Pleasure Prolonged (6 page)

E
rin worked hard to keep her rubbery knees steady as she made her way down the narrow hall to the lab with Kale tight on her heels. Knowing she was going to have an encore performance tonight made her heart race and her mind whirl. Except tonight she was going to strip away Kale’s clothes so she could touch and taste his gorgeous, athletic body. Her mouth began watering just imagining it now. She swallowed the saliva pooling on her tongue and tried to shake away the haze of arousal fogging her usually sharp mind.

She took a mental inventory of her wardrobe. Nothing quite seemed suitable for a night of hot, unadulterated,
casual
sex with a playboy who set her loins on fire.

She bit down on her bottom lip and gave further consideration to the situation. What on earth did one wear to such
an event? Perhaps she’d skip out of work a bit early and stop by the mall and pick up a new dress. After that she’d grab a quick bite to eat and have a hot bubble bath before heading over to Laura and Jay’s new house, Kale’s home away from home during his month-long sabbatical. A mischievous grin curled her lips. Perhaps tonight she’d get a chance to try out the new hot tub Laura and Jay had installed before they left for their honeymoon.

She knew she had been quick to shut down Kale’s suggestion to meet at her place. Since Dwayne, she had never invited a man into her territory. It was too personal. This was all about sex. Nothing more. She didn’t want to risk the possibility that she might develop more than casual feelings for Kale. It would be much less complicated to go to his place and leave when the time came. No awkward sleepovers. No awkward good-byes.

This was just about the sex.

Nothing could ever come of it anyway. Besides the fact that Kale would be leaving in a month’s time, neither of them wanted a relationship.

Kale was walking so close behind her, she could practically feel his warm breath on the back of her neck. His mere nearness turned her knees to pudding.

Cripes, she could hardly believe she just had sex in an elevator. Great sex! Fantastic sex! Actually, what she found even harder to believe was that she’d waited so long to have sex in an elevator. She should have tried this bad-girl act sooner.

Hell, if she had known how stimulating, how erotic it was, she would have been playing sex games every morning before work. Then again, she somehow doubted it would be that great with just anyone. Kale had a way of making her feel bold, and of unleashing her inner vixen.

Just knowing that the elevator doors could have opened at any second and she could have been caught with her pants down, or rather her skirt up, only added to the excitement, which really surprised her. She wasn’t inclined to take risks with her career, but there was something undeniably enticing about Kale that had her acting completely out of character.

Suddenly, all kinds of other wicked fantasies that she’d suppressed began cropping up in her mind.

She slowed her footsteps as she approached the lab. Her liquid arousal made her panties damp and cold. She squeezed her thighs together and flinched. Kale gave her a curious glance.

“Everything okay down there,” he whispered into her ear. The sexy rumble of his voice as it tumbled over her brought on a new wave of moisture.

Erin slipped her identification card into the electronic lock and punched in the code to her lab. “My panties are soaked. It’s making me cold,” she whispered even though they were the only two in the hallway.

At the sound of the buzzer, Kale pulled the door open and gestured for her to enter. “Take them off,” he said as she breezed past him.

Erin stopped and turned back around. Cocking her head,
she lifted one brow and met his gaze. “And walk around all day without any panties on?” Now there was a suggestion she hadn’t considered.

He stepped closer, crowding her. Something about the way his possessive gaze always settled on her mouth sent a delicious shiver pulsing through her body. Nobody had ever looked at her the way Kale was looking at her right now.

It thrilled her to know how much she enticed him. How much he wanted her. She hadn’t felt this feminine and sexy in a long time. Deep down she secretly feared she no longer had any sex appeal because the last time she’d heard a whistle directed at her, she had to unplug her kettle. But her worries were unwarranted. The passion in Kale’s eyes told her she had nothing to fear.

“Sure, why not?” His voice was husky, sensual, and fired her blood all over again. Her nipples swelled, crying out for attention.

She paused to consider his words. Why not? Honestly, she couldn’t come up with one decent reason why she shouldn’t peel off her panties. In fact, she could come up with a few good reasons why she should. Reasons like how it would affect Kale knowing she was walking around all day bare-bottomed under her skirt. Wasn’t that exactly what a bad girl would do?

She pursed her lips and nodded. “Come to think of it, that’s a great idea.”

Boldly, she reached around Kale and pushed the lab door closed. After the latch clicked into place, she positioned her
hands on her knees and slowly drew them higher, until she gripped the thin elastic bands on her lace panties. Her gaze never broke contact with his as she wiggled her hips and pulled the slip of material down her legs. She stepped out of them and twirled them around her finger, filling the air with her feminine scent. Kale’s eyes darkened while his nostrils flared. She bunched her pink panties into a ball and stuffed them inside the front pocket of his jeans.

His eyes swept over her as his chest rose and fell with a deep intake of breath. “Jesus, Erin, I can’t believe you just did that.”

She grinned, a sexy, naughty grin that made Kale growl. This bad-girl act was turning out to be a hell of a lot of fun. She shrugged innocently. “Since it’s entirely your fault that they’re wet, you’ll have to spend all day in here with me knowing I’m stark naked under my skirt.” Giving in to impulse, she pressed her hard nipples into his chest.

Eyes smoldering with desire and heat, Kale gripped her curvy hips and pulled her against him, anchoring her to his body. His hands spanned her slim waist as his thick cock pressed against her stomach.

Oh my! She sucked in a breath as his impressive girth indented her flesh. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how wonderful it would feel to have him fill her. To pump in and out of her with fervid passion. Or for her to climb on top of him and sink his magnificent length all the way up inside her while she rode him with wild abandon. Whoa. She really was turning into a wild, wanton woman.

He angled his head, and she knew he was going to kiss her. She parted her lips in silent invitation as her heart fluttered.

Her heart fluttered?

Oh God, she’d better watch it before she developed some deeper emotional connection with him. If she wasn’t careful, she could easily lose herself in him. Heart and soul.

Since that wasn’t an option, she steeled her emotions.

Before he had a chance to claim her mouth with his, the lab door swung open. Erin flinched and broke away from the circle of his arms.

None too gently, Kale grabbed her elbow and urged her back until her body collided with his. He pressed his lips close to her ear. His voice was dark, raspy, and richly seductive.

“Tonight, Erin. We’ll finish this once and for all.” The depth of emotion in his voice surprised her. Kale let go of her elbow and stepped back when Sam York, along with his chimpanzee, Rio, came sauntering into the lab.

Sam shoved his keycard back into his pocket. “Hey, thanks for holding the elevator, Erin,” he blurted out, then paused when he spotted Kale. Sam’s gaze darted between the two. “Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something here?”

Regaining her composure, Erin shook her head and tried for casual. “Not at all,” she said, amazed to find her voice still functioning after that very intense moment. “Sam York, this is Kale Alexander. As you already heard, Kale will be doing research with me for the next month.” Erin stepped close to Sam and nuzzled Rio’s hairy neck. “And this lovely little girl is Rio.” Rio flapped her lips and squirmed in Sam’s arms.

Sam shifted his chimpanzee to his other hip and stretched his arm out. A grin curled his mouth. “So you’re the lucky guy that gets to work with Erin. Did you lose a bet or something?” he teased.

Erin rolled her eyes at him and made a face. “And you’re the lucky guy who doesn’t,” she shot back.

Not only was Sam a coworker, he was also one of her closest, dearest friends. He’d moved into the condo next to hers a few years previous and they had spent many weekends hanging out. Since Erin had grown up in a family of girls, Sam was like the big brother she never had.

Kale met Sam’s outstretched arm. “Sorry about the elevator.”

Sam furrowed his brow and glanced at Erin, regarding her for a long moment. She felt heat bloom high on her cheeks under his scrutinizing stare. She was sure he could see right through her. Sam knew her well enough to know the hue coloring her cheeks wasn’t from the winter wind.

Sam’s gaze dropped to Kale’s front pocket. A thin piece of pink lace material stuck out for all to see. For all to know that she had ridden a hell of a lot more than just the elevator to the fourteenth floor.

Oh hell!

Kale must have sensed her unease. He angled his body sideways and quickly tucked it in.

She gave him a grateful smile and noted with dismay how that small, thoughtful gesture and the soft, intimate way he looked at her did weird things to her insides.

Sam cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders. “Yeah,
well, don’t sweat it. Something tells me I was better off taking the stairs.”

Like a child reaching for its mother, Rio stretched her arms out and leaned toward Erin. Erin hauled the chimp into her embrace, welcoming the distraction. She shot Sam a sidelong glance. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Sam raked his sun-kissed hair from his forehead and winked that sexy, familiar wink of his that had the women around the lab wiping saliva from the corners of their mouths. He hauled Rio back into his arms.

“You betcha. Your test subjects are here. I’ve already injected the male participant with serum, so if you and Kale want to step into the cage and get ready, I’ll hook them up to the electrodes.”

Erin dropped a kiss onto Rio’s head before Sam headed out the door. She crooked her finger and nodded to Kale. “Follow me.” She led him out into the hall.

“The cage?” he asked, moving in beside her.

She chuckled. “Sam’s nickname for the control booth. It’s no bigger than a birdcage.” She opened the door and gestured for him to step inside. “Squeeze in.” Her gaze leisurely traveled the length of his muscular body as he pushed through the door. Lord, he was big. Her glance fell to his backside, and she fought an urge to cop a feel. The man had an ass that erotic dreams were made of. She’d just bet she could bounce a quarter off those tight buns. “If you can manage to fit yourself in there,” she added.

With his back pressed against the wall, Kale maneuvered
himself into the small room and grabbed a chair. Erin shuffled in beside him. With her professional demeanor back in place, she reached under the control console and flicked on a microphone button. A one-way glass mirror separated them from the naked couple snuggled under silk sheets in the adjoining research room.

She busied herself as she waited for Sam to hook the last electrode to the male test subject. Once the task was completed, Sam glanced up and gave a curt nod, signaling them to begin. Acknowledging him, Erin returned the nod.

After Sam left the room and secured the doors, Erin pressed “record” on the digital video recorder, enabling her to document the couple’s activities and responses directly onto the computer database for future reference. She then clicked “play” on the DVD remote. The television in the far corner of the research room began playing an X-rated movie. The screen displayed a couple in a most erotic position. Sexy bedroom moans filtered in through the speaker.

Kale’s eyes flew open. His jaw dropped. “You pipe in porn videos?”

Erin grinned. “You name it, we got it.”

“Nice setup,” Kale said, with a quick, appreciative shake of his head. “I should have crashed here instead of Jay’s place.”

“That’s such a male thing to say.” Erin rolled her eyes heavenward and flicked the light dimmer switch in the research room and in their booth, giving the subjects their privacy.

He cocked his head. “Well, I am a male, Erin.”

She stole a quick glance at him. His sexy grin curled her
toes. Oh yeah, he was all male, all right. There was never any question about that. No one would dispute the fact that Kale Alexander was one hundred percent, prime-cut, grade-A, alpha male. The man should come with a government-inspected mark of approval stamped on his forehead.

Blocking her mind to the sudden surge in her hormones, she turned her attention to the monitors before her as they continued to record the couple’s heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Grabbing a pen and her notebook, she leaned forward in her chair and jotted down the current data.

Delicious moans and purrs curled around her, making her acutely aware of the virile male beside her. She was so conscious of his presence, his every movement, and his every warm breath. Suddenly his large body seemed to swallow up the already too small space. Heat flared through her as his heavy masculine scent saturated the booth.

So much for sex helping her focus her mind back on the job.

Seconds turned into agonizing minutes as they listened to the couple make love in the adjoining room. Growing restless, edgy, Erin shifted in her chair.

A sharp moan erupted from the female participant.

Kale cleared his throat and sidled closer. “What do you think he did to her to make her moan like that?” The deepening of his sexy tone hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Unable to find her voice, she shrugged her response and mumbled something incoherent. Her mind began racing. She could think of a million things that Kale could do to
make her moan like that. She licked her suddenly parched lips and swallowed. Lord, she felt like she’d eaten a bowl full of cotton balls for breakfast.