Susan Mallery: The Ladies' Man

Carter turned off the engine, then looked at the carport. “Let me guess,” he said, eyeing the cars parked there. “The gray sedan.”

She unfastened her seat belt and had the satisfaction of knowing she was about to shock him. “The little red, two-seater convertible.”

His eyes widened. “No way.”

“Way.”

His gaze settled on her face. “Why wasn’t my kindergarten teacher more like you?”

“Maybe she was. Five-year-olds tend not to notice stuff like that.”

“I guess.”

Before she could thank him for the ride, he climbed out of the truck. She did the same and they met on the sidewalk.

“You don’t have to walk me up,” she said.

“I want to. This is a full-service rescue.”

She felt nervous and out of her element, but not afraid. She liked Carter and while she knew she would probably never see him again, she couldn’t help being glad he didn’t want to run right off.

She led the way up the stairs to the far apartment. As they passed between her overflowing plant stands, he asked, “Yours?”

She pulled her keys out of her purse. “Another hobby. I like to grow things.”

“A kindergarten teacher who dances and has a green thumb. Interesting.” He stepped a little closer and lightly touched her cheek with his fingertips. “I’m going to kiss you, Rachel. I’m telling you this in advance, so you can race inside, slap me or go with it and kiss me back. We all know what my choice would be, but you get a say in this, too.”

The porch light brought out the gold in his blond hair. He was both handsome and sexy, a fairly irresistible combination. She hadn’t been on a date in months or been kissed in nearly two years and until this exact moment, hadn’t realized how much she’d missed having a man in her life.

“I’m not the slapping type,” she murmured, her gaze locked with his.

He gave her a slow, knowing smile that made her shiver.

“Good to know,” he said, right before he kissed her.

Carter’s mouth was warm and firm on hers, but tender. Rachel had thought he might be one of those pushy kissers, claiming what he wanted. Instead he moved back and forth against her mouth, giving just enough to make her want more.

One of them moved toward the other. She wasn’t sure who was responsible for the sudden closeness, but she wasn’t going to complain about the feel of his hard, muscled body pressing against hers. He smelled good—like the outdoors, with a hint of masculine temptation. Heat radiated from him, making her want to cuddle even closer, like a cat looking for a sunny spot.

One of his hands continued to stroke her cheek, lightly brushing against her skin, while the other rested on her waist. She wondered if he were holding her in place. Had her mouth not been so busy pressing up against his, she would have told him that she had no intention of going anywhere.

He brushed the very tip of his tongue against her lower lip. The tiny movement was both exciting and erotic. She parted for him, then held her breath in anticipation of him deepening the kiss.

He moved forward slowly, cautiously, as if giving her time to retreat. Instead all she could think was how long it had been since she’d really kissed a man. Not since she’d broken off her engagement nearly two years ago.

At the exact moment his tongue gently stroked hers, need exploded inside of her. The intensity was as shocking as it was unexpected. She wanted more, needed more. Her body suddenly ached to have him touching her. Skin tightened, her breasts swelled. She let her purse slip to the ground, then wrapped both arms around his neck and leaned into him.

He accepted her with a low groan that made her nipples tighten. He pulled her against him, even as he ran his hands up and down her back. She tilted her head and he deepened the kiss, exploring all of her mouth with an urgency that made her tremble.

The depth of passion stunned her. She’d never felt like this from just a kiss and certainly never with a man she’d just met. It was insane. It was also thrilling and arousing and so not anything she was used to.

Carter pulled back slightly. He kissed her cheeks, then along her jaw and down her neck.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured. “Are you trying to make guys crazy on purpose?”

She could barely breathe, let alone speak, but she forced herself to gather her thoughts. “What are you talking about?”

“Those damn curves in that prim little dress,” he muttered as he licked the sensitive skin just below her ear. “It shouldn’t be legal.”

Her eyes popped open and she stared into the darkness of the night. “Me?” she asked in a voice that squeaked. “But I need to lose about fifteen pounds.” Twenty, really, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that aloud. “I’m not…”

“Incredible?” he asked, brushing her mouth with his. “Sexy? Stunning?” He straightened and smiled. “If this wasn’t the first time I’d kissed you and if I hadn’t been raised to know better, I’d show you exactly what you’ve done to me.”

Curiosity exploded. Was he talking about what she thought he was talking about? Had she really aroused him?

For her own part, she felt more than a little tingly, but he was so much more cool than she could ever hope to be.

She looked into his dark eyes and saw fire burning there. His desire matched her own growing need.

“I’ve never…” she said, then cleared her throat. “I don’t…”

“I know,” he said with more than a little regret. “I swore off sex on the first date about the time I turned twenty. You’re not the type.” He smiled ruefully. “I’ll tell you what, Rachel. You’re enough to make me rethink my plan of swearing off women.”

He kissed her again, then bent down and picked up her purse. She took it from him and held it in both hands. It was that or reach for him again.

He drew in a deep breath. “Here’s what I think. You’re gonna go inside your place, smile, thank me for a great evening and close the door.” He frowned. “You need to lock it, too.”

That made her smile. “You’re not the type to break in.”

“I don’t know. I haven’t been this tempted before.”

His words made her tremble. She knew his advice was sound, but it was amazingly difficult to force herself to open her door, then step inside alone. Still, she did it. She set her keys and her purse on the small table by the door, then drew in a breath and prepared to tell him goodbye.

She was in his arms. She wasn’t sure who made the move, but it didn’t matter because holding him and being held felt so good. Even as his mouth claimed hers in a kiss that stirred her to her soul, she savored the feel of his hands as he ran them up and down her back. She could feel the pressure of his fingers, the heat of him. When he lingered on her hips, she instinctively arched toward him. Her belly brushed against his erection.

Need rushed through her. He hadn’t been kidding—he did want her. Just as she wanted him. Nothing about this made any sense at all, but where men were concerned, she’d always been cautious. She’d had exactly two lovers in her life and she’d waited until she’d been sure they were in love and talking about getting married before giving in. She’d never been with a stranger. Until tonight she’d never even kissed a stranger. She was sure that in the bright light of day she would have given herself a stern talking-to, but right now she didn’t care.

She placed her hands on his chest and allowed herself to explore him. As their tongues circled and danced and mated, she learned how she liked to breathe in the scent of his skin.

He set his hands on her waist and moved them up. Slowly, slowly, as if giving her time to protest. Without thinking, she covered his hands with hers and brought them to her breasts.