slid one hand up to caress her shoulder and neck before pushing his fingers into that thick red hair of hers. He kissed her deeply, pushing his tongue into her mouth as he pulled his hips back and then slowly thrust his hips forward.
He slipped slowly into her. Inch by inch, he went as slowly as he could and it felt so good. Finally his willpower gave way to his body’s demands and he pushed himself all the way in. He was buried in her silky-hot body and it wasn’t enough. He needed more. He started thrusting harder and deeper, urged on by her cries for more.
Her legs came up and wrapped around his hips. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades and she cried out his name as he felt her tightening around him. His own guttural cry of release followed a second later.
He kept thrusting, spilling himself inside her until he was spent. He collapsed against her chest, careful to keep her from bearing his full weight. Sweat covered both their bodies and he felt the minute kisses she dropped on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and, keeping their bodies together, rolled to his side so he could hold her properly.
He kept his eyes closed, knowing he was hiding, but at this moment he didn’t want to see her face or talk to her. He needed the silence to pretend that nothing had changed between them when he knew that everything had.
Nichole slept restlessly. She wanted to blame it on not being used to having someone else in her bed. But what weighed on her mind was the fact that Conner had only agreed to be her lover because of their bargain. She had vivid dreams of her boss finding out how she got Conner’s story and firing her.
She finally got out of bed at six, just before her alarm went off. Conner appeared to be sleeping. She slowly went to the bathroom, trying to be extra quiet so as not to wake him. She didn’t want to face him this morning. She knew she shouldn’t leave without waking him, but she wanted to.
Part of her was very afraid of what he’d say to her. Of what she’d say … Last night had been more intense than she’d expected. But then nothing with Conner had gone exactly according to plan since the moment she’d met him.
She carefully closed the door to her tiny bathroom and reached over to turn the shower on to get the water hot. She glanced at herself in the mirror and shook her head. She didn’t look any different.
Maybe she was overthinking the entire arrangement with Conner. There was nothing tawdry about having slept with him. She’d had one-night stands before and she knew that as long as both she and her partner were on the same page, no one would get hurt. So why then was this bothering her so much?
Steam started to fill the tiny room and she pulled back the shower curtain and got inside. She started to wash when she heard the bathroom door open.
“Morning, Nichole,” Conner said, his voice sounding raspy with sleep. She stood there frozen with her loofah in one hand and the shower gel in the other.
She shook her head. He knew she was in there and probably had guessed that she was naked. Why was she being so silly?
“Morning,” she said. “Sorry if I woke you. I have an early meeting.”
“Not a problem. I would normally leave you in peace in here, but this is the only bathroom and I, too, have an early meeting so I need to wash up.”
“That’s fine,” she said. Oh, man, she’d come in here to hide from him and now he was here. But at least she didn’t have to face him. Not yet.
“What’s your day like?” he asked.
“Just the usual … Do you even know what a reporter does?” she asked.
“Meddle in other people’s lives and make trouble for them?” His tone was light. She pulled the shower curtain back to peek out at him. He was bent over the sink washing his face. He was naked and his body looked good, with tan lines on his legs and arms.
He straightened up and she closed the curtain so he didn’t catch her peeking at him. “Ha! No, that’s not what I do. Mostly I spend my time doing research and making calls trying to get recalcitrant people to talk to me.”
“And if that doesn’t work, then you crash their parties.”
She shook her head. His easy banter was making her relax. She’d been worrying about what was going on between them, but Conner wasn’t treating her any differently than he had before.
“That was only for you,” she said. She finished washing her body and though it was an odd-numbered day of the month and normally she didn’t wash her hair on those days, she went ahead and did it anyway.
“I’m honored,” he said. “Would it bother you if I joined you in the shower?”
She hesitated. She’d been hiding in here so that she wouldn’t have to face him, but now she didn’t want to anymore.
“Not at all,” she said. “In fact, I’m almost finished.”
“Good. I’ll be quick.”
He opened the shower curtain and stepped in. She couldn’t resist reaching out to touch him. He gave her a sexy smile.
“I can’t make love this morning,” she blurted out.
He shook his head. “Okay.”
She handed him her loofah and the shower gel and then switched places with him. “I’m going to leave you to it.”
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“Of course not,” she said. But she knew she was acting like a ninny. She never let anyone shake her, but Conner was. “I just don’t want to tempt you when I know there isn’t time to do anything about it.”
“I’m always tempted by you,” he said, and leaned against her, putting his hand on the wall behind her head and kissing her.
She closed her eyes and tipped her head back. His mouth on hers was soothing and arousing. It made most of her doubts fade away, and she was suddenly very glad that Conner was here with her this morning.
He canted his hips forward and she felt his erection nudge her stomach. Then his hands slid down her body to caress her breasts.
She ran her hands over his wet body as well, finding his hard-on and caressing the entire length of him. He continued kissing her and then put his hands on her waist to lift her off her feet. He leaned back against the wall and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist.
“I thought you didn’t have time,” he said.
“Stop gloating,” she said.
She shifted until she felt him poised at the entrance of her body. She slowly took all of him and then rocked her hips against him. He kissed her deeply, driving her on, the tips of her breasts brushing against his chest.
He thrust up into her hard and deep until she felt her orgasm wash over her. She pulled her mouth from his and lowered her head to his shoulder as she felt him jetting his own completion into her body.
She
