Special Delivery (3 page)

She slipped into a dimly lit hallway then through a door to a tiny closet used for storage. She’d been the photographer at a wedding at this banquet hall years ago and still remembered the layout. Inside the small space there were extra folding chairs, tables and other supplies. Zach was close behind her and crossed the threshold of the closet seconds after her. She’d barely had time to shut and lock the door before he had his hands all over her body. He leaned toward her and, using his powerful chest, wedged her there between him and the door. His mouth, warm and insisting, found hers and he plowed all ten of his fingers into her hair as he kissed her.

Too turned on to care about her mussed appearance or the fact that she’d spent an hour creating the glamorous waved hairstyle, Corina moaned in response and ground her breasts against him. He growled and tilted her head back further. His kiss became even more passionate and erotic as he plunged his tongue into her mouth over and over.

She ran her hands over his shirt, vest and tuxedo jacket. She wanted to rip the finery off his body and expose his chiseled form. He ended their kiss abruptly and pulled back to look her in the eyes.

As if reading her mind, Zach said, “God, I’d love nothing more than to tear that dress off your delicious body.”

He thought her body was delicious? The notion made her giddy and even hornier. “As much as I’d love that, this dress does have a zipper. It’s right here, you see,” she said, pointing to the zipper hidden in a seam along the left side.

“That will take too much time,” Zach said while edging the hem of her dress up her leg. “We’ll have to be quick and neat,” he added, almost as an afterthought. Once he’d bunched the heavy-beaded material of the gown, he knelt in front of her.

“God, those are hot,” he told her and ran his fingertips over the top of her thigh-high stockings. He placed a soft kiss where the silky nylons met her smooth flesh.

Corina arched her back when his hot, wet mouth on her skin. She used his hands, which were wrapped around the back of her legs, for support. He moved his fingers up and gripped her bare ass, hard.

“Oh, my God, you’re wearing a thong,” he said around a groan. He pulled the flimsy piece of material down her hips. “You’re so beautiful, and not just here,” Zach told her and brushed his fingertips along her folds.

Her clit throbbed in response to his words and his fingers. She leaned her head on the door when she felt his fingers explore her wet depths. His touch was slow and light. It was as though he were testing her. Teasing her. Corina wanted and needed more. She began writhing against his hand, craving release. He must have sensed her urgency, because he used the pad of his thumb to touch the hard pearl of flesh at the top of her sex. He circled the slippery bud in a deliberate stroke that caused her to cry out.

“Please,” she begged softly. She was dying to moan, but she couldn’t risk the two of them getting caught. “Zach…”

“Please, what?” He released his hold on her throbbing, wet flesh. Standing to his full height again, he slipped her thong in the inside pocket of his tuxedo jacket. “Tell me what you need, Corina,” he challenged as he stared into her eyes.

“This,” she whispered and reached for the waistband of his trousers.

With deft fingers, she lowered the zipper and freed his cock from its rigid confines. His erection filled her hand with its heavy weight while the silky flesh caressed her skin. She used her thumb to stroke the wide crest and released a purr of satisfaction when she found the moisture-laden tip.

Zach’s mouth claimed hers again and he used his tongue to probe the deep recesses of her mouth. She smoothed her fingers along the length of his cock as he once again gathered the heavy-beaded material around her waist. When her bottom half was exposed, he wasted no time. Lifting her leg, he wrapped her limb around his hips and drew her closer to him. Corina released her hold on his erection. She decided to let go of what remained of her inhibitions and let Zach take control.

He pressed her into the solid support of the door and tilted her ass upward. He entered her with one fluid motion. Corina arched her neck and bit her lip to keep from crying out in pleasure. The immense crown of his cock stroked her insides while his expert fingers explored her clit. She ground her pelvis on his and matched him thrust for thrust.

The whispers from the heavy fabric of their clothing as their bodies ground together were the only sounds in the small room. Knowing that the wooden door was the one barrier between them and the crowd was an intense turn-on. Corina’s blood pumped faster with the realization that at any moment they could get caught.

When her orgasm hit it was hard, fast and intense. Corina gripped Zach’s ass through the rough material of his trousers and buried her face in his neck, muffling her cries of pleasure. A shudder traveled through Zach’s large form and his arms shook slightly as he tightened his grip on her. His hot seed flooded her inner walls. He hissed between clenched teeth, his breath a moist stream against her neck. They held each other while panting and trying to catch their breaths. He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

Slowly, they disentangled themselves from each other’s grasp. When Zach removed his semi-hard cock from her body, the magnitude of what had just occurred hit her. She didn’t know whether to blame it on the alcohol or her hormones, but she’d wanted their tryst to happen. She’d initiated it. Unsure what had come over her, Corina couldn’t meet his eyes. She’d never had such a blatantly sexual escapade in a public place before, nor had she ever given herself over to a man so quickly. She smoothed her dress over her hips then patted her hair into place. She needed out. Now.

“If you’ll excuse me, Zach, I need to run to the restroom.” Corina spun on her heel, gripped the doorknob then bolted out the door before he could say anything in return.

It wasn’t until she was in the ladies’ room that she realized he’d kept her panties.

“Shit,” she muttered at her rumpled reflection in the mirror.

* * * *

“Damn, honey. A quickie with Mr Walking Sex
and
you’re going commando in your evening gown? Bad ass.”

Anderson took the news that she and Zach had hooked up at the benefit about as well as Corina had expected.

“Don’t remind me,” she said, her face growing warmer. Ready to leap from the car before it even came to a stop, she reached for the door handle the moment Anderson pulled his sleek sports car into her driveway. She couldn’t wait to get inside, kick off her high heels and scrub the makeup from her face. She even considered burning the green evening gown. Could she ever wear the garment again without thinking about this disastrous night?

“How am I supposed to face him? I can’t go on that date. He must think I’m some kind of—”

“Hot, sexual woman who’s not afraid to go after what she wants?”

“That’s not even close to what I was about to say.”

“I know, honey, but you don’t think like a man. If he doesn’t have the sense to call you or want to see you again after tonight, then fuck him. Oh, wait, you already did that,” Anderson said, giving her a saucy wink.

When would she learn to keep some things to herself? Anderson would never let her live this evening down. Unfortunately, she had to wallow in her worry for the next two days. She hoped she could summon the restraint to make it through her date with Zach without acting like an animal in heat.

Chapter Three

Corina tossed the last of the items into the wicker picnic basket and gathered her purse and sunglasses.

“I’ll see you later, Pris. Be a good girl,” she said to the basset and rubbed the pooch behind her long, droopy ears.

Corina placed the picnic basket in the backseat of her small SUV, then hopped in and revved the engine to life. It was a beautiful spring day, she realized, depressing the button that opened the moon roof. Despite the butterflies in her stomach, she smiled to herself, thankful that the weather had decided to cooperate with her plans for the day. Corina pressed on the accelerator and merged with the fast-moving traffic on the interstate. She was on her way to pick Zach up for their date and her mind wandered during the short drive to his house. How would he react to seeing her again? How would she respond to seeing him?

The last time they’d seen each other, she’d run away immediately after their hot, secret escapade. Despite the pep talk that Anderson had given her, Corina still felt as though Zach would treat her differently on their date. She wondered if he would act distant or if he’d be just as charming and flirty as he had on all their previous encounters. If he did act coldly toward her, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d slept with a man too soon and he lost interest once he’d gotten what he wanted from her. Corina resolved that if Zach did behave like an ass, she’d grit her teeth, smile and get through with the date she’d planned. Or maybe he’d make some flimsy excuse and weasel out of the whole thing, relieving her of any awkward interactions altogether.

“Quit overthinking it,” she muttered and pulled into the parking lot of Zach’s building. She gave herself a quick once-over in the rear-view mirror.

She hopped out of her vehicle then walked toward the large three-story brick building. When she entered the lobby, she used the electronic intercom system to buzz Zach’s apartment. Upon hearing the deep timbre of his voice come through the speaker, she jumped.

“Corina? I’ll be right down.”

As she waited for his arrival, she turned her back to the entryway and studied some of the architectural details of the ancient building’s interior. She took in the patina on the faces of the brass doors on the mailboxes and the crown molding on the ceiling. Corina spun at the sound of the heavy wooden door as it swung open. Zach entered the lobby looking sexy as always in faded jeans and an olive-green shirt. She couldn’t help but notice the way the hue set off his tan complexion and complemented his hair and eye color. He looked down into her face and smiled sexily.

“Nice pants,” he said. He dropped a kiss on her cheek and casually slung an arm about her shoulders.

Corina had almost worn a different pair, but the compliment and the way Zach lustily eyed her hips made her glad she hadn’t. The salmon-colored Dockers hugged her hips and she knew the material cupped her round ass in an appealing way. She had paired the bottoms with a light-weight dove gray top and had completed the ensemble with a denim jacket.

Zach definitely wasn’t acting cold or distant toward her. He was behaving as though the two of them were…dating. True, they were going out together on a date, but the familiarity that he bestowed on her through his kiss and touch made her feel like they were a couple. She smiled to herself at the thought and was relieved to know that their day together wouldn’t be the awkward experience she’d envisioned on the drive over.

“This is my car. I thought I’d drive since I’m the one who knows what we’re doing and where we’re going today. I hope that’s okay with what you have planned for later?”

“Sure is. It sounds great. I love it when a woman is in charge,” he said with a wink. “Wait, let me.” Zach pulled the car door open for her. “Wow, did you bring your entire closet with you?” he teased when he glanced at the clothes spread across her backseat.

“I brought along a change of clothes,” she said a
nd
shrugged. “Since I was unsure what your plans for this evening entailed, I brought several choices.”

“Maybe we don’t need clothes for what I have planned,” he purred.

Corina’s cheeks flamed and was unsure why. She would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t want to sleep with Zach again. Since they’d already done it, she had no idea why she was so hung up about doing it again. Well, she knew why she felt like she should be ashamed of their intimacy.

“I’m sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable?” Zach asked her softly as he hopped into the passenger seat.

“No, I’m being silly.”

“Why do you say that? Do you regret what happened at the auction?”

Corina silently thanked him for being sensitive enough to her mood to understand that she obviously wasn’t completely comfortable with the fact that they’d slept together before their first official date. She took her attention off the road long enough to connect her gaze with his. He seemed to be eying her cautiously, as though gauging her reaction. Corina realized why she felt embarrassed. It wasn’t because she regretted her actions. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to have sex with him again. It was because she wanted it to happen again so badly that she was scared of what might happen when the two of them appeared in public together this afternoon.

How were people going to regard them, sprawled out on a blanket sharing lunch in Forest Park and strolling through the museum? More importantly, how would Zach react to people seeing the two of them? If she hadn’t slept with him, she wouldn’t care how they looked together. In fact, had she not already been physical with Zach, she would have purposely kept their date platonic. Her usual dating rule was to let the man make the first move. She had blown that rule at the charity event when she’d initiated sex with Zach. It had undeniably been the best sex of her life, but it had definitely complicated things.

“Corina, is everything okay?” he asked in a low, urgent tone. He grabbed her right hand.

His voice snapped her out of her moody reverie and made her realize she hadn’t answered his question. She knew he deserved an answer, but she was unsure what she could tell him. Did she want to admit that she was worried he’d realize he was out of her league?

“I don’t regret being with you. What happened at the charity event was…hot, to say the least. To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure how you’d react when I showed up for our date today. I didn’t know if you’d still want to actually go out. A part of me worried that you would just expect me to hop in the sack with you as soon as I showed up at your place.” She let out a long breath, slowing the car’s speed in order to get on the exit ramp.

“Is that why you ran away from me without even saying goodbye the other night?”