He didn't want to have a serious discussion about the future until he figured out what he wanted beyond now. He had been burned before by rushing into something. He could not allow it to happen again.

"It's late. I should be going home. I have some work to do tomorrow before getting back into the office on Monday. I have reports to prepare for a meeting with all my department heads, kind of a prelude to the annual end of the year review. In fact, I have a very busy week ahead, partly due to having lost both Friday and Saturday with the Thanksgiving holiday weekend." He brushed his fingertips lightly across her cheek. "Among other reasons."

"I have things to do, too. I have several other clients who also have extensive Christmas shopping lists. I need to get busy. Thank goodness online shopping has become so easy and practical. It's truly hassle-free. With anything from a major retailer, that's the way to go. I only need to be inside crowded shops for various specialty items."