to poach on another guy’s territory either.” He wanted confirmation of what he suspected—that she wasn’t serious about anyone.
“Oh, don’t worry. You won’t be poaching.”
He could take that two ways. Either he had clear sailing…or she’d keep him moored at the dock. He’d go with the clear-sailing image. “Okay. Good.” He edged closer to her. “You know what? You’re too far away.”
“Hold your position, Harkins.”
He frowned. “What?”
“Stay where you are. It’s been thirteen years, and I want us to have a chance to get to know each other before we start with the physical stuff.”
That totally bewildered him. “Like what? You want to go out to dinner first?”
“I’ve had dinner, thanks. I think we should sit and talk.”
“Well, okay, but at the station last night you seemed ready to—”
“Old tapes playing in my head is all. I’m conditioned from our high school make-out sessions to go up in flames the minute you kiss me, so I reacted that way last night, like Pavlov’s dogs. But we’re starting fresh, like you said. We never did much talking back then.”
He remembered how they’d steamed up the windows with heavy breathing, not conversation. “No, we didn’t.” And he wished she’d save herself some work and continue with that earlier conditioning instead of trying to reprogram herself. Going up in flames when he kissed her sounded A-okay to him.
“So let’s talk,” she said.
“About what?”
“I’m curious to find out how much you know about sex.”
He gulped. “I’m not sure what you mean by that. Besides, I’m more a man of action than words.” Sweat began to trickle down his spine. He might be in way over his head with the new version of Katie Peterson. “If you’re asking me to list techniques, I’d rather show you than try to describe them.”
“Maybe it would help if I asked a few questions. For example, what’s your favorite way to make a woman come?”
His chest tightened. He had a feeling she was going somewhere with this, but he couldn’t figure out where, and that put him at a big disadvantage. He struggled to breathe normally. “Depends on the woman,” he said.
She nodded. “Good answer. You don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach to female orgasms. I like that.”
“I hope you would…like that.” Maybe she was putting him through some kind of test.
“Mmm.” She ran her tongue over her lower lip. “I do like to come. Sadly a girl can’t always count on a man to take the time she needs, though.”
“I would.” He was getting hard, which might be what she’d had in mind when she’d suggested this conversation. “You’ll have all the time you want. We can take it slow or we can take it fast. Whatever feels good.” And he’d like to get started. Now.
“Are you in favor of oral sex?”
“Yes.” He was in favor of it immediately. If she’d let him settle his head between her thighs in the next five minutes, he’d put an end to this conversation and replace it with her satisfied moaning. “I have an idea. Let’s move the discussion to your bedroom.”
“Not yet. First I need to convince myself that I’m going to have a climax with you.”
“Trust me, you will. As many as you can stand. I’ll be happy to take care of that.” He didn’t know if she could achieve multiple orgasms, but he’d give it his all. And his all was currently feeling very restricted inside his briefs. He had on far too many clothes. So did Katie.
“I like a sure thing.” She put her empty wineglass on the coffee table.
His pulse rate jumped another notch. Maybe she was ready to head in the direction he wanted at last. He set his glass on the table, too. “I’ll make you come or die trying.”
“That sounds a little extreme.” She turned and reached for one of the candles stuck into the candelabra behind her. “I wouldn’t want to put that much pressure on you.”
“I’d welcome the pressure.” He glanced at her holding the lighted candle. “If you want candlelight in the bedroom, you might want to bring the whole thing. Those are a specialty size. They won’t fit just anywhere.”
“I know.” She blew gently on the wick. The flame fanned out sideways and went out. “I know exactly where it would fit.”
A possibility skittered through his brain. But she wouldn’t really do that. Would she?
“These candles really do have an interesting shape.” She turned the candle over and examined the blunt end.
Jess stared at her. She seemed to be almost caressing the thing, as if—no, surely not.
Then, looking straight at him, she slid the blunt end of the candle into her mouth.
His entire groin ached as she sucked on the candle. “Okay, I deserve that. I bought them.” His voice cracked. “And in case you can’t tell, you’re getting to me.”
She took the candle, shiny and wet, out of her mouth. “That was for my benefit, not yours.”
“I don’t—” He caught his breath as she leaned back against the cushions and opened her thighs. He’d missed a significant detail of the harem pants. They weren’t stitched at the crotch.
Now he understood her diabolical plan, one that was sure to drive him out of his mind. And he’d been the genius who’d introduced candles into the equation. He had no one to blame but himself. He swallowed. “Katie, please…”
“Relax, Jess. Relax and enjoy the show.”
TWO GLASSES OF WINE HELPED, but Katie still couldn’t believe she was doing this. Some alter ego seemed to be whispering in her ear, urging her to be a very bad girl, bad enough to have Jess completely in her power, as Cheryl had suggested. From his expression, she was almost there.
In the process, she was arousing herself beyond belief. She’d never tried anything this daring with a man. “I’m not the little virgin you remember, Jess.”
“No.” His voice was a hoarse croak, and he clenched the sofa with both hands. “So I’m supposed to just…sit here?”
“That’s the idea. Unless you want to leave.”
Slowly he shook his head.
“Then let’s get this party started.” Her black thong was soaked as she pulled it aside. She’d begun planning this while she was changing clothes. Her harem outfit, bought in a moment of craziness more than a year ago, had never been on her body until now. Yet it was perfect for what she had in mind.
Using one of the candles he’d
