Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set (57 page)

“It seems like an interesting occupation for someone in your family.”

“No kidding. Some people thought she shifted to lingerie just to piss off my parents, but not Aunt Sharon. She simply doesn’t care what other people think. That’s what I wish... that I could do things without worrying about how others would feel.”

“And if you could? What would you do in your opinion-free world?”

Natasha stared dreamily at the passing landscape and lush greenery.

“I’d have a company like
Sensual Supports
, but I’d make it bigger. Not just lingerie, but clothing. That’s how Aunt Sharon actually started, you know. She had a little clothes boutique, then started dabbling with designing pieces herself. Pretty soon, she realized the lingerie was outselling everything else, so she concentrated on that.”

“It sounds like you want to expand that focus again?”

“If I had a shop, sure. Aunt Sharon has to let it go, though. She’s not well and it’s a fulltime commitment. Me? I’d want to focus on the design. I’ve got some great ideas for a new line that would be cutting edge. I’d make it an exclusive boutique with all my own designs. That’d be so much better than scrambling to get designs out to other companies like
Perfect Passion
Lingerie who will take over manufacturing and distribution. Instead, the people would come to me.”

She sounded dreamy, her voice soft and her eyes distant as if she were imagining just how sweet it’d be. Then, in a blink, the dreams were gone. It was like she’d climbed back into that box and shut the lid.

A part of him wanted to break that box open, to free her so she could chase her dreams and be happy. But that was stupid. He wasn’t a white knight, he was a one night.

“What about you, Drew? What are your dreams?”

“Mine?” He frowned, then realized what she’d asked and shrugged. “I don’t do dreams.”

“Seriously, no dreams at all? There’s nothing more you want in life?” She had that tone, the one that warned that she wasn’t buying it.

“I guess I have a few goals,” he admitted slowly, focusing on buttering his bread so he didn’t’ have to meet her eyes. “I want to follow through on the promises I made to my father. To get Audra on the straight and narrow. To keep the bar going, make it a success. Things like that.”

“Those are great ambitions, but what about your personal dreams?” she asked as the waiter placed their salad in front of them. “What happened to playing pool for a living, to seeing the world?”

Those dreams were dead, along with his father.

“Like I said, I’m not a dreamer. My path is set, you know? Yours though? Your dream is right there at your finger tips...” He lifted his glass of wine in a toast and winked. “I dare you to grab it. Hell, I dare you to even consider it.”

* * *

Two hours later in the elevator of her hotel, he offered another dare, one she wasn’t sure she could resist.

“Drew, you’re not daring me to go to bed with you.” Natasha gave a little laugh and rolled her eyes.

Drew wished he could. Hell, he didn’t care how it happened, he just wanted this woman back in his arms.

“No?” he asked, taking her hand in his to play with her fingers. Drew looked down into her misty gray eyes and felt his insides do an odd little dance. She was so damned sexy.

“Puleeze, do you really think I’m that easy?”

“No,” he stated adamantly. “You’re anything but easy.”

They reached her hotel room door, but Natasha didn’t pull her fingers from his or attempt to find her room card. Instead she leaned back against the door and waited.

“Fine,” he said, leaning down to brush his lips gently over her temple. Just the breath of a kiss that promised untold passion if she was willing to give in to it.

“We don’t need a dare. When you open that door, we’re going to have sex. Incredible, wild, mind-blowing sex.”

Her breath shuddered. “Why?”

“Because neither of us can hold out any longer.”

“Oh, I can hold out if I have to,” she said with enough conviction to make him a little worried. Then she winked. “But I plan to make sure you’re the one who can’t hold out.”

“Me?” He laughed, sliding his hands over her hips and pulling her close. “That’s a big promise.”

“Bet I can make you beg,” she whispered.

“I dare you,” he challenged again before taking her mouth.

She was so sweet. Warm, open and delicious.

Their tongues slid together, a warm prelude with a slow build up. He forced himself to keep his hands on her hips, even though his palms were itching to explore the rest of her. He wanted to grab her and do her against the door, but he knew Tasha. The minute he pushed, she’d shut him down.

So he waited, seducing with his lips and tongue alone.

Finally, her breath coming fast and her eyes dark with need, she leaned her head back to and gave him a long look.

“I’m really enjoying what we’re doing, but this hallway isn’t quite as private as I’d like. I don’t suppose you’d care to join me...,” Her voice breathy with desire, she nodded at the door, “...inside?”

“Babe, I’d beg to get inside,” he quipped, needing to lighten the mood. He just laughed when she rolled her eyes and turned away. After all, who cared if his jokes flopped. The rest of him was about to find heaven.

Drew followed her into the hotel room, allowing the heavy door to shut behind him. He leaned against the wall and watched Natasha wander around the room, flipping on lights, setting her purse down, then picking it up again to return her room card. She didn’t seem to know what to do with herself.

Rolling his eyes, he stepped forward and grabbed her hands.

“Loosen up, Tasha.”

“I’m loose.”

“Right, that’s why are running all over the room, then? Loosening up?”

“If you must know.” She pressed her lips together. “I’m trying to figure out the best way to seduce you.”

Images of the many, many ways she could do just that flew through his head. Intense heat shot through his groin, sending his already hardening erection into iron bar status.

He wrapped their entwined hands behind the small of her back and drew her to him, then brushed a soft kiss over her temple.
“Hey, you’ve got ideas you want to try out, I’m here for you. I’d say the smartest thing to do is start at the top of the list. When we’re done with the first, you simply move on to the second.”

Laughing, Natasha stepped away and gave him a gentle push so he landed on the bed. Drew leaned back on his elbows and raised both brows in inquiry.

“You joining me?”

She shushed him and started that damned flitting around the room again. This time, she turned off all but the dim entry light. She peeked into the ice bucket and shot him a naughty grin, then turned on the bedside clock radio and fiddled until she found a bluesy radio station.

Drew appreciated the nod to ambiance, but he’d take her on a park bench at rush hour, so it was definitely not necessary. Just as he was about to grab her and haul her to the bed, she stopped in front of him. She leaned down, planted her hands on either side of his body and smiled—a slow smile promising all manner of wicked delights. Drew groaned as her mouth took his.

All too soon, she pulled back and with a quick twist, presented her back to him.

She looked over her shoulder. “I knew when Lanie zipped me into this that it would be hard to get off alone.” She paused to make sure he got the pun and giggled when Drew groaned. “Will you unzip me?”

Laughter forgotten, Drew leaned forward to slowly pull the zipper down her back, relishing the feel of her silky smooth skin beneath his knuckles. The zipper started just above her bra line, and ended just below her panty line, giving him a delightful view of icy silver-blue embroidered lingerie. He traced his finger over the band of her thong before pressing his lips to the small of her back to inhale her spicy floral scent.

With a soft gasp, she stepped away. Still watching him over her shoulder she shrugged first one, then the other shoulder, so her dress slipped down her arms to catch at her elbows.

In subtle time with the background music, she raised her arms to let the dress slide free. The pale blue satin pooled in a lake of fabric at her feet as she raised her hands to the back of her head. Drew had never been turned on by a woman’s back before, but he sure was now. He watched as she slid the pins from her blond hair, then shook her head so it fluffed around her in a deceptively angelic cloud.

Damn, she was perfect.

“Turn around,” he rasped.
She shot him a look over her shoulder, then winked. He watched her hand move in front of her and couldn’t see what she was doing, but heard a soft snick and watched the fabric of her bra loosen. Still watching him, she shrugged and the bra joined her dress at her feet.

Drew was getting desperate to see more. There was nothing that turned him on like a woman’s lush breasts. And Natasha’s were the lushest, the most perfect, he’d ever been blessed to see. To touch, to taste. He groaned.

“Turn around. Please,” he requested again.

“Why?” she asked in a husky voice.

“I want to touch you.”

“How do you want to touch me, Drew? Tell me and I’ll see if I like it.”

“I know you’ll like it,” he promised.

“But how do I know? I should be sure, don’t you think?”

Drew grinned and reached back to grab a stack of pillows so he could get comfortable. Or as comfortable as a man could get with a monster truck sized hard-on pressed against his zipper.

“I’d start by cupping your breasts in my hands,” he told her. And watched as she lifted both hands in front of her. It was then that Drew realized he could see her reflection in the mirror. His breath caught at the sight of Natasha, her hands holding the lush bounty of her breasts like he wanted to do. He let out a shuddering moan.

“Then,” he continued, hoping she’d follow his instructions, “I’d rub my fingers around your nipples. Just enough to excite, but not touching the sensitive centers.”

Still watching him over her shoulder, seemingly oblivious to his secondary mirror view, Natasha did as he said. While one hand still held her breast, the other traced her pale pink areola. He watched her nipple harden and wondered who’d turned the heat up in the room.

“I’d tweak your nipples, making them harder, more sensitive,” he whispered.

She did, and from the look on her face, she was enjoying this game as much as he was. Drew wondered who would last longer, him or her. He planned to make damned sure it was him.

“Then I’d wet your nipple with my tongue,” he told her, grinning wickedly. He’d have her in his arms within the next thirty seconds, he was sure of it.

But Natasha was more resourceful than he’d given her credit for. After a brief frown, she raised her index finger to her mouth and ran her tongue over it. Then, turning to meet his eyes in the mirror, she ran her glistening wet finger over the hard nub of her nipple.

Drew gave in and sat up with a desperate groan. He grabbed her around the waist to turn her body to face him and took the tempting tip of her breast into his mouth to lave it with his tongue. She’d won. But he’d get the prize.

* * *

Natasha gasped at the feel of Drew’s mouth on her body. She’d wanted this, had imagined it while she’d fondled herself. And the reality was so much better than her fantasy. Never had she been as bold as she was tonight, tempted by the game of show and tell that she’d initiated.

She thought of his earlier guarantee of pleasure. He was definitely delivering. And she knew that was the only guarantee she’d get. She could do this, dive headlong into a short-term, sexually charged affair. She could revisit and bring closure to the relationship she and Drew once had. Only this time, she couldn’t fall in love with him.

And with that, she opened the cage door and let her inner wild child free.

He scraped his teeth over her nipple and Natasha shuddered at the intense shaft of desire that speared straight to the folds of her sex. She wanted him so much.

She pulled away briefly to tug at his tie and shove his jacket off his shoulders. But she was in such a rush, she made a mess of it all. He didn’t seem to mind though. With a wink, Drew stood and swiftly stripped down to his silky boxers. Silk? Natasha fingered the fabric.

“You could inspire a line of his and her lingerie,” she joked.

“I’d rather inspire his and her naked bodies,” he replied, drawing her close.

Natasha pulled back and shook her head. “Nope, not fair. You’ve had two chances already to scope out my body and I’ve yet to get a good look at how you’ve aged.”

Not that she had any doubt he’d aged nicely. But it was a good excuse to both catch her breath before they hit the main feature, and to appreciate his oh-so-fine body.

Drew lifted his arms in a ‘what you see is what you get’ gesture. “I don’t know about aging well, but here I am,” he said with a laugh.

He stopped laughing when Natasha drew a delicate pattern over his chest, tracing her fingers over the lightly freckled skin and clearly defined muscles.