Pick Your Pleasure (14 page)

“Well we don’t know that yet, do
we?” A blush stole across her cheeks after rushing up her chest and neck.

“I’ll prove it to you later.”
The intensity of his promise distracted her enough to almost miss their exit.

“Shoot. It’s this one. Sorry.”
She instinctively checked over her shoulder as he glided through several lanes,
onto the ramp. Quick reflexes, awareness of his surroundings, and familiarity
with the limits of his vehicle ensured he delivered them safely. His
unshakeable calm put her at ease.

The chaos of her life would
overwhelm a lot of people. Chase would be able to handle it. She didn’t doubt
that for a second. Should she tell him a little bit about her? She’d never had
a one-night stand before and didn’t intend to start at this point in her life.
What if she fell into bed, into lust, and into something like infatuation with
a man who wouldn’t be interested in her once she revealed her identity?

“Left or right at the light?” He
broke her from her internal debate.

“Right, thanks.”

“You know, you could share
what’s on your mind.” Without taking his eyes from the road, he played it cool.

“I’d rather not ruin the moment.
Tonight is for fun, right?” She slipped her cell phone from a pocket sewn
discreetly in her dress.

“It can be for whatever you
like, Linley.” He peeked at the screen she tapped. “What do you have there?”

“My phone. It’s how we’re going
to get through the gate. Around this corner there’s a tall hedge. Slow down and
turn in by the stone pillar.” Extending her wrist as they neared, she allowed
the gadget to align with the sensor’s range.

“Wow. Are you really Batgirl?”
He wiggled his brows. “I always had a thing for superwomen.”

“Hardly.” A laugh burst from
her, though his assessment probably hit nearer the mark than he could know. “I
do have a thing for toys, though.”

“I wish you’d confessed that
before we left the stashes at Underground behind.” Chase sighed. “We’re
definitely going to have to take another trip there someday.”

The wrought iron parted,
admitting them to the property. Although the simple structure utilized clean
lines and a quaint charm she’d adored on first sight, the appointments were
still high quality. Henry had personally attended to the security, which meant
it outshone the needs of an average woman’s home. Hopefully it didn’t look too
suspicious.

Chase parked on the cobblestone
near the garage. When she would have joined him in the driveway, he wrapped his
fingers around her wrist. “Stay there. I’ll come get you.”

Chivalry could feel oppressive,
but not when he doled it out.

He assessed her through the
windshield as he rounded the hood then reached in to hand her out of the car.
“I like that look.”

“I’m glad since you’re easy on
my eyes.” She accepted his quick kiss before allowing him to walk her up the
stone and turf pathway to the front door.

“I know the feeling, love.”

A rustle came from the
wildflower bed beside them. Before she could catch a glimpse of the trespasser,
Chase had her tucked behind him. Feet spread shoulder width apart, knees
slightly bent, he faced the offender. As a living barrier between her and
whatever lurked in the bushes, he impressed her with both his protective
instincts and his lightning grace.

If she were ever in trouble, she
wouldn’t mind having him by her side. In this case, she laughed then rubbed the
tension from his impressive shoulders. “Calm down. It’s only Mr. Hoppers.
That’s his favorite spot. The lawn guy tells me he’s ruining the landscape. I
don’t mind though. He’s pretty adorable.”

“A rabbit? I think I can handle
one of those.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “You don’t have any guard
dogs inside, do you?”

“Nah.” A horrible pet parent,
she didn’t mention her two kitties safely ensconced in the hilltop home where
she spent most of her non-work hours. The burn of omissions started to steal
some of her joy. Is this what she really wanted? A night she could never
repeat?

“Just teasing, Linley. I
actually really like animals.” He took her hand and started them up the two
rock-hewn stairs to her porch. “I work late a lot, so I’ve limited myself to an
aquarium for now, though.”

“Really? Fresh or saltwater?”
She paused with her hand at the pinpad on her doorframe.

“Actually I have one of each. I
like the live plants and other fun stuff—like shrimp and snails—in my
freshwater tank, but the colors of the fish and corals in my saltwater tank are
incredible.” The pause that followed made her wonder if he censored himself
too.

Linley tried to hide her frown
by concentrating on the lock mechanism. “They are very beautiful. There’s a
giant setup in the lobby of…my…office building. I swear I see something
different each time I pass by.”

“They’re relaxing, too.” He
stroked his fingers through her hair as if to diffuse her mounting tension
through manual intervention.

To give her privacy to type in
her security code, Chase turned toward her more fully. His position allowed her
to discreetly place her thumb on the fingerprint reader, which had the door
swinging open. She looked at him with a smile designed to invite him across her
threshold.

The impact of his attention hit
her full force.

“Chase…”

“Don’t whisper to me in that
sexy tone if you’re still hoping we can hold off long enough for you to brew
that drink you wanted to share.” He cleared his throat and backed her through
the doorway and against the wall inside it. “I’m not used to waiting for what I
want.”

“Me either.” She gulped as he trailed
fingers across the bare skin at the top of her chest, parallel to the neckline
of her dress.

“And this…?” The chain of kisses
he laid down her neck nearly had her forgetting what he asked. “Is this what
you had in mind?”

“Yes.” She squeaked when he kicked
the door closed, locked it, then scooped her into his arms.

“No reason we can’t both have
our wish then. Which way to your bedroom?” The growled question came in
sections between languid kisses he dropped on her lips. Draped against his
chest, she swore she could hear his heart pounding. Or perhaps that was her
own.

Unable to pause long enough to
inform him of the direction, she caressed his cheek, testing the faint scratch
of his five-o’clock shadow. Then she drew herself up and reclaimed his lips.

He groaned as his tongue slipped
out to tease the seam of her smile. Allowing him entrance, she parted her lips
and was rewarded by the gentle probing of his wet, silky skin on hers. Totally
engrossed in the gentle nips and licks, she didn’t realize he’d ferreted out
her sleeping space until he lowered her to the plush duvet.

Chase swiped his jacket from
beneath her, folding it over the arm of a wingback chair in the corner. He slid
her shoes from her feet then kicked his off as well before climbing onto the
ultra-comfortable mattress topped with layers of soft covers and a mass of
pillows.

“This thing feels like a cloud.”
His sigh fanned stray hairs from her forehead. “It’s easy to believe I found an
angel tonight.”

“I don’t plan to be that
wholesome.” Another laugh mingled with their desire as she reached up to bite
his bottom lip.

Chase levered himself onto
straight-locked arms to peer into her eyes. “Really? How do you want this to
go? Slow and gentle aren’t my specialties, but you make me want to take the
scenic route and enjoy every curve of your gorgeous body.”

“I could work with that.”
Preparing herself for the torture of an extended teasing, she realized he’d
only paused—not finished—when he offered another option.

“Then again, if you’d rather
something a little more daring… Well, I know you must have been craving at
least something slightly out of the ordinary if you ventured into Underground
tonight.”

She closed her eyes and moaned
as she imagined him peppering her with kisses in an endless midnight seduction.
Until the fantasy morphed into one where he took her harder. Faster. With the
inherent authority she’d desperately tried to surrender tonight. Maybe he would
even lay his palm on her ass as he took her from behind, giving her more than
she could have dreamed possible at the beginning of the night.

Though both scenarios
appealed—like two amazing dessert options on a menu—she knew which flavor she
hungered for tonight.

If Linley said
I confess, I’m a hopeless romantic
click
here
or search for
4A - Romantic Interlude.

If Linley said
Let’s be nice and naughty
click
here
or search for
4B - A Pinch Of Spice.

Linley smirked. “Go home? I
don’t think so. Not until I’ve had a taste of this place—and you.”

“Ah, that’s what I figured. You
don’t strike me as a quitter.” He kissed her quick and hard. “I like to be
right, though.”

She took a step toward the
curtain, surprised when his fingers wrapped around her wrist to stall her.
“Don’t tell me you changed
your
mind?”

“Not going to happen, love.” The
grin lighting up his handsome face mesmerized her. “But you’re a bit
overdressed for Downstairs.”

When he lifted his chin in the
direction of the shadowed corner, she realized an attendant monitored a bank of
lockers. “We’ll leave our clothes here. You can keep your underwear if you
prefer, but most patrons go bare beyond this point. I’m surely not going to
complain if you decide to jump right in.”

As he spoke, he unknotted the
light blue silk tie he wore. Loosening the material from around his neck, he
got to work on the buttons of his crisp shirt. Frozen, she stared as he put
himself on display for her. Tan skin took the place of his fancy clothes. Naked
looked so much better on him than his designer suit that she nearly swallowed
her tongue.

“Thank you.” His smug smile had
her shaking her head, tempted to pinch the disc of his nipple, which tightened
at the loss of his shirt.

Deciding it’d be better to
undress before he had nothing left to occupy his attention and could stare at
her in return, she curled her fingers in the hem of her dress. Several deep
breaths later, she walked the pliant material up her thighs.

Chase groaned. “You’re gorgeous.
I’m a sucker for long, pretty legs.”

“Who wouldn’t love those?” The
attendant winked at her.

“Focus on me.” Her escort drew
her gaze to him once more. “There will be lots of people and distractions
around tonight. If you get shy or overwhelmed, concentrate on me and ignore the
rest.”

Either her imagination played
tricks or he’d edged closer when she glanced away from him. His suit jacket,
tie, and shirt were draped over his forearm. He extended them toward the
attendant then got to work on his belt. The
clink
of the buckle coming free, then the leather slipping through his loops, had her
shivering. She watched as he toed off his shoes.

“Don’t worry. It’s warmer
inside. The floor has radiant heat as well.” Chase paused to rub his hand along
her arm. “The sooner you strip, the sooner I can show you.”

Linley bit her lip. She peeled
the dress over her hips, up her stomach, and above her breasts. Ducking out of
the outfit, she handed it to the attendant. One hand propped on her hip, she
stood before Chase in heels and lacy black lingerie.

“I shouldn’t have looked until I
finished getting this damn zipper open.” He cursed mildly beneath his breath,
inciting a riot of giggles from her.

“Need some help?” She reached
for him and he relented, allowing her to tuck her fingers in the waistband of
his pants.

“Pretty sure that’s only going
to make the problem worse,” he grumbled.

Bold and unafraid, Linley rubbed
her palm over the bulge impeding his progress. She measured his length with her
curious fingers then shifted the pressure from his zipper.

“Was that a purr you just made?”
He grunted as he finally worked his trousers open.

“Might have been.” Unable to
stop herself, she leaned in for a kiss. The press of his smooth chest on her
mostly unclothed skin had her breath catching in her lungs. While their mouths
teased each other, he dropped his pants.

“Excuse me, Chase.” The
attendant cleared his throat. “I’m going to have to ask you kids to take this
into Downstairs. You know the rules.”

“Sorry, Nick.” Chase broke their
lip lock to apologize. He scrubbed his knuckles over his eyes and breathed deep
as if trying to get himself under control.

The racing of her heartbeat
meant she could relate. Nice to know she wasn’t the only one revved to the max.
To speed along the process, Linley sank to her knees at his feet. He glanced
down at her then scrunched his eyes closed. “You can’t do that here, love.”

“What? Take your pants off?” She
nipped the bulge of his quad as she tapped one of his heels. “Lift for me.”

When he did, she swept his
pants—and the gray boxer briefs he’d also shimmied down to his ankles—from his
foot. Shortly, they repeated the gesture on his other side. She gained her feet
carefully, thankful for his hands beneath her arms, helping her rise.
Especially when she got an up close and personal view of his thick hard-on.

Tonight was going to be one for
the history books, she was sure.

She handed her clothes to the
attendant, who beamed at her. “I wish I wasn’t on duty the whole evening. I’ve
never seen our boy so dazzled before. This could be fun to watch.”

Linley gasped. “Is this a
spectator sport?”

“Only if that’s what you want.”
Chase addressed her uncertainty in a flash. “Tonight is about your pleasure.
You tell me what you’d like to try and I’ll make it happen. Or prevent you from
being exposed to something that isn’t a turn on for you.”