Rock My World (8 page)

“Then I promise, it will have been worth the wait.”

They kissed again, a slow, drowning kiss that belied the urgency of their need. “I don’t want to wait much longer,” he said. “We don’t know when the power will come back on.”

“I don’t want to wait, either.” Thank goodness for Tanisha’s condoms. She rolled over and dug in her bag for the box.

“What are you doing?” He snuggled against her, one hand caressing her breast, the other stroking her bottom.

“G-getting this.” She held up the foil packet, breathless from the way he was rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

He took the condom. “I don’t know whether to be surprised or pleased that you’ve been planning this.”

“Why should you be surprised?” She rolled onto her back and listened to him tear open the condom packet.

“You look so young and innocent.”

“I’m not innocent, and I’ve wanted to make love to you from practically the first time we met.”

The idea intrigued him. She didn’t strike him as the type of woman who went after anything in pants. What about him had drawn her? “Why me? You didn’t even know me.”

“You were…different. Sort of…aloof.”

“And you liked that?” That didn’t sound right.

“Only that you were a little mysterious.” She traced a finger down his chest. “That was sexy. And you have a sexy body. And…I don’t know. There was just something about you that made me want to know you better. But I was beginning to think it would never happen. You treated me like a little sister.”

“I don’t have a sister.” He sheathed himself, then nudged her legs apart so he could kneel between them. “And if I did, I promise I wouldn’t treat her anything like I’ve treated you.”

She started to answer back, but he reached down and parted her folds, zeroing in on the sensitive nub of her clit, and words failed her. He plucked and tugged at her, insistently, then more gently. She rolled her head back and was dimly aware of an animal moan escaping her lips.

Adam plunged into her at the moment of her climax. She contracted around him, drawing him deeper, and arched to meet him, riding the waves of release that rolled through her.

As her own urgency subsided, she brought her legs up and wrapped them around him. She held him tightly, making him work for each thrust, drawing him deeply within her, until every inch of him was sheathed in her wet satin heat. She reached one hand down to cup his balls, raking the tips of her nails across the sensitive flesh.

He thrust harder, deeper, grunting with the effort, then let out a strangled cry as he came.

He rose up on his knees and cradled her bottom in his hands, so that she was more or less sitting in his lap. She sensed more than saw his smile, and realized she wore a similar expression. “That was fantastic,” she said, and kissed his cheek. “Even better than I’d imagined.”

“Someday I’ll have to ask what you imagined, but not now.” He eased out and away from her, and she scooted back against the pillows.

He got up and headed for the bathroom. She listened to his receding footsteps and thought about that word
someday
. Did that mean he saw a future for them? She sensed he was still skittish, because they worked together and maybe because of his past experience with Bonnie. But no one at the station had to know they were a couple now. It might even be fun, sneaking around behind everyone’s backs.

Adam needed a little fun in his life. The man was way too serious, at least when he wasn’t on the
air. Maybe he was lonely. In any case, she was here now, and she was sure she had the cure for whatever ailed him.

T
HEY WOKE
M
ONDAY
morning to find the power restored and the Furniture Gallery already coming to life. There was no time for private conversation, as the morning’s schedule was filled with their regular show, plus the final tally of funds raised.

Including the ten thousand dollars pledged by Max, the KROK bed-in had netted thirty-one thousand dollars for the Salvation Army.

“Best promo we ever did,” Max declared when the broadcast shifted back to the station and everyone began packing to leave the Furniture Gallery. “Great for the shelter, great for my image and great for business. We sold ninety-seven mattress sets during the past three days.” He beamed at Erica. “We should make it an annual event.”

“You make something an annual event, you lessen the impact,” Carl said. “You have to keep coming up with new things to capture the public’s interest.”

“You put a pretty girl in a bed—what man’s not going to be interested in that? And for the women, you put a guy in there, too. Instant sex appeal.”

“We’ll talk about it next year.” Carl put his hand on Erica’s shoulder and steered her toward the door. “We’ve got to get back to the station.”

In the parking lot, they stopped by the KROK van Carl was driving. “You two have the rest of the day off, so go home and get cleaned up or rest, or whatever you have to do,” the manager said. “You did a good job.”

“Thanks, Carl.” She gave him a weary smile.

“I want a steak,” Adam said. “No more pizza and burgers.”

“Whatever. I want to see you both in my office first thing tomorrow morning.” He climbed into the van and drove away.

Erica looked at Adam. “Why does he want to see us in his office? Do you think he knows what happened between us?”

“How could he?
We
could hardly see each other. There’s no way anyone else saw us.”

True, the showroom had been very dark. But that hadn’t interfered with their sense of touch. Her nipples hardened at the memory.

“He probably just wants to give us some kind of formal thanks,” Adam added.

“Or he’s got some other promotion in mind.” She made a face. “This turned out not to be so bad, but what if he wants us to do something really stupid?”

“We’ll tell him to give the gig to Bonnie.” He patted her shoulder. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He stifled a yawn. “I think after my shower and my steak, I’ll take a nap. For some reason, I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Must have been the storm.” She stretched her arms over her head. “All that thunder and lightning kept me awake, too.”

“Thunder and lightning?” His eyes met hers, his expression suggestive.

“Yep. It was pretty spectacular.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” He patted her shoulder, then let his hand drop. “We’ll talk later.”

She nodded. “Good idea.” Though part of her wanted to go home with Adam right now, the rest of her realized a shower and a nap would make for a better time with him later. She started toward her car, then looked over her shoulder at him. “Hey, Adam.”

“Yeah?”

“We won’t be doing that much talking next time we get together. You’d better rest up. You’re going to need your energy.”

The interest that flashed into his eyes was worth the mad dash she had to make to her car. He stopped chasing her halfway across the parking lot and waved her on.

When she looked back, she saw Mason and another production worker surround him, laughing. She smiled and steered the car toward the exit from the parking lot. Carrying on a love affair with Adam amidst a bunch of nosy co-workers was going to be interesting. But then, she’d never been one to run from a challenge. Especially when the prize was so worthwhile.

T
UESDAY MORNING
, Adam arrived at work early. He told himself it was because he was eager to get back into the rhythm of a normal workday, but he knew the chance to see Erica before most of the other employees showed up had factored into his early arrival.

But she didn’t appear until five after eight. By then, Adam was already in Carl’s office while Audra took the morning show helm. He’d take his normal afternoon slot and Audra would do mornings until Nick was well.

“How’s Nick?” Adam asked, helping himself to a soda from the mini refrigerator by Carl’s desk. “When’s he going to be able to come back to work?”

“Next week, maybe. They’re supposed to kick him out of the hospital tomorrow.”

“He’s probably driving them all crazy.” He sank onto the sofa. “What did you want to see me about?”

“Let’s wait until Erica gets here.” Carl shuffled papers, then looked at Adam again. “Now that you’ve had a little time to think, what’s your assessment of her?”

Adam blinked, surprised at the question.
She’s the sexiest, smartest, most amazing woman I’ve met in years.
But that probably wasn’t the answer Carl was looking for. “Like I said before, she’s a natural on the air. Quick thinker. Calm. She has a great rapport with the listeners.”

Carl nodded. “I wanted to make sure your opinion hadn’t changed. So she acted like a pro?”

“Sure. She didn’t falter once.”

“Good.”

“Hi, Carl. Adam.” At that moment, the woman herself breezed in. “Sorry I’m late. I overslept.” She settled next to Adam on the sofa and crossed her legs. She’d taken the pink out of her hair and today wore it in a curly style. She looked great, as usual. “Can you imagine? All that time in bed, you’d think I’d have caught up on my sleep.”

Adam bit the inside of his cheek to keep from giving away the truth about how little sleep either of them had gotten in that bed.

“Adam and I were just talking about the great job you both did with the promo,” Carl said. “We got ter
rific listener response. Well, except for that one complaint, but that didn’t harm us any.”

“I thought it went really well.” She smiled at Adam. “It helped having Adam there to help me.”

“The two of you make a great team. I want to keep that momentum going, keep you two on the air together.”

“Please don’t tell me you’ve got another crazy promotional stunt in mind,” Adam said.

“Those crazy promotional stunts keep us in business. But no, I have something bigger in mind. I want you two to do the afternoon drive-time slot together from now on.”

Adam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Talk about a bad idea. If he and Erica were partners on air, no way could they team up after hours. The potential for trouble was too huge. “Carl, I don’t think—”

“That’s a fantastic idea!” Erica clapped her hands together, the smile on her face bright enough to light the building. “Thank you. Thank you.”

About that time, Adam’s objection apparently registered. She turned to him, her smile gone. “You don’t want to work with me?”

“It’s not that I don’t think you’re great,” he hastened to add. “It’s just that I’ve always done my own thing.”
And I’d rather have you as my girlfriend than my working partner.

“So the Hawk won’t be flying solo anymore,” Carl said. He sat back in his chair, hands folded on his stomach. “We’ll call it the Hawk and Honey show.”

“Honey?” Erica laughed. “I don’t know if I can say that with a straight face.”

“It’s all in how you sell it. You’re a pro, I’m sure you can do it.”

“It’s sexist,” Adam said.

“Not sexist,
sexy
.” Carl’s eyebrows drew together in a V. “Is there some reason you and Erica shouldn’t work together? Something you aren’t telling me?”

He glanced at her. She was sitting on the edge of her seat, an eager look in her eyes. For someone like her, a prime radio slot on the biggest rock station in the market was a dream come true. No way could he ruin that dream for the sake of his own libido.

“You’re right, Carl. It’ll be great. The listeners are probably getting tired of me by myself anyway.”

“Thank you, thank you. I promise it’ll be great.” She beamed at both of them. “When do we start?”

“How about this afternoon? Play up the idea that you two had so much fun together at the bed-in you couldn’t bear to break up the party.”

“We don’t want to give people the wrong idea,” Adam said.

Carl laughed. “The entertainment business is all about giving people the wrong idea. Remember, sex appeal and excitement sell. So flirt, banter, whatever works.”

“That should be simple enough.” She gave him a knowing look.

He shifted his gaze away from her. For Erica, it probably did seem simple. She couldn’t see the problems he did, didn’t know how hard it was at times to live life in the public eye. He didn’t relish being the one to wake her up to reality.

W
HEN
E
RICA LEFT
Carl’s office, she could hardly contain her excitement. She ran downstairs and straight to
Tanisha’s desk. “Whoa, what’s gotten into you?” Tanisha looked up from a stack of reports she was collating. “You look ready to float up to the ceiling.”

“I feel like I could.” She sank into the chair next to the desk. “The most amazing thing just happened.”

Tanisha set aside the reports. “You got picked for the next season of
Survivor?
A long-lost uncle left you a million dollars? Wait—I know. Carl just doubled your salary. Now
that
would be amazing.”

She laughed. “None of that, but something almost as good. Carl liked the way Adam and I interacted during the promo so much that he’s putting me on the afternoon drive-time show with him!”

Tanisha’s eyes widened. “You mean like a partner?”

She nodded. “Yes. Can you believe it?” The thought of working with Adam every day was too sweet. “It’s incredible.”

“Wow. Congratulations.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “So you never did give me the scoop. What happened after I loaned you the lingerie? Exactly how much did you and the Hawk interact?”

Erica grinned. “Let’s just say I think you should definitely try that outfit on that guy in your building. The results for me were…impressive.”

“Uh-huh. Did you make use of those condoms I sent along?”

“Oh
yes
.”

“Get out of here!” Tanisha slapped Erica’s arm. “How did you manage that with the security cameras and everything?”

Erica looked around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned closer, keeping her voice low. “You re
member that big storm Sunday night? When the power went out?”

“Yeah.”

“Well…no electricity, no cameras.”

Tanisha laughed. “You go. So what are you going to do now that you’ll be working together on air?”

She straightened and smoothed her skirt over her thighs. “We haven’t really talked about it.”

“The man doesn’t talk much, I’ve noticed.”

“He’s better when we’re alone. I definitely want to see more of him. And I think he feels that way, too.” Some men were harder to read than others. Adam had definitely been into her Sunday night, but this morning he’d seemed less sure. Maybe he was just gun-shy, remembering what had happened with Bonnie. Or maybe some other woman had screwed him up in the past. No matter. If he was reluctant, she was sure she could persuade him. After all, they still had a lot of discovering to do, both in and out of bed.

“If Carl finds out, he’ll have a conniption. Probably fire you both. You, for sure, since you don’t have any seniority.”

“I know.” She ought to be worried about that, but the idea of having to sneak around with Adam to keep anyone from finding out about their relationship made things that much more exciting. “We’ll be careful.”

“So you get the man, and your own show.” Tanisha shook her head. “The stars are sure lining up for you. But you’ve still got another problem.”

“What’s that?”

“The Bombshell is going to explode when she hears this one.”

Bonnie. For a moment Erica had forgotten about her unpredictable co-worker. “No, I don’t imagine she’ll be too happy.”

“Are you kidding? If I were you, I’d steer clear of her for the next few days, at least.”

“That’s going to be hard to do, since she does the weather and traffic reports during the show.”

“Yeah, well at least Adam will be there to run interference.”

“I’m sure he’s thrilled with that idea.” Maybe that explained why he’d been less than enthusiastic about them working together.

“What are they going to call the show, anyway?” Tanisha asked. “It can’t be Afternoons with the Hawk anymore.”

“Carl wants to call it the Hawk and Honey show.” She made a face. “Can you believe it?”

Tanisha laughed. “Honey? Sounds like something Carl would come up with. I suppose it could be worse.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She stood, ready to get to work. “If I have to change my name to Lambchop to do this, I will.”

The phone rang. “I’d better answer that,” Tanisha said. “But congratulations. I can’t wait to hear you on the air.”

“Thanks.” She turned and headed for the break room. Tonight she might treat herself to a bottle of champagne to celebrate, but for now a cup of strong coffee would have to do.

She wasn’t too surprised to find Adam already in the break room, seated at one of the tables. “I thought you might come down here after you got finished with
Carl,” she said as she poured the last cup of coffee from the carafe. “Did he say anything else interesting after I left?”

“No, he just wanted me to take over some of Nick’s in-stores and concert gigs until he’s on his feet again.”

She took the seat across from him and busied herself adding packets of creamer and sugar to her coffee, while she studied him through lowered lashes. He looked more rested than he had over the weekend, the tiredness gone from his eyes. But he was never what she would call relaxed. He always had a watchfulness about him, as if he were sizing up every situation, never accepting anything at face value. No wonder he’d been dubbed “the thinker” by some since-departed station wag and that the label had stuck. But Erica wondered if it didn’t mean he tended to overthink some situations.

Not that she could be accused of overthinking. If anything, she was too impulsive at times. For instance, she’d once decided on a whim to drive to California for the weekend, ditching her job and the guy she was dating without a second thought. Looking back, she could see it wasn’t the smartest move, though it had been fun at the time.