Dating A Cougar (15 page)

As they were leaving, Allen smiled at Alexa and smirked at Casey when he saw them holding hands.

“Did you blackmail Ms. Ranger into holding hands, Gunny?”

“You’re so mistrustful, Stedman,” Casey told him with a grin. “I like that about you. Stay that way.”

“Hey,” Alexa said, smacking Casey in the chest with her purse. “Allen is my employee. If anyone gets to harass him, it’s me.”

“You can have a turn next Tuesday,” Allen told her lightly. “Sydney will be out again.”

“Fine,” Alexa said, pretending to pout. “Put an appointment on my calendar.”

“Yes, Ms. Ranger,” Allen said, dipping his head to hide a smile.

In the elevator riding down, Casey played with her fingers. “So which vehicle did you drive today?”

Alexa ignored Casey’s question.

“Why won’t Allen call me Alexa? I hate it when he calls me Ms. Ranger. I feel like I’m his mother,” she said instead.

Casey pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “Good. I want you to feel like his mother. That way I’ll look like a better deal to you.” Casey kissed Alexa hard, his tongue hinting at what was going to happen soon, before turning her loose.

Alexa narrowed her eyes and brought a hand to the back of his head.

“You know, you use a lot of caveman tactics on me. I’m not sure I like it. But in the interest of being fair, I want to try it myself. Back up,” she ordered.

Casey took one step backward and felt the elevator wall.

“What are you—?” The rest of what he’d been going to ask disappeared in the heat of Alexa’s mouth, the slide of her tongue, and then got completely lost as her sexy moan of desire vibrated against his lips.

Her hands moved over him and around him with the sure intent of arousing him as much as possible. He felt it in her touch. When Casey felt her skim the front of his jeans with an open palm, he thought he’d go mad.

Before the elevator could travel two floors, Casey was shaking with desire and once again hard as a stone for her.

Alexa freed his mouth and pushed her hips against Casey’s until she could stroke against the bulge in his jeans. “I’m so glad we’re the same height,” she whispered frantically, diving back into his mouth for more. Alexa moved against Casey with aggressive strokes of her hips, setting his loins blazing even through all the layers of their clothes.

Fighting the haze, he grabbed her arms hard to push her off of him, seeking a reprieve from the inevitable explosion mere moments away.

When Alexa looked at him, dazed and lustful, he gripped her arms hard, closed his eyes, and swore viciously.

“Hell, I want you so bad, I almost don’t care. But we have to stop before we end up in a damn internet video. There’s a damn surveillance camera in the elevator.”

Casey’s hands were trembling as he held her. She blinked at him but said nothing. Casey wasn’t even sure she heard him.

“Are you okay? Talk to me, Alexa.” Casey shook her a little to get her to focus.

Alexa let out a breath while her brain tried to understand why she wasn’t still moving hard against Casey. She was throbbing and hurting in places she’d long forgotten were part of her. She cleared her throat and met his gaze.

“Wow, I guess I like acting like a caveman too. Now I can see why you do it,” Alexa said reasonably.

Alexa reached out a hand and ran a palm down his shirt, delighting in the hardness of his chest, the unevenness of his breathing. Then reality sunk in and his words penetrated the haze.

“What? Did you say there’s a camera in here—in the elevator?”

Casey eased his grip on her arms then, turned her around, and pulled her back against the erection that painfully longed for renewed contact with her hips. Both of them groaned as their bodies instinctively fitted themselves together again even in the new position. If he had to stop their lovemaking one more time, he was going to lose his sanity completely.

He put an arm around Alexa’s waist to hold her in place against him and then pointed to the camera in the corner.

“I hope you trust your building security,” he whispered in her ear.

Finally, the full reality of the situation hit Alexa’s brain. She pulled out a cell and punched a number.

“Lenny? Hi. It’s Alexa Ranger. Look I—I didn’t know there was a camera in the parking garage elevator. My boyfriend and I were kissing, and—oh, you blanked it. Do I want you to delete it? Yes, thanks. I appreciate it. I—we’re new and just got a little carried away. Yes. Thanks again.”

Alexa closed her phone with a snap and blew out a breath. Fifty years old and she was making out in a public elevator. What had been she thinking? She was already taking Casey home with her where they could do what they wanted in private. What if Casey hadn’t stopped her?

Embarrassment had her face turning more pink than her shirt.

Casey laughed to break the tension. He should have just let nature take its course, he thought. The last thing he wanted was for a passionate woman to be embarrassed about her desire for him.

“Boyfriend?” he repeated her term for him, smiling. “You told the building security guy I was your boyfriend. Great. Now I have another witness.”

Alexa elbowed him and walked out of the elevator into the parking garage. She took a deep breath and tried to forget how turned on she had been in the elevator.

Casey stepped out after her. He motioned to vehicles with his cane. “Surprise me, honey. I need a big distraction to take my mind off my physical frustration.”

Alexa dug in her purse and pulled out a shiny red key fob. She lifted it high above her head to reach two rows over. Casey dropped his cane when he saw the lights blink.

“That’s—that’s a Ferrari,” Casey said reverently. The woman owned a cherry red Ferrari convertible.

“It’s an F430 Spyder,” Alexa told Casey, liking the respectfulness of his tone. “It’s my
girlie car
.”

“You consider a Ferrari to be a girlie car?” Casey asked. “I was impressed with the pickup. Now I’m just speechless. What else do you own?”

Alexa flicked her hair back. “Besides the Ford and the Ferrari? I own a BMW and two Lexus SUVs I use for business.”

She picked up his cane and handed it back to him. Then she held out her car keys. “Want to drive?’ she asked with smile. “It’s an automatic and I trust you.”

Casey didn’t blink, just stared at Alexa for a very long time.

She was stubborn, flirty, and mouthy. She also kissed with total abandon, set him on fire with her hands, and would have rocked them both to orgasm through their clothes if he hadn’t stopped her. He got another quiver just thinking about them kissing in the elevator.

And now—now she trusted him to drive her Ferrari.

There was no doubt Alexa Ranger was driving him crazy. He’d have to deal with the fact he was falling in love with her later.

“You drive the car,” Casey told her quietly, taking her hand and tugging her along as they walked. “I can barely walk now thanks to the raging, relentless hard-on you gave me in the elevator. The only thing I’m interested in driving is you. And when we get to your place, I intend to drive you over every edge I can—providing you don’t incinerate me first. I never went up in flames so fast just kissing before. It was shocking, Ms. Ranger.”

Alexa decided it was best to not comment. She was still a little shocked as well by how carried away she’d gotten. Her face started to heat again just thinking about it.

Casey smiled at her flushed face and opened the driver’s door. When he was seated next to her in the passenger’s side, Casey turned his head, happily appreciating the gorgeous woman she was and the picture she made behind the wheel.

“Alexa, you look like you belong in this car,” Casey told her sincerely.

“I thought so too,” Alexa said, surprised at his instant understanding. “That’s why I bought it. It just seemed right, you know?”

Casey nodded. “That’s the best reason to do a lot of things,” he agreed softly.

Because she knew Casey was really talking about them, and because she was fervently hoping he was right, Alexa’s heart did the flipping thing again as she eased the car out of the parking space.

Chapter 13

As they pulled into her neighborhood, Casey saw that Alexa lived in a gated community with a live guard. She had another security gate on the area around her house, and she told him she had an electronic door lock that only worked with the key inserted. All of which meant Alexa had not been kidding when she had described her home as a fortress.

“So exactly who are you keeping out with all this security?” Casey asked her.

Alexa looked at him as she raised the garage door. “Is that criticism I hear in your tone? I thought as a military guy you would appreciate it,” she said.

“I do,” Casey replied, “but—well, it seems like a lot, even for a well-known model turned lingerie designer.”

Alexa pulled the car into the attached garage and turned off the ignition while she pondered how to answer.

“I guess I don’t need it as much since I quite actively dating. For many years, I wanted to keep out the media people who just wanted to get a picture of the man I brought home for the night. Truth was I went home with my date when I was inclined, not the other way around. The only men who came to my home were Jenna’s father and Sydney. I have always felt a need to protect my family from my public life,” she explained.

Alexa looked out into the dark garage, lost in thought, realizing how tame her life was now compared to even five years ago. “I wasn’t always successful in keeping my private life private, but I tried. The security helped me feel like I was doing that.”

Casey reached over and took one of her hands in his. “It wasn’t a criticism, just a curiosity type of question.”

She smiled and shook her head. “Sorry I’m so glum.”

Casey squeezed her hand in support.

“I haven’t been asked anything about myself in while. And I don’t mean to be defensive over everything you ask. My
don’t-give-a-damn
is honed from years of practice,” Alexa said with a laugh.

“I know you’ve had a very different life than mine. I’m far too curious about you to not ask questions,” Casey warned, playing with her fingers. “I like you and want to get to know you.”

Alexa did laugh then. “Your mind is clouded by lust, Casey. We’ll see how you feel in the morning.

Casey grinned at Alexa, hearing the unspoken fear in her voice. He had his own worries, but no doubts about being with her.

“Morning, huh? Are you asking me to spend the night?” he joked.

Alexa smiled back. “Why? You fishing for an invitation already?”

“Hell yes,” Casey replied quickly. “But I need more than one night. I want to spend the weekend. I’m even wondering if I can talk you into taking the day off tomorrow.”

Alexa laughed. “No man is that good in bed,” Alexa warned, amused at his smug grin. “I have a business to run. I work when I want to and need to. Men are fun, but they don’t distract me from my greater purpose.”

“Sounds like a challenge to see if I can change your mind,” Casey said, lifting her hand to his lips for a kiss.

Alexa just laughed at his macho bragging. “Been there, seen that movie. Orgasms don’t last that long.”

Casey laughed hard at her statement, his whole body vibrating with it. “Wow, you definitely are jaded and cynical, Alexa. Or maybe you’ve just never had
really, really, really
great sex. I plan to rock your world lady—not bragging, just fact—but I admit it will probably take a few times. I need the weekend. I’m a bit out of practice.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” Alexa said laughing. “Pleasing me in bed will be easier than you think. I have a short fuse.”

She paused to consider what she’d just told him. “Does this count as our sex talk?” she asked.

Casey barely kept the rolling laugh building inside him from escaping. The woman was so damn forthright. It was hard to make himself frown when he was so tempted to pull her across the console into his lap.

“No. I want to know how many men you’ve been with, but at the same time, I really don’t. I’m having a morale dilemma.”

“You mean
moral dilemma
, don’t you?” Alexa asked with a giggle.

“No. I mean
morale
,” Casey said easily. “There have only been six women in my sex life. When I found Susan, she was it for me. And honestly, she gave me everything I wanted. I never looked beyond her—until I met you.”

Alexa could only look at Casey and sigh. He had so much to give a woman whose heart was as open and trusting as his seemed to be. She wondered again why he wasn’t pursuing someone a lot younger than she. He could have a wife and children, not just settling for sex with her.

It isn’t too late, she reminded herself. You can still send him away.

Alexa looked at him, really looked at the man holding her hand as they sat in the car. All she could think was how great it would have been to have met Casey twenty years ago. Instead of her fifty-year-old self, Casey would have been sleeping with a very different woman tonight. He was certainly not getting the nice version of her for sure.

“I’m not naïve,” Casey told Alexa. “Given the differences in our ages, and the fact you never married, it’s only reasonable to assume you’ve been with more partners than me.”

Alexa snorted at his statement. Here comes the judgment, she thought.

“How magnanimous of you, Mr. Carter. So do you want a drink first to brace yourself for my answer?” Alexa asked with a smirk.

Casey looked in Alexa’s eyes to see if she was worried or not about what he thought. He couldn’t tell. Either he was too nervous to figure it out, or Alexa truly didn’t care. In the end, he decided neither would change the reality. It was a waste of time to worry about what came before him.

“Am I going to need a drink to hear the answer?” he asked finally.

“Depends. Are you a person who peels off a band-aid slowly or just rips it off all at once?” she asked, not yet answering.

Casey contemplated the warning, recognizing it for what it was. He watched Alexa tracing the steering wheel with her hands as she waited for his response. He badly wanted those capable, confident, experienced hands on him, stroking him as boldly as they had every other time she’d touched him.

That
was the real answer—and the only one that mattered.

“If the number of men is anywhere under a hundred, I swear it will not change my mind about nailing you,” Casey promised, gaining another lusty laugh from her.

“
Nailing me?
Yet another of your lovely sex terms that does nothing to entice me into bed with you,” Alexa said to him sarcastically. “Well it seems you’re in luck again, Mr. Carter. The number is just a little under twenty-five. I’m not completely sure. My sex life covers several decades and I wasn’t exactly keeping a count.”

“Well, hell. Twenty-five is not many,” Casey said. “Most men I know average in the twenties. If I hadn’t been faithfully married, I probably would hit that number, too.”

Alexa snorted at the almost disappointed look on Casey’s face. “Good to hear that as a healthy, sexual fifty-year-old woman I haven’t exceeded the average male quota for sex partners. What number did you think I would say?”

“Looking the way you do?” Casey asked, checking her out completely with a long sweeping gaze. “I’d have believed a much higher number with no trouble at all.”

Alexa was grateful for her sense of humor or she’d probably put him in taxi and send him home.

“So am I supposed to be flattered or insulted by your conclusions, Casey? Sometimes I just can’t tell with you,” Alexa said.

“Take everything tonight as flattery. I’m about to raise your number of partners again,” Casey said, pulling her toward him and kissing her lightly as she laughed.

Alexa leaned back in her seat, her initial desire waning a little at Casey’s questioning. He was right to force the discussion, but it bothered her more than she admitted to him. She would like a little more time to think about the differences in their lives, especially how they would translate to the bedroom.

“Let’s take a tour, and then I’ll feed us. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want tonight. So I’m the first woman since Susan? I guess that explains why I have a sense I’m about to make you an adulterer. I’m even feeling a little guilty.”

“It’s okay,” Casey assured her, opening his door. “Susan would approve of you.”

Alexa got out and gave him a disbelieving look “Really? Your wife was into sharing you with other women?”

“No. Susan would have castrated me for being unfaithful, but after being diagnosed with cancer, she made me promise to keep on living if she died. You’re just helping me keep a promise,” Casey said, following her to utility room door.

“Yes. I guess I am,” Alexa said at last. “But for the record, you’re doing a pretty good job of moving forward on your own. I think it says a lot about your relationship with her that you’re willing to look for another one.”

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had a woman say nicer, more approving things to me than you do,” Casey said as they walked into her kitchen. “It’s one of the reasons I like you so much.”

Alexa snorted and narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s not what you told me last week when you used your cane to hold me against the wall of my office.”

“Well, I’ve never had a woman be colder or harder than you are on me either,” Casey informed her.

After a bit, he shrugged his shoulders. “I guess you’re just passionate and outspoken,” he admitted grudgingly.

“So carefully speaks the man hoping to get laid tonight,” Alexa exclaimed, with a pealing laugh that echoed off the walls of her usually empty kitchen.

Casey narrowed his eyes, choosing not to be offended. Their sex talk made him feel like a kid compared to Alexa in some ways, but he was looking damn forward to demonstrating just how much of an adult male he was.

“Honey, I’m beyond hoping and into
damn-well-going-to-get-laid
mode tonight. If I were you, I wouldn’t even count on having dinner until after the first couple of times,” Casey told her.

Alexa brought her hands to her hips, and lifted her chin. “You obviously don’t understand my need for food.”

Casey waved at her stance with his cane. “No, but I get the hands-on-hips thing you do when you’re feeling stubborn. So let’s just make the preliminaries as quick as possible. I’m not waiting much longer to be inside you. My patience is strained to the limit.”

“Live and learn, Carter. Accusing me of being stubborn is not helping your cause,” Alexa warned.

She certainly wasn’t going to admit to the little buzz going on all over her body causing moisture to pool between her legs just at the idea of Casey not wanting to wait.

At thirty, she would have thrown caution to the wind and just jumped him. At fifty, she knew better, knew to take the time she needed to avoid adding one more man to her list of regrets.

The house tour took less than thirty minutes since Alexa avoided the master bedroom. And Casey never asked about it, either. Eventually they wound back up in the kitchen, with Casey sitting at a spacious dining table while Alexa set about making them something to eat.

“On Thursdays, I usually meet Regina and Lauren for dinner. But I have the makings of ham and cheese omelets if that sounds okay?” Alexa offered.

Casey nodded. Food was optional for him. All he wanted was her.

“Regina? That’s the famous Dr. Logan, right? I read some articles about her on the Internet. They say she’s brilliant but notorious in her field. Is she as scary smart as they say?”

“Yes,” Alexa said easily. “But she’s awesome, too. She always says what she means. You’d like her. She’s swears as much as you do.”

Casey laughed at the veiled criticism.

“Tell me about Lauren,” he ordered, liking the way Alexa smiled when she talked about her friends.

Alexa lifted her gaze from the skillet and thought for a moment.

“Lauren—how do I describe her? Lauren McCarthy comes from an old school Falls Church family. She was a patient of Regina’s, like I was. After she finished treatment, Regina asked to bring her to dinner. That was, I guess, six or seven years ago now.”

Casey grinned. “Sounds rich as you. How old is she?”

“Forty-two, but she looks younger. She keeps men at a distance, so don’t get any ideas,” Alexa said laughing, unconcerned at Casey’s pretended interest in Lauren. “Regina on the other hand is forty-seven and would bed you in a heartbeat.”

“I’m definitely not experienced enough to take on a sex therapist,” Casey said with a laugh. “Besides, I’m really into older lingerie models at the moment. Or at least I will be tonight.”

Alexa giggled at his innuendo. “You’re terrible, and I can’t believe I even laughed at that joke.”

Casey grinned. There was no better seduction than making a woman laugh.

“Lauren’s part of your business, isn’t she?” he asked, changing the subject before he was tempted to interrupt her cooking.

“Lauren has a family trust fund, which means she never has to work for money. Instead, she does a massive amount of charity and fundraising work, more work than many people do in regular jobs.”