Sweet but Sexy Boxed Set (89 page)

“
Although there are probably a few things worth watching.” Geoff’s lips punctuated hers at the last word. His mouth opened, and she tasted his warmth, the tingle of pepper and oregano which lingered on both of their tongues. Dropping her hand, Geoff wrapped his arm around her body and brought her flush against him.

Cheris felt the corded muscle of his shoulders and back beneath his Oxford shirt examining the curves and planes of this man. The well-defined body she
’d seen the night they’d swum in the pool attested to the fact that he frequently worked out on the exercise machines in the third bedroom of his house. Geoff also sought contact for his fingers kneaded the skin of the small of her back as his mouth left hers to rain kisses down to her neck.

Cheris arched her shoulder to accommodate the attention to her skin he
’d pushed her shirt aside to reveal. Fire licked at her wherever he touched. She even heard….

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Beep? Beep? Beep?

“
Geoff, I hear something,” she whispered.

“
Ignore it,” he said against her collarbone. He must have undone a few of the buttons.
Yes, he had.
One hand was cupping her bare shoulder now.

“
What is it?”

Geoff lifted his head.
“It’s my watch. It’ll stop in about thirty seconds” He kissed her again.

Cheris
’ fingers moved to his shirt buttons and had three undone by the time the watch was silent again.

He was wearing an undershirt.

What a shame.

She wanted to see his chest, this time close enough to touch. Maybe she
’d even get to the BVDs. Oh, he’d looked gorgeous at the edge of the pool trying to entice her out with the blanket. If she hadn’t freaked out because of the cops, she could have appreciated the view a little more.

Another button, and she was nearly to his waistband. Pulling the material from his pants, she had the shirt completely open all without breaking contact with his lips. She grinned against his mouth in triumph.

Progress.

Sliding her hands up, she peeled the Oxford away from his shoulders and tugged it off his arms.

The watch beeped again, and she glanced at the clock on the wall. Twenty after nine. Why was his watch beeping now?

He pulled off the shirt and pressed the side of his watch until the sound ceased.

“Why is your watch beeping?”

Cheris loved the undershirt. James Dean with glasses.

Geoff shook his head. “Don’t ask.”

Skimming under the material, she splayed her fingers on his stomach gazing at him to gage his reaction.
“Is it bad?”

“
Really bad.” Geoff worked on her shirt now, his hands fumbling over her breasts as he slid the buttons through their holes until he pulled her blouse aside to kiss her shoulder.

“
You have to take your medicine?”

“
No,” reverberated against her skin.

“
Appointment?”

He growled and pushed down her bra strap. Cheris closed her eyes and sighed in pleasure when he nibbled at the tender skin at the inside curve of her arm. His mouth sought hers again, and she realized his glasses were gone now.

What had Annie said about taking the glasses off?

That simple gesture demonstrates a deliberate willingness to show your deep affection.

Deep affection.

Lovely.

Cheris reaching behind her to unhook her bra, but Geoff’s hand grasped hers.

Hugging her to him, his mouth whispered in her ear,
“Don’t.”

“
But—”

“
If you take any more of your clothes off, I’m going to stay here and love you for the rest of the night. And I can’t do that because people are depending on me to be somewhere else right now.” His fingers traced a pattern on her back and ran under the elastic cloth.

From his pants pocket, his cell phone rang.

His sigh rustled her hair and tickled her ear.

“
Is that call from the people depending on you?”

“
Most assuredly.”

Cheris stepped back and out of his embrace.
“A new moon and no cloud cover.”

“
Yes, dammit.” He picked up his glasses from the bookshelf behind him. Adjusting them on his face, he grimaced. “I’ve had this set up for months. Way before…”

“
Way before me.” She nodded as she smiled at him enjoying his reluctance to leave.

“
If it were only me, there would be no question about staying.” His gaze traveled over her. “I don’t want to go.”

“
I know. I’ll be here when you get back.” Cheris walked toward him and placed her hands on his cheeks. She brushed her lips against his. “Maybe a big ol’ thunderstorm will come up and you can get back sooner.”

“
Yeah. That’d be good. We’ll hope for that.”

She gently pushed him away, picked up his shirt, and handed it to him. She retreated to the other side of the room so she wouldn
’t be tempted to wrap herself around him and ask him to forget about the people depending on him. “Go on then. See you after while.”

He shrugged into it.
“In my bed, right? You’re not sleeping in the recliner again, are you?”

Cheris smiled and shook her head.

“Good.” Striding to her, Geoff cupped her waist with both hands and kissed her. Drawing back he sighed then brushed her lips again. “Last one,” he muttered against her mouth and withdrew. Heading to the kitchen he began buttoning up his shirt. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“
Sure.”

He disappeared into the other room. Cheris heard the clink of his keys and the squeak of the kitchen door. Immediately the mechanical sound of the garage opening reached her.

Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh.

What had happened?

She pulled her shirt together and took several calming breaths.

First they were dancing, and it had been fun. Then she
’d asked why he didn’t have a television, and he’d kissed her, and, oh, boy had she kissed him back.

He
’d unbuttoned her shirt, and she’d undone his. He’d stopped her at the bra, saying he had to leave, but he’d be back later.

And they
’d have sex.

Her stomach flipped, and she gripped her middle.

That’s a good thing, right?

It didn
’t mean they’d have to stay together forever. She could still get the divorce after the two weeks if she wanted to. This was just a natural progression to their relationship. They’d already done it anyway in the hotel. She just couldn’t remember. It’d be good to know if she liked it, if he was sweet and tender like she thought he’d be.

A voice surfaced from her subconscious:
It’ll be good, baby. You’ll see.

A brief flash came to her of being pinned with her back against cold stone, a hard male body at her front, and fighting fear, trying to stay calm.

Get off of me!

Cheris gasped. Had she remembered something else from the night at the Gala? Had Geoff forced himself on her?

Nausea rose up inside her, and she swallowed a few times trying not to throw up.

No.

Geoff wasn’t like that. Not once. Not once had he
ever
given her reason to be afraid.

Right?

What, then, was she remembering?

Chapter Thirteen

One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever…. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in some one’s eyes.

—
The Secret Garden
by Francis Hodgson Burnett

The tail lights of three school buses shone as they rumbled toward the main road taking the high school students away from the field night onsite expedition Geoff and the high school science teachers organized each year in March.

Geoff walked back across the field to the top of the gently sloped hill where Joel was already setting up his telescope.

Joel and Tony were the most committed of his star-gazing colleagues. Joel, chair of the music department at Newbie River Institute, had founded the astronomy club before Geoff had arrived five years ago. He and Geoff had done most of the work to set up the observatory on the four back acres of his land. Tony’s passion for astronomy had him out here most nights. Geoff knew his dream was to discover and name a comet.

“
Man, I’m glad that’s over. I don’t know why we have to go through this every year,” Tony complained. “Half those kids use it as an excuse to hide behind the observation buildings and make out.”

“
We do it because some of the kids are actually interested and might want to get into amateur astronomy,” Geoff returned.

“
Geoff, you had me scared when you were late. If Tony and I had had to play star guides to those hoodlums there would have been a disaster of cosmic proportions. Now that they’re gone, I can get my scope out without worrying about some teenager knocking it over.”

“
Guys, I think I’m going to call it a night,” Geoff said eliciting groans from his friends.

“
I knew it. You go and get married and now you’re too busy screwing your wife to star gaze.”

“
Watch your mouth, Tony. I’m out here now, aren’t I?”

Joel opened the back of his SUV, and began unloading equipment.
“I don’t blame you, Geoff. If she drove all the way down here, she’s probably pissed that you’re not at home.”

Geoff pulled Joel
’s folding chair out of the vehicle and carried it to where the man was laying a tarp on the ground. “She didn’t come here voluntarily. My sister Janie suckered her into a road trip and didn’t tell her she was bringing her here. Want your trunk out here too?”

“
Yeah.”

The two men retrieved a large wood trunk housing Joel
’s telescope equipment.

“
Seems like she’d be glad to be here if you two just got married last week.”

“
She’s not sure she wants to be married to me.” Kneeling with care, they set the heavy box on the ground.

“
Puzzling.”

They straightened and walked back to get Joel
’s telescope.

“
We got married on the spur of the moment. She’s got all these hang-ups because her mother serviced half the state of West Virginia if you know what I mean.”

Joel shook his head sorrowfully while Tony
’s laugh rang across the hill. “How much does she charge, and is she hot?” He called, “I’d drive across the state line for a little servicing.”

Crap. He hadn
’t meant for Tony to hear what he’d said. “She’s not a hooker, you ass. She just had a lot of boyfriends.”

“
Even better. I won’t have to pay to play.”

“
I’ve never met the woman, but I doubt she’d get close enough to touch you.”

“
I’m with Geoff on this one,” Joel said as he adjusted the legs of a metal stand. “Tony, you smell like you haven’t had a bath in a month. Didn’t you notice how none of the kids would stand within three feet of you?”

“
I’m allergic to antiperspirant, and being around all those obnoxious teenagers makes me sweat. I hate field night.”

“
The grant I get us for field night pays for six months of electricity and water for out here,” Geoff commented. “So unless you want to start running an extension cord a half a mile to power your laptop or driving home every time your irritable bowel syndrome acts up, you need to get over it.”

“
Yeah, Tony. No one’s used that bathroom more than you. Go make a pot of coffee for us.”

“
Why do I have to do it?”

“
Because I’m the president of the amateur astronomy club, and I’m telling you to.”

“
You’re the president, but you act like a dictator.” Dutifully Tony headed to the headquarters, a low cinderblock building at the edge of the field sporting an office, meeting room, storage space, and a lavatory.

“
Geoff, would you give me a hand with this?”

Geoff held the stand while Joel set his telescope on it, then tightened the nut over a screw at the scope
’s base to hold it in place.

Joel glanced up and asked in a lowered voice.
“So if she doesn’t want to be married, are you two fighting all the time?”

“
No. We get along really well actually though she doesn’t quite trust me. I’m trying to take it slow. Let her get to know me, see that unlike her mother, some relationships can work out.”

“
Want my advice?” the older man asked. He’d been married for thirty years so Geoff thought the offer was a sincere one.

“
Of course.”

“
Don’t have sex with her. Instead just hold her, cuddle her at night. Women need that touch without the bang bang. They crave it.”

Geoff flinched.
“Joel, that’s a tall order. I think I finally have her where she’s willing to do something.”

“
Don’t. If you love her, I mean. You wait and show her affection first. Convince her being married to you is a good thing. Don’t you know you demonstrate more love with your arms around her than your genitalia inside of her?”

“
Can’t I do both?”

“
Impossible if she’s having doubts. Sex is one of the most self-centered physical acts we commit because it’s about getting the climax by benefit of another person’s body.” He looked through the eyepiece of the telescope and adjusted the grips.

“
But if she orgasms, too, then it’s mutually beneficial.”

“
You’re trying to justify getting off with her.”

“
I had her stripping for me three hours ago.”

“
You think any of her mama’s boyfriends ever offered to cuddle the woman when she took her clothes off? I guarantee you every one of them got their rocks off and to hell with what she really needed.”

Dammit. Joel was making too much sense.

“Trust me, Geoff. I know. Patty was raped before I met and married her. Hey.” He stepped aside and gestured for Geoff to look into the telescope. “Take a look at this. What is that?”

“
I’m sorry about Patty. I didn’t know.”

“
Why would you? My point in telling you is she and I had to create a galaxy of good will and love before we brought sex into it because sex meant something ugly to her even if the sex felt good with me. Do you understand?”

“
Unfortunately, I do.” Geoff peered into the eyepiece.

“
Good man.”

“
Did you clean the lens? You either have lint on the glass or you’ve discovered a celestial object.”

Opening a small plastic case, Joel retrieved some window cleaner and a cloth.
“Why don’t you stay out here a while and let the chilly night air cool down your mojo before you go home to your wife? What’d you say her name was?”

“
Cheris.”

****

Some time in the night Cheris awoke when the bed dipped with Geoff’s weight. She turned her head toward him holding her breath and waiting. Dreading yet anticipating. He sat on the bed’s edge, his back to her. Stretching he pushed back the covers and swung his legs onto the mattress then folded the pillow under his head.

He yawned as he lay on his side away from her.

Seriously? He was going to sleep?

“
I’m awake,” she whispered.

Geoff flipped on his back.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“
It’s okay.” Cheris’ skin tingled in anticipation.

Nothing.

“Do you,” Cheris expelled a breath, “want to kiss me?”

“
Very much.”

Her muscles tensed, but she willed herself to relax.

He closed the distance between them, and leaning over her he paused. “I like you here.” He kissed her cheek and lay back down throwing his arm over her body and pulling her to his side.

She gave him two minutes to make his move, and he didn
’t.

What was he waiting for? She was ready to do this. She
’d shaved her legs all the way up to her thighs.

“
I thought you were going to love me all night.”

His mouth curved upward.
“It’s nearly four. That’s not nearly enough time to love you.”

“
So what? All I get is like?”

“
No. You get it all.”

What
’s that mean? She blinked at him. She’d resolved that they could have sex. Now she was throwing herself at him, and he was talking in riddles. “You’re a pedophile, aren’t you? You wanted the teaching job all along, and I’m a cover so they don’t suspect.”

Geoff gripped her body, and turning his, he spooned her. She gasped when she felt his erection against the back of her thighs.

“I want you. I want to make love to you. Do you believe me?” he murmured in her ear.

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded her head.

“But I need you to know I can sleep with you and not make love to you. That’s loving you, too, for what’s left of tonight.”

“
You need more than three hours to love me?”

His hand found hers, and he interlaced their fingers.
“Absolutely.”

“
How long does it take you?” Cheris was torn between fascination and fear. What kind of technique did he have?

“
Oh, I don’t know. Four or five.”

“
Four or five hours?”

“
Lifetimes. Can we go to sleep now?”

“
You’re crazy.”

“
Yeah. So, I’ve been told.”

Cheris squeezed his hand in response. How could he expect her to sleep when he
’d just uttered the most romantic thing she’d ever heard in her life? No movie she’d seen could even come close.

****

The next morning when Cheris awoke, Geoff was still beside her.

She
’d heard his alarm clock buzz at six-thirty. She’d watched him rise up, hit the top of it, and lie back down before pulling her against him. And she’d drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face as he’d snuggled against her. She’d slept with him, and they’d actually slept.

Now the clock read a quarter to eight in the morning.

On his stomach, he had an arm thrown across her body, his hand curved around her hip. She was safe with him. His body next to her in bed was comfortable. Excitement prickled her skin when she realized the intimacy of being in bed even if he had chosen to forego the sex.

Cheris reached over and smoothed his hair across his scalp.

He took a deep breath and rolled on his side. Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times at her.

“
What do you see?” she asked wondering without his glasses what he could see.

“
A vision.”

“
What time’s your first class?”

“
Eight o’clock.”

“
Geoff,” she exclaimed. “You only have fifteen minutes to get there.”

Geoff jumped up and dashed to his closet grabbing his glasses off the dresser on the way. From her vantage point, Cheris enjoyed watching the nearly naked man pull slacks from the closet and step into them then grab an undershirt from one of the drawers. He strode to the bathroom and shut the door.

When he came out, he had the undershirt on and reached into the closet again, this time retrieving an Oxford and a sport coat. “I can come back at eleven, and we’ll go out to lunch. Okay?”

Without waiting for a response, he left the bedroom, and the house.

Lunch sounded good.