breasts branded his chest. Well, maybe closer to his upper abs, since she was short.
She hopped into his arms, pushing her arms against the top of his shoulders, her moist center pressed against him, aligning his mouth to her breast.
“Suck it,” she commanded.
If he did as she ordered, he would lose any control. He could live with that.
He drew her pebbled nipple into his mouth and frowned against the fragrant skin. Something was different.
He staggered toward the window.
“What are you doing?” There was no mistaking the panic in her voice.
“Call me old-fashioned, but I like to see what I put in my mouth.” He reached for the shade.
Her hand gripped his arm. “Stop! Don’t you want to, you know?”
“Of course I want to you know.” He reached, stretching for the cord. “I’ll just put the shade up enough to let in a little light. I want to see your beautiful breasts.”
The amount of light coming in through the six-inch opening barely illuminated anything, but at least it became obvious he was holding a woman.
“Just because we do this, it doesn’t mean anything, you know.” Her voice was coming in little pants while he suckled her.
“Right,” he said against her skin and then dropped her to bounce on the clean sheets. He grabbed her legs and put them around his hips. “Not a thing. Maybe you should think of baseball.”
He plunged into her wet heat, biting back a curse at the rightness, the ecstasy of it.
Jamie, however, screamed.
5
“Yeah, baby, that’s right, scream for me,” he said against her ear. Hot damn. He’d never been with a screamer.
She screamed again. He must be better than he thought. Practicing alone must have paid off.
“Get away from me.” She shoved on his shoulders until their connection was severed and she scurried across the mattress, dragging the sheet to cover her. “He’s out there!” She pointed toward the window.
“Who?”
She scooted to the edge of the bed, taking the sheet with her. Raising one shaking hand, she pointed and said in a tremulous voice, “Fred. I’d know his beady little eyes anywhere. He was looking in the window at us!” Then she promptly fell off the edge of the mattress with a teeth-rattling thump.
Devon peered over the edge of the bed, sympathy taking the place of sexual urgency. “Who is Fred, and why is he peeping in your window?”
Instead of answering, she struggled to stand, battling the sheet until she got her feet under her.
Under normal circumstances, he’d have enjoyed the view or even thought up a way to recapture the mood. After one look at her terrified face, though, normal went out the window.
“Nice dive, by the way,” he said, hoping to lighten the mood. “I’d give it a seven-point-five. You need to work on your form.” He wiggled his eyebrows and said in his best Groucho imitation, “Or I could work on your form, if you’d rather.”
She turned, her lips tightly compressed, and stared at him.
“Feel free to laugh.” He reclined on the stack of pillows he’d tossed on the bed when he’d thought he was getting lucky. “I know you want to.” He motioned with his hand. “Go ahead. I’m used to women laughing at me in the bedroom. I’ve even, in some weird, perverse way, come to expect and even enjoy it.”
She smiled and sat on the edge of the mattress. “Right. Do they point when they laugh?”
“Okay, that’s enough, woman. Let’s not get insulting here.” Smiling, he took her hand and drew light circles on her palm. “Want to tell me about this Fred?”
For a moment, he thought she might and felt an urge to tell her he was kidding, he didn’t really want to hear about another guy. Lucky for him, the moment passed when she shook her head.
She reached beside the bed and tossed his pants and boxers to him.
“It’s late,” she said, turning her back while he pulled on his clothes.
“You’re right.” He gathered her into his arms and softly brushed her lips with his. “Stop begging, I can’t sleep with you tonight,” he said with a grin and then kissed the tip of her nose. “I have work to do anyway, so it’s just as well. Let’s call it a night.”
He stepped back, his arms falling to his sides. “But if you play your cards right, I may just cut you a break and let you have your way with me next time.”
She laughed. “I’ll have to remember that. Next time.”
He nodded and stepped out of the room. No point in bringing up the lease at that moment. “Good night. Make sure you lock the door behind me.”
And he was gone.
Damn, he hated being a nice guy.
Whoever had been outside Jamie’s window most likely was long gone, but he walked to the side of her unit just to make sure.
Petunia sat on her haunches just below the window ledge, a forlorn look on her grizzled face.
“You do realize,” he said to the big dog, scratching her ear, “you just put a major hitch in my previously nonexistent sex life.”
“That’s because you’re standing around talking to animals, you ninny. Don’t go blaming my precious Petunia.” Francyne walked up and swatted his butt and then deftly attached a leash to Petunia’s collar. “Bad girl! I’ve been looking all over for you.” Shoving her glasses up on her thin nose, she looked at Devon. “Shot down again, huh?” She shook her head. “And I had such high hopes for this one, pumpkin.”
“Well, if you’d keep your animal under control so she wouldn’t peep into windows, I might be able to change my luck,” he said and then immediately felt guilty for snapping at her. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day. In fact, I’m going home. Night.”
Devon walked past the crowd in the courtyard, not stopping until he gained the relative safety of his apartment.
He leaned against the closed door, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Killer pranced over to welcome him home, leaving a trail of drool.
“Hey, big guy, you hungry?” Devon walked to the cupboard and surveyed the dinner selection. Cooking, his usual comfort activity, held no appeal. “I’m thinking I might fix myself a Hungry Man dinner.” He pulled out two jars of baby food. “How about beef stew with an apple-crisp chaser?” The dog sneezed and shook his head, scattering little droplets of doggy spit. “Okay, beef stew it is. And an excellent choice, monsieur. Have I mentioned what a discriminating palate you have, big guy?”
After
