Tina Beckett - New York City Docs

TOUCHING HER MADE something inside him come alive.

And at the moment he wasn’t touching anything except her hand as they rode up in the elevator. But she was gripping back as if her very life depended on maintaining that contact.

If someone had told him four years ago that he’d find himself riding to his apartment with this woman, he’d have said they were crazy.

But maybe he was the crazy one. Setting himself up for another big knock to the gut.

Nope. No gut involved. Just that single night of summer madness he’d been craving for what seemed like ages. Nothing below skin level would be involved. Because anything she touched would be on the surface. No emotions. No longing. Just skin-to-skin contact that he could wash off with a single quick spray of his showerhead. Just like soap or shampoo. Once applied, he would simply rinse it all off again.

But didn’t most of the instructions on those packages say “Lather, rinse… repeat ”?

Maybe one night should become two.

He tugged her closer, until their arms were touching. As long as he was smart about this, he could have sex with her as many times as he wanted and not be affected. After all, when Lizza had finally filed for divorce, it hadn’t hurt that much. In fact, he’d been relieved in some ways, except for the fact that Molly had been left without a mom for the most part.

He’d had superficial sex since then. Not very often, because he did have a daughter to think of. But the times he had, he’d been able to roll from beneath the woman’s sheets and get on with his life without a backward glance.

Except he hadn’t brought them to his place. He and Lizza had never even lived in this apartment. His home had become sacrosanct… a place reserved for him and Molly only.

So what was different now? He was about to violate his own unspoken rule: no liaisons of the sexual kind happened in the apartment. Ever.

Madness.

To keep from trying to rationalize things beyond that one word, he let go of her hand and draped his arm around her shoulders, allowing his fingertips to glide across the bare skin of her arm. On the second pass he moved the contact forward just a couple of inches, so that he was still on her arm, but the backs of his knuckles grazed the outside of her breast as he made his way back down. A shiver went through her.

The elevator stopped on his floor before he could do anything more.

And there was still a whole lot he wanted to do.

He spun her out of the elevator and against the door of his apartment, settling his mouth on hers in a way that he hoped left no question about what they were going to do. It wasn’t as if he thought she was going to angle for a cup of coffee and then flee for her life. But why take any chances?

When her palms landed on his butt, fingers splayed apart and urging him closer, he combusted, a flame shooting from his groin to the top of his head. She was evidently taking no chances, either.

He obliged her, pushing one knee between her legs and settling his stiff flesh against her thigh. Digging into his pocket for his key, he managed to get it into the lock beside her waist and twisted. The door gave way, and so did Tessa, tumbling to the hardwood floor and dragging him down with her. He was somehow able to keep from crushing her as he landed, her husky laugh washing over him in a flood he just couldn’t resist. So he stayed there, pushing the door shut with the sole of his shoe as he sank deeper into her soft curves, his aching flesh wanting nothing more than to yank her skirt up and be done with it. To hell with all the formalities.

But if he hurried it would be over.

As in… no second chances.

So he tried to rein himself in, thinking he would stand up calmly and lead her to the bedroom. But Tessa’s hands were on his ass again, only this time they’d somehow wormed their way beneath his waistband and briefs and were now on his bare skin. Her mouth found his at the same time, and he knew it was all over, because her kiss was warm and thorough, shot through with sensual promise.

He gave it one last shot. “My bedroom is just down the hallway.”

Her fingers traveled lower, setting off another set of explosions within his skull. Then she pulled her hands free. But before he could protest she shoved him up and over, until he was the one on his back and she was straddling his hips.

“Damn, Tess, if you wanted to be in charge, all you had to do was ask.”

She leaned over, elbows beside his shoulders, her breath washing over his lips. “I prefer to keep my opponent off guard.”

Hell if she hadn’t done that the whole time he’d known her. When she leaned over and gave his lower lip a quick bite, sucking it, his eyes closed as a wave of ecstasy swept over him.

“So I’m the opponent?” His voice came out rough, sounding very much as he felt—that what little control he had was rapidly crumbling.

She sat up and pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a tiny black bra that barely covered the tops of her breasts. “If you fight me on this, absolutely.”

“Honey, I have no intention of fighting anything.” He decided to have some fun of his own, reaching up to take hold of the fabric barely holding in her curves and tugging it down to expose them completely. “I just thought you might want a soft bed to do this in.”

Her fingers trailed along his jawline and one brow edged up. “I don’t want a soft… anything.”

To prove her point, she widened her legs and settled fully against him, shifting her hips along his length.

No softness there. Just a pulsing need that wouldn’t quit.

Tessa balled her skirt up and allowed it to rest on the tops of her thighs, baring them, while she reached for the button of his slacks.

“Wait.” He gritted out the word. “I told you I don’t want this to be a quickie. I want to enjoy you.”

“After getting me all worked up in the car as we drove here? No chance. And, believe me, I intend to enjoy it. Fully. Deeply.” The button popped free, and his zip went down. “And I somehow think you’ll manage to come along for the ride.”

At the rate she was going it would be a very short trip. But if that’s the way she wanted it, who was he to turn her down?

Then she had him in her hands. Squeezing. Stroking. Driving him out of his mind.

“Condom.”

“Pill.”

“In that case…” He took hold of her butt with both hands and lifted her slightly, waiting for her to hold herself in that position. Then he reached beneath her skirt and found her panties. Moist heat met his touch as he edged aside the silky fabric. “Let’s see just how fully and deeply we can go.”

He guided himself into position. She immediately pushed down hard until she was fully seated, a soft sound coming from her lips as she paused there. “Damn.”

Damn? Damn?

“Too deep?” Afraid he was hurting her, he started to reach for her, only to have her wave away his hands.

“No. Too good.” She sat very still, her bared breasts rising and falling as she breathed in and out, mouth open, eyes closed.

Hadn’t she just suggested that she was going to make him pay for what he’d done in the car?

Too late for you to try to draw things out now, darling.

And he was going to make sure she suffered as much as he was suffering. One hand went to her breast and the other beneath her skirt, both finding their targets within seconds.

Her eyes flashed open. “Wh-what are you doing?”

“Keeping my opponent off guard.” With that he pressed up deeper with his hips and used his thumb to glide over that most sensitive part of her.

Tessa moaned. “No, I won’t be able to—”