The Hot List Page 6

  As soon as we’re inside the lake house, I pull Audrey into my arms and kiss her slowly. Passion swells and breaks like a tsunami over my head. I could drown in her. I almost want to. Before I lose my shit and fuck her on the hand-hewn hickory floor, I pull back.

  “I’ve got condoms in my bag upstairs. Just a minute, okay?”

  She shakes her head. “I’m on the pill.” She nibbles on my bottom lip. “And I guess I’m going to have to trust you. I guess I already did.”

  “I’d rather die than hurt you. You can trust me.” I hold her face with my hand, my face serious. I want her to know I’m talking about more than safe sex.

  “I trust you,” she whispers.

  I lace my fingers in hers and lead her to the master bedroom. Blessing Derek and Claire for their attention to detail, I hit the lighting button on the remote. I want to see Audrey—all of her.

  I make short work of my clothes, shucking them quickly. She takes in my body with an eager stare and reaches for me, but I capture her hands and give them back to her. I want to devour her with my eyes first.

  “Take off your blouse,” I direct her. “Slowly. Then your skirt.”

  She lifts her shirt over her head and then unties her skirt, letting it drop around her ankles. My dick bounces. She stares, lust in her eyes, but I plan to make her wait.

  “Now panties.” My open palm skims along my cock as I watch her bend over to slide them down and off. “Bra.”

  She unhooks her bra and lets it fall free. She stands in front of me completely unashamed, as she should be. She’s flawless. Her full breasts point toward me, their rosy nipples hardening under my gaze. I drink her in, but don’t move toward her. Not yet. I let the pressure build in me before I let myself touch her.

  “Show me how you touched yourself when you thought of me, Audrey.”

  She climbs onto the large bed, stretching out on her side to face me. She caresses her breasts, rolling her pebbled nipples between her fingers. One hand sneaks between her legs, and she rolls onto her back, her face still turned to me. As I wrap a fist around my cock and pump slightly, her breath hitches. She watches me with darkened eyes, and her hand dives lower. So many times I thought of her while I jerked off, wondering if she was alone, wondering if she ever pleasured herself thinking of me. Knowing it’s true is as satisfying as I hoped. I want to be the one between her legs now. Since she’s been so compliant, I push further, to see how much control she’ll give me.

  I step to the bed and capture her bobbing hand, lifting it over her head. She’s spread out on the coverlet like a work of art, both arms raised, waiting for me to decide what happens next. I bend over her to take her mouth with none of the rawness of earlier today. I lick at the seam of her lips, and probe gently when she opens for me. As my tongue dances with hers, I run my hands down to her breasts and knead lightly. Pulling away for a breath, I trace up to her collarbone and cup her chin.

  “You’re so beautiful, Audrey. I’ve waited so long to see you like this, to touch you here—” I rub the pad of my thumb over her nipple. “—and here…”

  My palm skims over her stomach and all the way down her leg to her toes. She’s still laid out under me, legs spread, arms up. It’s almost a mystery how we got from this morning’s angry resentment to this moment, with her body and soul bared to me. I want to mark every inch of her flesh. My fingers linger on her upper thigh, and I bend to kiss her there. Her breath hisses through her teeth as I suckle the velvety soft skin. She smells like sex. Like us.

  With a gentle nudge, I roll her onto her stomach and climb onto the bed beside her. God, I love this view of her, too. Her curves seem almost impossible, the tiny waist and luscious round ass I can’t get enough of. The kind of lines painters love. I move over her and worship her with lips and tongue and occasionally teeth. She squirms beneath me, her breaths fast and shallow. I work down to her calves and back up to cover her with my body, relishing the pure joy of her skin on mine. My rigid cock nestles into the valley between her legs, and her fingers flex in the covers. I rub the head of my cock along her folds, and she whimpers. My muscles tremble with the effort of holding back, but I’m not ready to end this good hurt.

  So I roll her back to face me for another long, searching kiss as I angle my hips so the hard ridge of me glides over her clit.

  “Say my name,” I whisper in her ear. “Do you want me, Audrey? Tell me you want me as much as I want you.”

  My head moves over her breast. She grips my head as I circle her nipple with a flattened tongue, then harden it to flick over the hard peak. “Yes, oh my god, yes, I want you. I want you in me, filling me up. Fuck me, Caleb. Please fuck me now.”

  “Unh uh, not yet. Not before I get another taste of you. Your voice is so sexy. Tell me what you like, Audrey.” I pepper more kisses over her skin, still just a little salty with sweat from our last encounter. My dick throbs as if it remembers the way she feels around me. At the top of her mound I pause.

  “Kiss my thigh.” She’s hesitant, testing the waters.

  I place my mouth on her inner thigh and suck gently, my tongue tasting the slight saltiness of her skin. I lift her knees and then press them to the side so that she blooms under my gaze. The petals of her sex glisten, wet and ready.

  “One finger,” she breathes. “And then two.”

  I comply.

  Her chin lifts and her eyes close as I slip in the second finger. I curl them upward and stroke along her upper wall. I don’t wait for permission to add three. Her hips strain toward me.

  “Now kiss my clit. Take it between your lips—gentle, Caleb—and suck. Now your tongue, but keep it soft. Oh god, yes. Like that.”

  My balls draw up and my dick jumps. Her voice, raspy with desire, telling me exactly how to touch her, is almost more than I can stand. My free hand grips my dick in a vise. I squeeze the base of the shaft, applying pressure to stem the rising tide of my arousal. I need more time.

  She’s noticed my inattention as I attempt to wrestle my body into line. “Faster, Caleb. Can you go faster?”

  I comply.

  My hand strokes inside her as my tongue circles and flicks over the swollen nub. She’s moaning now, her hips jerking involuntarily when my fingers skim over the place inside that rests under her clit, double stimulation at her body’s most intense pleasure center. And I’m not done.

  Kneeling at the altar between her thighs, I release my dick and angle my thumb into her slit, under the hand still fucking her, bathing it in her natural lubrication. Then I press against her asshole, gently moistening the opening with her own juices.

  “Oh my god.” I think for a minute she’s going to freeze up, but she doesn’t. She trusts me. “I’m so close, Caleb. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

  She’s so wet, dripping. I moisten my thumb again, then circle her asshole until I feel it relax. I gently press in a couple centimeters and stop all motion, letting her adjust. Her body quivers. Her chest heaves with gasping breaths. And then one at a time, I move inside her, then flick my tongue over her clit, and then gently rock my thumb against the rim of her asshole. One breath. Two. And then her back arches off the bed and she chants yes in a building crescendo until the band snaps, and she crashes in on herself, shuddering in fading waves. I pull my fingers out of her pussy and replace them with my tongue, lapping up her essence.

  Her eyes drift open, and she lifts an arm sluggishly, drunk on pleasure. It falls back to the bed. “Caleb, I can’t move,” she slurs thickly.

  I grin wolfishly as I tug her legs down straight, massaging and caressing the tight muscles.

  “Oh no, we’re not done. Now I’m going to fuck you, Audrey, since you asked so nicely.”

  Her eyes flutter closed and her lips part, as if the last traces of her orgasm linger in her system. As she drifts, I stack pillows in a wedge against the headboard, and then I wiggle my arms under her and lift, propping her on the fluffy incline. Her thighs part almost instinctively, urging me home. Despite the ca
re I’ve taken, urgency takes me now. When I kiss her roughly, she holds me tight, nails digging into my nape. My cock swells again. I’m so hard I feel like I might shatter. The only thing for it is her softness, wet with the pleasure I gave her.

  I lift her knees and fold her legs against her, high on either side of my waist. She has enough strength to brace against me, gripping my sides with her knees.

  “Good,” I whisper. “Are you ready for me?”

  She nods, staring into my eyes. The infinite depth in her blue green irises hypnotizes me. I want to tell her other things, things I shouldn’t think. Things I’ve denied. But instead I concentrate on physical pleasure, mine and hers together. I hold her intense stare as I enter her, just the head, and circle my hips. Her lips fall open. I push farther in and stop again. My arms tremble as I work my dick in a circle inside her, sinking deeper until I’m flush against her, riding high so the motion stimulates her clit. I’m holding no tricks back to pull another climax from her tonight. But I need it fast, because there’s no way I can last. It’s like her pleasure was mine; making her come brought me so close to my own release.

  Need consumes me, and I give in to the need to thrust. I pull out slowly at first, then pick up speed as my control falters. I fill her, stretching her body around me. Bowing my hips forward, I let go, let her have all of me. Her knees tighten around me, and she gulps air.

  “Caleb, you’re so big. Oh, fuck, you’re so deep, I can’t—oh my god, I didn’t know it could—oh god, yes. Don’t pull out, Caleb. Ah—stay with me. Let me feel you come inside me.”

  The room recedes around me. It’s like we’re fucking in the middle of a cloud, floating on nerve ends sending bursts of pleasure throughout my body. Then the sensation comes back together in one place. Me. Inside her. The feeling builds like a coming storm, rolling in with raw power. I want to hold on but I can’t. And then she arches against me with a final cry, just as my dick swells with the load pulsing through it. The climax rips through me, and I keep going, pushing through, plunging forward as I spill into her. Panting, I slump against her and ease out. I press my forehead against hers, and I smile as she lays a hand on the side of my face.

  I drop a quick kiss on the end of her nose and retrieve a washcloth and towel from the bathroom. I clean her gently with the damp washcloth and lovingly dry the light sheen of sweat off her body. I revel in another chance to admire her. She smiles at me gratefully as I towel off as well, and then I peel the covers back and slip between the crisp sheets. She mumbles a protest, but climbs in too, snuggling against my chest with a sleepy little squeak. I smooth her hair.

  “Good night, Audrey.”

  “Mmmm night,” she says.

  Warmed by afterglow, I float to sleep on a golden haze with the most beautiful woman in the world tucked in my embrace.

  7

  My first thought is who opened the damn curtains? Sun streams into the room, and I blink against the glare, cursing the tall, lake-viewing windows. Then it hits me that I’m alone. The mystery is short lived as the scent of muffins wafts into my foggy brain. I wander into the living room, spot my underwear, and stumble into them on my way to Audrey. Naturally, she’s got coffee made already. I pour a cup and nuzzle her neck from behind as she pops the muffins out of a silicone tray. She’s already dressed in a flowered sundress that seems to wrap around her.

  “Thanks for the coffee and muffins.” I nip her earlobe. “And for last night.”

  She laughs wickedly. “Last night was all my pleasure. But the coffee and baked deliciousness are for the clients who just called from the end of the drive.”

  The semi erection that had been starting to rise dies in an instant. My clothes. The bedroom. I look at my watch. My clients!

  “Oh, shit. And I’ve got a showing right after yours. My people will be here in like 20 minutes.” I set the coffee on the counter and head off to the bedroom where I stashed my bag at a dead run.

  “You’re really losing your edge Caleb,” she calls playfully.

  “We said no sabotage!” I shoot back over my shoulder at the top of the stairs. “Clearly this was your evil plan all along!”

  Her laugh rings out pure and happy, and I’m smiling as I rush to shower and throw on a decent looking suit in record time.

  Audrey’s clients arrive as I’m deciding against wearing a tie, given the vacation feel of the property. I finish dressing, tidy up the shower and my things, and then remember the master bedroom in horror. Has Audrey had time to clear away the evidence of last night’s fun? I listen for any exclamations of disgust and relax when all seems calm. Should have known she’d have that part covered. Staging and details are another of her strong suit, as evidenced by her muffin proclivity.

  I make a few calls and line up another potential buyer. Sure, I still want to sell the property, but it seems silly now to think Audrey and I have to share our clients’ fight. When Audrey leads her clients into the first upstairs bedroom, I scuttle past. They’re poking into closets, so I wink as I pass.

  They’re still inside when my clients arrive early, so I lead them around the grounds. The summer heat hasn’t set in yet, and the wind off the lake blows high, fluffy clouds around the blue expanse. We chuckle over dodging willow branches, peer into the fish pond, and chat about the grounds.

  “Who is that?” The guy asks as Audrey sees her buyers off. His wife looks and shoots a sharp glare at her husband. That tells me a lot about this pair.

  “Audrey’s another agent showing the property today. Don’t worry about being rushed; we can take all the time you need. You’re gonna love this place.”

  They do love it, but I have this feeling that the way this guy stares at Audrey’s chest is going to make this sale another bust. Not her fault, and I certainly can’t blame the guy. After all, I’m copping a feel every time I get close to her and no one’s watching. She’s no better. Once, I’m following my people to the lake, and Audrey’s sipping coffee on the veranda. When they step out of sight, she makes a sound that catches my attention, then tugs her calf-length dress up, widens her knees, and flashes me a view of the underwear she’s not wearing.

  I nearly fall down the steps.

  Another couple of buyers come and go, and we move more fluidly in each other’s paths. She’ll offer some suggestion for redecorating in answer to my client’s question, or I’ll happen to catch a numbers conversation and put in my two cents. I don’t have time to stop and wonder at how well we’re working together as head to head competitors, and frankly, I’d rather not anyway. I don’t want to look too closely at this and have it fall apart. When one of her clients is in the restroom, I push her against the wall, shove my hand inside her dress to caress her nipple until it hardens under my palm, and plant sensual kisses along the side of her neck. When the toilet flushes, I wink as I step away, leaving her to hastily rearrange her bra and dress before the aging, former TV actor walks out to leer at her some more.

  Audrey’s client, a divorced CEO who wants to entertain friends in lavish weekend parties, wants a second look at the dock. We watch from the veranda, sharing a raspberry-mint muffin I managed to cajole from Audrey.

  “Aside from the obvious reasons, I’ve enjoyed this weekend,” she says.

  “Yeah, me too. You know, I miss working with you. It was almost like we still worked together this weekend, working our own leads but somehow on the same team.”

  She sighs. “I miss it too.” Her eyes are distant, and I want to pull her back.

  “It hasn’t been the same since you left. I don’t know. I’m not even selling as well as I used to. Maybe I need you around to remind me how to connect to clients.”

  “Hitchens and Donner is really competitive. You’d do well there, but it’s not the right place for me.” She smiles sadly, but winks. “All this stress is not good for my aura.”

  “Oh, I saw that right away. We should buy this place together. Just eat muffins and screw all day long.”

  “That seems like a rea
sonable plan for our future. I can totally live off muffins, coffee, and sex.”

  “I like that. I can give you plenty of sex anytime you want.” I grab her ass playfully, but the client finally stops examining the wood grain down there and starts toward the path, so we step apart.

  My final buyers seem like a decent prospect, but the showing goes fast. As I walk the two women and their daughter to the car, I wonder how to ask Audrey what she expects and wants from this. From us. Normally these things come easy to me, but not with her.

  Inside, Audrey sets her phone down and begins stacking leftover muffins in a clear plastic bin. Her tidy rolling suitcase and purse are stacked at the bottom of the stairs. I face her over the kitchen island.

  “Hey, gorgeous. When am I going to see you again after this?” I hate the way it sounds glib.

  Instead of something flirty, she says, “Um, I don’t know. Soon, I hope. I need to get back to the city for an appointment this evening, but I’m not sure what my schedule’s like coming up.” I don’t like the way she’s fiddling with the muffins instead of looking at me. “It’s been really great reconnecting. I’d forgotten what a good team we make.”

  “In more ways than one.”

  She laughs self-consciously. “I really do need to run. I hope I’ll see you soon?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Then goodbye, Caleb. Take care.” She walks around the bar and leaves a tender, lingering kiss on my lips before walking out the door.

  The house goes instantly cold the minute she closes the door behind her. I try to ignore the pang that shoots through my heart at the hasty way she left. There was no sign all day that she regretted last night. I sift through memories, searching for some wrong note, something I did wrong.

  This is not how I pictured our goodbye. I planned kisses, touches, maybe a final quick and dirty round to close out the lake house sex weekend. Instead, I’m standing here with balls as blue as the sky from our flirting all day, wondering whether I will see her again.