Breathless in Love

  Like a sweet refrain telling him everything was--finally--all right.

  *

  Harper couldn't let go. Didn't want to. Not when letting go meant returning to the world.

  To reality.

  She felt so wonderfully engulfed by Will, his skin warm, his muscles hard and hot. She wanted to stay like this, without thinking or questioning, just indulging her senses a while longer before they let reality seep back in.

  Only...all the things she'd done with Will were the wild and crazy acts of another woman. A sexy siren. But she was so not that. And already the jittery nerves were rising again.

  He'd called her baby. And in the moment, it had sounded so sweet, almost gut-wrenching. But she knew she needed to be honest with herself about the fact that it was a pet name most men used for casual sex buddies. Which should be fine, since that's exactly what this was. She had to keep that firmly in her mind.

  "Making love with you was absolutely perfect," he murmured into her hair.

  Again, though they were easy words, it felt like Will was infusing them with so much emotion, almost as though he was saying it had been more than just sex for him. Which, of course, he wasn't. This had just been weeks of teasing, some really hot pheromones swirling in the air, and a fast ride in--and on top of--his sexy sports car.

  She needed to remember that's all it was.

  Still, she wanted a few more moments in his arms. Just a few more and then real life could start up again.

  "I must be crushing you," he finally said, but he rose slowly, swiping his tongue over her shoulder. She'd never known a man like him before, such an innately sensual creature, always touching, licking, kissing. As he eased away from her, he trailed a hand over her skin and said, "The things you do to me."

  Except for her bra, she was naked on top of his car, her body still glistening with desire. And when he went to toss the condom, it was cold without him. Cold and exposed. So even though her limbs still felt boneless, she found her panties and dress on the hood beside her, tucked herself back into her bra, then slid off the hood of his expensive car and stepped into the dress.

  A few moments later, he was beside her again, his hand warm on her back. "I'll help you." He did her up with a slow slide of the zipper, the brush of his fingers teasing her skin. "Taking you out here wasn't exactly what I had planned for our first time." He was nuzzling her neck, and it did things to her insides all over again. He bit the soft flesh between her shoulder and neck, sending shivers of delight through her. "But it was so damned sexy, Harper. You're so damned sexy."

  She'd bought pretty lingerie, a new dress, and made a trip to the drugstore, all in the name of seducing him. She'd had intentions. And now she'd just had the most amazing sex of her life. She would not ruin everything because she couldn't stop thinking of all the other women before her to whom he'd likely said the exact same thing.

  She turned in his arms, looped hers around his neck, and said, "It was perfect."

  Her voice was too high and bright, overenthusiastic, like Jeremy's. She needed to bring herself under control. The problem with Will was that he could make a girl lose her head.

  But Harper couldn't afford that.

  *

  Will changed his torn shirt while Harper corralled her brother. As soon as Jeremy climbed into the passenger seat of her car, he nodded off.

  "You two should spend the night." Reluctant to take his arm from around her waist, Will herded her a few feet away so Jeremy wouldn't overhear their conversation, just in case he woke up.

  "No." Harper shook her head.

  She could be stubborn, Will realized. And the truth was that one of the things he appreciated about her was her iron will. No one would ever hurt Jeremy while she was on watch. She would be the same way about her kids, he knew--protecting them with her life.

  "We need to get home," she told him. "Thank you for giving him a fabulous day. And," she added with another one of those pretty blushes, "for the fabulous evening I had, too."

  Fabulous didn't even begin to cover it. And even though he wasn't nearly ready for the evening to be over, it was easy to guess that she didn't want to sleep with him when Jeremy was in the house.

  "I have several guest rooms. You don't need to sleep in my bed."

  "Jeremy's better with his routines at home."

  Clearly, Will wasn't going to sway her. But he was going to leave his stamp on her one way or another, damn it, so he crushed her into his arms and took her mouth hard and fast. "Do you want to know my next intention?" he asked a beat later, his lips still touching hers. He could feel the rapid tattoo of her heartbeat against his chest. Her breath was fast against his mouth. She wasn't unaffected--nowhere near.

  "Will...tonight was a great break from reality, but it was--"

  "Not a one-time thing." It never had been, not for him, not when it was Harper in his arms. "I don't want to lie to you. Not now, not ever. So you need to know I intend to do that again. Over and over. Every single delirious moment. And more. Whether you spend the night or not. Whether it's in a bed or not."

  Then he kissed her one last time for the evening, a lingering moment of pure bliss that he hoped would make her long for him in the middle of the night as much as he'd be longing for her.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Will called early on Sunday morning, just after eight, but Harper was already up. "You and Jeremy want to come over for a little work on the car?"

  God, how she wanted to. Inside, she wanted nothing more than to run to him. Being with him was so good but so dangerous. Too much of a good thing got you hooked. Besides, she didn't want Jeremy to get too dependent on Will.

  "Thanks, that's nice of you, but we've got chores."

  He was silent for a moment, one in which she knew he wasn't at all happy with her answer. But instead of pushing her, he said, "All right. But if you need anything--" He lingered on the word anything. "--don't hesitate to call."

  He couldn't possibly know how badly she wanted to say yes to his offer. But she shouldn't do it. Not so soon after losing herself in his arms last night. And not so soon after he'd made his next round of intentions perfectly clear.

  All night long in her dreams, his voice had echoed in her ears: I intend to do that again. Over and over. Every single delirious moment. And more.

  "Thanks." The fact that the word came out sounding a little breathless only solidified her decision to put some space between them, giving her time to recover from last night's wonderland. She put on her best breezy and independent voice as she said, "Talk to you later."

  Because, for all that she worried about her brother, she was the one who could become dependent on Will if she wasn't careful. Good sex was like chocolate truffles. Every so often, you gave yourself one as a treat. And she knew darn well that if she saw Will today, he'd manage to get her into bed. Or onto the workbench in the garage while he sent Jeremy off to have lunch with Mrs. Taylor. And then she'd end up even more deeply under his spell...

  No, she couldn't let herself forget that what she was doing with Will only worked as long as she didn't let herself get too emotional or too involved. Short-term pleasure, that's all this was. And when it hit its inevitable end, she needed to be absolutely sure that she could walk away with her head held high and no regrets.

  *

  Harper should have known better than to think Will would simply back off. On Monday, he wanted to talk to her while he was on Skype with Jeremy, but she told her brother she was too busy. A few minutes later, however, she had to step away to answer the doorbell...only to find a flower delivery guy waiting with a huge bouquet that Jeremy couldn't stop marveling over. She might have done more than her fair share of marveling, too, when her brother's back was turned.

  On Tuesday, he had a gourmet lunch sent to her office, complete with chocolate and a split of champagne. She'd saved that for later when she got home.

  The man was relentless. Which was probably why he was as rich as Midas. But she'd determined that she
wouldn't see him until Saturday. A week seemed appropriate. It kept things casual. At least, that was what she told herself during the day when she was rational.

  But then there were the nights. When she was alone in bed and her body was screaming for his touch. She only had to close her eyes to feel his mouth on her...and those memories of their lovemaking only got better by the night.

  On Wednesday morning, she didn't hear the alarm clock, mostly due to the fact that the night had been filled with erotic dreams about Will. She had to rush through her shower and barely got Jeremy out the door in time to catch his bus. He took a special bus to school and in the afternoons they dropped him off at the grocery store where he worked bagging groceries. She picked him up on her way home from work.

  The doorbell rang and she wondered what Jeremy had forgotten, not even considering until she opened the door that Jeremy wouldn't have used the bell. Which meant...

  It was Will. He was to-die-for in a black suit and crisp white shirt that looked yummy against his tanned skin. On the other hand, her hair was still wet, she wore no makeup, and her robe was soft but well worn.

  "Will?" His name was barely out of her mouth when she realized that she wanted him so badly she actually ached for his touch.

  "You didn't call me." He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "You haven't let me see you."

  Intensity burned in his eyes--a look that closely mirrored her own longing every time she'd caught her reflection over the past few days, thinking of him, missing him.

  Before she could blink or breathe or say anything more, his hands were in her hair and he was kissing her. Devouring her. Utterly.

  It was so much more than her dreams. So much better even than her memories of Saturday night. She simply melted against him. She wanted to touch him, but her hands were trapped between them. There was something so elemental about a man holding you still for his kiss, just his mouth taking you as though he could never get enough.

  Finally, he pulled back, his eyes closed, a deep satisfying breath filling his lungs. "There. That's better." Then he gave her one of his gorgeous grins. "I couldn't start the day any other way."

  "You're crazy." Her mind dazed, she could barely muster more than a whisper.

  His desire was addictive. If she wasn't careful, she could want it, start to need it, until she couldn't live without it. He played havoc with the meaning of casual.

  "Crazy for you," he said. "Is Jeremy at school?"

  Guessing there was only one reason he would ask that, she knew she should force herself to stick to her need-a-week-off plan. But with his hands on her and her mouth still tingling from his kiss, it was frankly impossible to corral her own desire. She had no willpower whatsoever.

  Willpower. She almost laughed at the realization that Will definitely had all the power right then.

  As soon as she nodded, he reached down to the belt of her robe. "I want to make you come. I want to hear you come. I want to feel you come. I want to watch you come."

  Just as he hadn't asked permission to walk inside, or to kiss her, or to undress her, he didn't ask permission to pick her up, hoisting her high on his body. Harper wrapped her legs around him. His mouth unerringly found her breast, and the pleasure was so intensely connected to all her other intimate places that she couldn't help leaning back in his arms and locking her ankles. She gripped him hard in the circle of her legs to intensify the sensations zipping through her body.

  "You're irresistible when you're all heated up." His voice was a low purr vibrating right into her. "Hell, you're always irresistible." He carried her through to the living room, set her down on the couch, then pushed the coffee table back with his foot.

  Her robe fell open around her, and Will looked incredibly pleased about it. "I've always been known for my timing, but it's never been better than right now, coming here and finding you all naked and pretty for me."

  She loved the way he said hot, sexy things all the time. "I just got out of the shower."

  He removed his jacket and tossed it on the other end of the couch. "Then my timing wasn't so impeccable after all, was it? A few minutes earlier, and I could have stepped under the water with you."

  The idea of him taking her with his pristine shirt and tie on was exciting. So exciting that it was almost impossible to remind herself--and him--that there needed to be boundaries to what they were doing. Whatever the heck it was.

  "You shouldn't be here. We shouldn't be doing this."

  He came down on one knee between her legs. "Give me a good reason why not."

  The problem was that when he touched her, Harper couldn't think of any reasons at all. Nothing more than a simple, "Because."

  "That's not a reason," he said with a smile. One full of anticipation. As much as she was feeling herself. "It's just a word."

  He moved his fingers over her, and Harper felt her temperature rising, a flush of heat coloring her skin. "Someone might see."

  Will glanced to the window, then back to her with a quirk of his mouth that said it all. Because of course her mother's lace curtains would hide them from prying eyes.

  "Try harder," he said. But he was the one trying harder, finding just the right rhythm with his hands, his wonderfully talented fingers, to make her toes curl.

  "Because it's morning. And it's not the weekend. And I have to get to work. I've got appointments. So do you." There. All good reasons. But his touch was magic.

  "Then you'd better come quickly."

  Only, she didn't want to come quickly. She wanted to savor his touch. She tugged him down by his tie and was surprised to find a challenge on her own lips. "Make me."

  He laughed, a heady masculine sound filled with desire and delight, just before his lips met hers. It wasn't like the fast, wild kisses on Saturday night. This was slow and delicious. He licked her lips, nibbled on the lower one. He kissed her lightly, turning one way, then angling the other. She laced her fingers through his thick hair and held him closer, opened her mouth for him. All the while, he did amazing things with his hands. She gasped as his tongue took hers, a particularly sweet shaft of pleasure rolling through her. She deepened the kiss, raising her head off the cushions. He was all minty toothpaste and hot male.

  Then she couldn't concentrate anymore. There was just his hand and the sweet, hot build of tension as he kissed and caressed her. She squeezed her eyes shut and her hips rolled to his movements.

  "That's it, baby. Come for me. Fast and hot, just the way we both love it."

  She panted, soft moans rising in her throat, knowing she was going to do just what he wanted as a hot spike of pleasure shot down to her center and exploded. She cried out--maybe it was his name, she couldn't be sure. Her body bowed, and she clutched his shoulders, then wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight as the waves of pleasure swept through her.

  And after, she was clinging and knew she ought to let go, but as she floated down from that blissful place, she felt so good in his arms. So complete.

  There was no way she could bear to let him go.

  "Definitely the perfect way to start the day," he said into her hair.

  Despite the hint of arrogance in his tone, she couldn't deny that she'd never had a more perfect wakeup call.

  He gave her one more kiss, then drew back. "I hate to leave you, but you're right that both of us have meetings to go to."

  Her eyes snapped open. "But you haven't--"

  He cut her off with another kiss, then pulled back slowly. "The next time I take you for a ride in my fast car, I will. And so will you. Again and again and again."

  Grabbing his suit jacket off the couch, he shrugged into it. After straightening his tie, he held out his hand. Harper took it and let him pull her to her feet. Will tugged the robe over her breasts, his large hands gliding possessively across her flesh before he tied the belt.

  He was always fully clothed while she was exposed. It was yet another way he used his power. Yet another thing she liked despite herself--t
hough she still desperately wanted him to be naked, too.

  He led her to the door, opened it, then demanded in a low voice, "One more kiss before I go."

  She wanted so badly to kiss him again. She wanted him as crazy and out of control as she was. Wanted him to want her so badly that he couldn't walk away. Her body was still humming with the things he'd done to her on the couch. He wasn't like any man she'd ever known. She'd talked herself into having burning-hot sex with a sizzling-hot guy. And she'd gotten way more than she'd asked for. Maybe she'd even gotten more than she could handle. Because now she didn't think she could wait until the weekend.

  He'd stepped on her accelerator and she was ready to race. Only, she'd promised herself that she'd stay in control, that she'd let herself have fun, but wouldn't make the mistake of reading too much into any of this. Suddenly, however, she wasn't feeling casual at all. She was starting to want a whole lot more. Whereas he seemed perfectly happy to drop by, make her come, then head out for his meetings. Check, check, check--all part of a billionaire's day. As if he were used to doing things like this all the time, making women crazy for him, getting them to fall in a hot, senseless rush, while he kept everything seamlessly compartmentalized.

  After all, who had the still perfectly pressed suit and tie?

  And who had the sex-hair and barely closed robe?

  Somehow, some way, she needed to grab the control she'd just lost. Which meant that instead of kissing him again the way he'd just commanded, there was only one way to reassert the control she'd given him from the moment he'd stepped inside without an invitation.

  Harper smiled, held onto the doorknob, and said, "Have a great day, Will," then closed the door with a soft, but final, click.

  She barely breathed as she waited for the sound of his footsteps that would let her know he was heading back down her front path toward his car. None sounded for several long moments--moments where she knew he must be trying to decide whether to let her win this round or not.

  Finally, he walked away, and her held breath left her in a hard whoosh as she heard him start up his engine and drive away. She tried to return to her day as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, tried telling herself that she was just as much in control of her life, and her emotions, as ever.