Nothing But Trouble (12 page)

She pressed her lips together, and her eyes narrowed. “I don’t take fools’ bets.”

“Give me a break. I’m nearly naked already.”

Her eyes traveled from his, down his entire body, before she looked away. Just in time, too, because her gazing at his bare skin had a very indecent effect on him.

“I’d have never taken you for a boxer type of guy,” she said, feigning great interest in the vase on one of the side tables.

“Real y? What kind of guy is a boxer type of guy?”

She fluttered her hands. “I don’t know. Just that guys with your body like to show it off more.”

“Is that right?” he asked, trying not to laugh. He riffed the cards. “Ready?”

“Do you real y think I’m that much of a sucker?”

“Or I can just get dressed.”

She scowled at him. “You are some piece of work. Now you’re using blackmail.”

This time he did laugh. He couldn’t help it. As worldly and cynical as Laura Tanner tried to be, she was adorably naive in so many ways. He doubted she had any idea that she’d just admitted she liked having him nearly nude.

“What’s so damn funny?”

“Nothing. Really. Yes, I’m using blackmail.”

“At least you admit it. Deal already,” she commanded.

Which he did with al due haste. As they played, he surreptitiously watched which part of her hand she pulled cards from. Most people couldn’t resist ordering their cards numerically, so he guessed that when she pul ed sevens from the right side of the middle, she had more cards below seven than above. And he worked it from there. It wasn’t foolproof by any stretch, but it had helped him beat his sisters more often than not growing up.

And it was helping him beat Laura. Every time she had to hand over cards she growled like an angry kitten. It was darling, but the growing panic in her expression wasn’t. He didn’t want to scare her, and he certainly didn’t want to make her do something that was uncomfortable for her.

With a pang of regret for al the possibilities, he stopped cheating. In fact, he blew the game. He wanted her naked more than anything he ever remembered wanting, but he didn’t want it at her expense.

When she laid down the last of her cards with a triumphant flourish, he shook his head. “Damn.”

He began to rise from the floor, but she stopped him. “Wait a minute. I won, I get to choose what I win.”

Raising an eyebrow, he sat back down. “Changing the rules?”

“You changed the game, I can change the prize.”

“Okay,” he said slowly, “what do you want?”

“To get as naked as you.”

His heart raced. “You do?”

“Yes.”

“You won’t hear any complaints from me.”

“There’s a catch, though,” Laura said thoughtfully.

“What’s that?”

“You have to do the undressing.”

AS BRANDON pulled Laura to her feet, she wil ed her knees to hold her up. She was quaking inside, and not just from nervousness. There was something so exciting about this man, this situation. From the moment she’d set eyes on him, she’d felt a restless energy, a need to act, to feel. It wasn’t altogether pleasant or welcome, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Staring into his smiling green eyes, she decided she would never regret this night, no matter how foolhardy. After eight hard years of nothing but work, a little taste of a personal life would be nice.

Brandon brushed her hair back from her face. “You’re sure about this?”

“I said so, didn’t I?” she said, trying hard not to devour his body with her eyes. He was gorgeous, al but naked. His chest was broad and lightly sprinkled with silky dark hair. Of its own volition, her hand raised and pressed against his heart.

Brandon sucked in a breath, his eyes drifting closed. Hmm, she liked that reaction. She also loved the feel of his heated flesh beneath her palm. Her hand drifted up his collarbone to his shoulder, then down again, gliding over his ribs to his waist.

A low moan escaped his lips, and he opened his eyes. Laura nearly gasped at the heat in their green depths. “Wel ?” she demanded.

“Wel , what?” he asked.

“Wel , are you just going to stand there?”

“I didn’t want to do anything to discourage you.”

“Brandon, you’ve got exactly five seconds to start undressing me, or I’m leaving.”

He chuckled, but his hands immediately came up and began unbuttoning her blouse. Except he took his sweet time about it.

Every time he opened another button, he spread the shirt further, then his fingers brushed over her newly exposed skin.

It felt so good, yet frustrating. She wanted to yank her shirt off, shove her skirt down, and press herself to him. She wanted him to carry her to the nearest bed and take her, letting her wrap her legs around his hips while he invaded her body and made it his own.

Instead, she had to stand there and watch as his long fingers flicked open her blouse at an agonizingly slow pace. “If you don’t step up the pace some, I’m going to scream,” she said in a throaty growl.

“Oh, I plan on making you scream all right.”

Her gaze jerked up to his. “You want me hollerin’ at you?”

“Not that kind of screaming,” he said, then returned his attention to her blouse.

She frowned and was about to ask him what in tar-nation that was supposed to mean, but just then he slipped open the button above her bel y and flicked her blouse open to reveal her bra. His breath hissed out as he traced the lacy edges at the top, then cupped her breasts in his palms. “Beautiful,” he murmured.

His thumbs slid across her nipples, and Laura figured out what he meant. She had to bite back a small scream at the sensations that he sent hurtling through her body, dissolving al her strength, replacing it with a need that was overwhelming.

“Oh!” she said, and her knees buckled.

Brandon grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tightly against him. With only a silk bra separating his flesh from hers, Laura moaned, and her legs gave out altogether.

“Easy, sweetheart,” Brandon whispered, then began raining kisses on her cheeks, nose, and forehead.

“I . . . can’t . . . seem . . . to . . . stand.”

“Okay, let’s lie down.”

He picked her up as if she were a rag doll and set her down on the couch, kneeling beside her. “You okay?”

“Have you done . . . something funny to me?”

He bent down and kissed her until she was dizzy and more crazy than she’d ever expected.

“Why do I feel so strange?”

He stroked her cheek. “Strange how?”

“I don’t know. Like I
need
something.”

“Something?” he asked, lowering his face to hers.

“Something like this?” he said, before capturing her lips and gliding his hand down her face to her neck and then her breast.

Oh, yes,
she thought in a fog of desire.
Exactly that. And more.

“More,” she murmured into his mouth.

He lifted his head. “What?”

Laura’s eyes opened, and she had the feeling she was looking at him like a pathetic puppy begging for a scrap of food.

Oddly enough, she didn’t care. “I said more. Now. Please. And don’t take your time about it.”

“Are you . . . on birth control?”

Her mouth dropped open, and she raised up on her elbows.

“No, no, I’m not. Oh, no. I can’t believe it didn’t even cross my mind.”

He stood up, smiling. “Not to worry. It crossed mine.”

Holding out his hand he said, “Come with me. I’d like to sweep you up in my arms and carry you, but the hallway isn’t wide enough.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Pretty sure of yourself, weren’t you?”

Shrugging unrepentantly, he said, “I was just hoping.”

When she didn’t budge, he sighed. “Laura, I want to see al of you, taste al of you, touch al of you. I thought you wanted that too.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I do.”

“Then come with me. Please. I promise I’l be gentle.”

She grabbed his hand and rose to her feet, glaring at him.

“You be gentle, and I’l kick your butt.”

* * *

LAURA HADN’T needed to kick Brandon’s butt, thank goodness. 

What she did have to do was learn how to breathe again.

She lay on her back, eyes closed, wondering why she’d ever thought she didn’t like sex. What he’d just done to her—to them—was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to her. When she felt his hand stroking her cheek, she opened her eyes slowly, not knowing whether to be embarrassed by her total abandonment to his lovemaking.

But when he smiled down at her with that sleepy, content warmth in his eyes, she knew she had nothing to worry about.

She hoped.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.

“You, too.” That wasn’t a lie. She’d gone a little crazy a while back, exploring every inch of him from his feet to the top of his head, and back again. Other than a smal scar on his hip, the man was utter perfection. And he’d just worshiped her body as if he felt the same way about her.

He was raised up on one elbow, leaning over her, his free hand continuing to roam over her heated and slightly damp flesh as if he couldn’t get enough of touching her. Laura had never felt beautiful or sexy in her life. Right now she felt both. And he’d given that to her.

“I’l never forget tonight,” she said honestly. “I . . . Thank you.” His smile faded slowly. “Why does that sound like good-bye?”

“Well,” she said, her gaze cutting away from his, “isn’t it?”

“I sure as hel hope not.”

She rolled to her side and pulled the sheet over her body.

“Let’s face facts here, Brandon. In a few days I go back to work, and you head back to Rhode Island. There’s no future in this.”

He rested his hand on her waist. “The operative words being, ‘in a few days.’”

“You think I plan on spending my entire vacation with you?”

“If I ask nicely, would you consider it?”

Laura ran her hand through her hair, realizing it must look a mess. “I don’t think that’s a real smart idea.”

“Why not?”

“Well, since there’s no long-term future, I don’t see a good reason to spend a whole lot of time together now.”

Before she could blink, Brandon threw the sheet off her body and had her on her back. “Lady, I can think of one very, very good reason,” he said in a husky voice that made her shiver al over. He dropped his head and took her breast in his mouth, pulling gently while licking her nipple.

“Ohhhh,” she moaned, trapping his head with her hands.

His fingers slipped between her legs, and he stroked her with sensual tenderness. She arched up into his hand, silently begging for more.

He lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. “This is the reason, Laura. I want to make love with you for as long as we have.”

“Yes,” she gasped. “Oh, please.”

He spread her knees apart, then rose up between them, driving into her in one smooth, powerful thrust.

Laura had to bite back a scream of joy. It felt so good, so right having him inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and matched his rhythm, delighting in his gasps of pleasure that echoed her own.

“Come with me,” he whispered. “Come for me.”

And as a crashing orgasm gripped her entire body, she complied.

* * *

“COME WITH ME,” Brandon said again, ten minutes later.

“Are you out of your cotton-picking mind?” Laura said.

“Why in the world would I come with you to Rhode Island?”

He wasn’t even sure when the idea had formed in his head.

Al he knew was that he wanted Laura alone for as long as he could have her, and he had an intense desire to introduce her to his family.

It was inexplicable, really. But after the incredibly sensual lovemaking they’d shared, al he knew was that he couldn’t let her go. Not yet. “We’l cruise up to Newport. It’l be fun. You wouldn’t believe how beautiful the coast is on the trip up there.”

He watched through hooded eyes as she licked her kiss-swollen lips and tried to bring some semblance of order to her wild hair. She looked like a woman who’d been loved long and wel . He felt a strange elation that he’d brought her to this state. This woman who claimed not to like sex was about the sexiest woman he’d ever known.

“How long does this trip take?”

He thought about that. “Wel , conceivably we could make it in one day. But I’d rather we docked at the eastern tip of Long Island and stay overnight there and then complete the trip on Tuesday. After al , there’s no rush.”

“No rush? How do you know I don’t have big plans for this week? This is my first vacation in forever, you know.”

“Do you? Have plans, that is.”

“Yes. I planned to repaper my bathroom.”

“We’l be back in Manhattan by Saturday. And I’l help you paper the bathroom on Sunday.”

“I haven’t bought the paper yet,” she said. “The stores wil be closed Sunday.”

“Strangely enough, Newport has paint stores, too.”

“This is ridiculous. I can’t come with you.”

“Give me one good reason.”

“Wel , I don’t have any clothes or anything here.”

“I’l send one of the crew to your place to pick up stuff.”

She stared at him, looking astonished, before bursting out laughing. Jeez, even when he had the feeling she was laughing at him, the sound was beautiful and sexy as hel .

“You are one piece of work, you know that? Do you real y think I’m going to let some strange man paw through my drawers and closets?”

A ray of hope sliced into him. He’d gotten her to at least consider the trip. He could point out that she wouldn’t need al that much, seeing as he planned on keeping her naked for most of the way, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate the observation.

“How about if you have Hannah or Ali meet my man at your place, and one of them can pack for you?”

“Hannah has a key,” Laura said, almost to herself.

Brandon forced himself not to punch a fist in the air in victory. “And I’m sure she’d be happy to do this favor for you.”

“Why can’t you and I just drive back and pick up my stuff?”

Because he wasn’t ready to let her out of bed, that’s why.

But once again he didn’t think she’d like to hear that. So he fudged a little. “Well, the crew is already in Manhattan, and Hannah’s already in Manhattan. It just seems easier for them to pick up your stuff and bring it when they come back on board.”