Scorched (6 page)

She was too disheartened to try to figure out the answer and definitely not in the mood to create romantic and erotic scenes for her make-believe characters. She should have stuck with creating fantasies on paper instead of trying to live one herself. All it got her was a broken heart.

Damn, damn, damn.

When would she ever learn not to fall into that trap? But she’d been so sure she and Skyler had connected. More than just between the sheets. But he seemed determined to hold his real self back from her, give her nothing but hours of sweaty sex that didn’t require anything of him except physical activity.

Pulling her hair into a ponytail and donning a short, thin robe, she poured herself a glass of wine and took it out onto her small patio. Maybe the night breezes could soothe the ache in her body and her heart.

* * * * *

For the third day in a row Skyler cursed himself for being eighteen kinds of a fool. He’d sensed from the minute she opened her door to him that Kasey was more than just a pretty face and a hot body. In between the hours of the most exquisite sex he could ever remember, she’d shared herself with him. Her dull job. Her disconnect from her family. Her dream of becoming a writer and the success she was having, a success she had no one to share with.

And he, ass that he was, like every other man he knew, painted all women with the same brush. Once burned, forever shy.

He lay in his bed at night staring at the dark window across from him and wondering what she was doing if she wasn’t writing. Did she miss him? Hate him? Would she ever talk to him again? All he had to do was conjure up the image of her naked body to make his cock hard, and he lay in the dark like some simpleton stroking himself to a climax.

Jackass!

He had two more days before he had to report back to work. Tomorrow was Saturday. Kasey didn’t have to work. He had one shot to fix this thing and he’d better not make any damn mistakes.

* * * * *

Kasey had barely struggled out of bed Saturday morning when the doorbell rang. For a long minute she was tempted to just ignore it. The last thing she wanted was to see another human being. But whoever was on her porch was pushing the bell so insistently she figured the only way to shut them up was to answer the door. When she yanked it open she froze, gawking at the man standing before her.

“Skyler?” she squeaked.

“In the flesh.” He grinned and her knees trembled.

Stop that!

He looked mouthwatering, his shoulders pushing the fabric of a dark green t-shirt and cargo shorts exposing his long muscular legs to her hungry eyes. She nearly gave in to the impulse to throw herself into his arms before reality set in.

“Go away,” she snapped. “I hate you.”

She started to slam the door but he caught it with his hand and held it open.

“Give me one chance to set things right, Kasey. If that doesn’t work I’ll go quietly.” He grinned again, his dimple flashing appealingly.

Don’t do it!

Do it or you’ll regret it.

Sighing at her own vulnerability, she opened the door and waved him in.

“Do I get a chance to get dressed or do you want to do this with my early morning self?”

“Nope. I’m doing this right.” He settled himself on the couch and looked at his watch. “You’ve got fifteen minutes to get ready. Shorts and a t-shirt or whatever. Nothing fancy.” When she didn’t move he said, “Come on, get going. We’re burning daylight.”

Again she started to protest but decided, what the hell.

Fifteen minutes later she was back in the living room, showered and dressed with a minimum of makeup and her hair once again in a ponytail. He’d have to earn the right for her to spend more time on her looks for him.

“Okay. Now what.”

“Now we get going.”

He hustled her out of the house, making sure she locked the door, and guided her across the street to his SUV. When she climbed into the front seat she happened to look into the back and saw a big straw basket and pointed at it.

“What’s that?”

“A breakfast picnic basket.”

Her eyebrows flew up. “A what?”

“That place called Let’s Eat Out does a great job with them.” His cheekbones colored. “A friend’s wife told me about them.”

She stared, open-mouthed. “You
asked
someone about this?”

He nodded. “I wanted to do this right.”

And that was all he’d tell her as they drove out of town and followed a two-lane highway to a more rural area. He deflected all questions with the same answer, “You’ll find out.”

“What is this place?” she asked, when they turned off the road and pulled up in front of a small cabin.

“My mom and dad own it. Since they’re in Arizona my brothers and I get to use it. I warned them if they showed up today I’d be forced to kill them all.”

He ushered her out of the SUV, snagged the picnic basket and a folded quilt and walked her around to an area beneath a very old, shady oak. He spread out the quilt, nudged her onto it and opened the basket. When he’d poured orange mimosas from a bottle into two decorated plastic cups, he held up his cup in a toast.

“To a woman I nearly lost through my own stupidity. I hope she gives me another chance.”

Kasey watched him carefully over the rim of her cup. “Does that mean you’re ready to share yourself?”

He lowered his cup, his face sobering. “I was in a long relationship with someone who broke it off with me because of my job. I’m a cop, Kasey. A homicide detective. I work nights. The scar is from a bullet wound I got accidentally walking into a holdup.”

Kasey stared at him. “
That’s
the big deal you didn’t want to tell me about?
That’s
why you didn’t want me asking questions? You thought I’d, what, tell you to take a hike?”

He shrugged. “Most women think the idea of a cop is sexy, but then they get tired of the long hours and the dangers of the job.”

“Skyler, you must have dated some pretty shallow women. Plumbers can work just as long hours, and there’s danger crossing the street. Don’t you think you should have given me the chances to make the choice for myself?”

“I just thought—”

“You thought we’d have wild monkey sex and then we could go our own way? Damn! Isn’t that just like a man?”

He reached for her cup and put it down next to his. “You’re right. It was stupid. But by the second night with you I was feeling a lot more than horny and I was afraid to let myself get in too deep. Feel anything too strong.”

She pushed him back on the quilt. “Well, you’re in deep now, buster. You’d better remember that.”

She leaned over him and pressed her mouth to his, opening it when his tongue licked her lips. His strong arms came around her, pulling her close to him. One hand slid up her thigh and beneath her shorts, trailing across her ass and teasing the cleft of her buttocks.

She was wet instantly, her panties soaked. Running her fingers through the silk of his hair she pushed herself against him. He moaned into her mouth.

“And here I was going to feed you fresh strawberries,” he breathed, breaking the kiss. “And read you poetry to charm you.”

She looked down at him. “Poetry? Really?”

He chuckled. “No, not really. But I wanted to show you what a gentleman I am and that just because I’m a cop doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do the nice things in life.”

“I never would have thought that,” she protested.

“Anyway, I’ve been cleared for work so I’m back on the job Monday.” He paused. “Nights, Kasey. And you work days.”

She kissed his chin. “I’m sure we can work out a suitable schedule. Meanwhile, we shouldn’t waste the time until then, right?”

“I like the way you think.”

He rolled her until she was the one flat on the quilt and took his time removing her clothing. When she was naked he ran his eyes over every inch of her. Her nipples puckered beneath his intent gaze and the pulse in her womb increased its beat. He bent his head and took one nipple into his mouth. Sucking hard on it before grazing it with his teeth.

Kasey swallowed a gasp, pure fire shooting straight to her cunt.

“Like that, do you?”

“Y-Yes.”

He turned his attention to the other one, sending more streaks of fire through her. As he pulled on first one nipple, then the other with his mouth, one hand drifted down between her thighs, caressing her skin and feeling the wetness of her sexual liquid. She widened her legs for him, signaling her need and he answered by gliding two fingers over her clit, between her slick folds and into the hot well of her pussy.

“Jesus.” He lifted his head. “You’re soaking wet already. How am I supposed to keep myself under control?”

She gave a breathy little laugh. “I think we have plenty of time for control later.”

“I had great plans of seducing you and making long, slow love to you, but I think we have to get to that later. I can’t wait, sugar. I have to have you right now. I’ve been too long without you.”

He stripped off his clothes, pulling a condom from the pocket of his shorts and sheathing himself with shaking hands. He paused a moment as he kneeled between her thighs, his eyes feasting on her cunt. He spread her folds with his fingers and lowered his head to take one strong lick at her flesh.

“I had to do that,” he gasped. “Had to take a taste of you.”

Then he lifted her ass with both hands, bringing her up to him, positioned the head of his shaft at her opening and drove into her with one roll of his hips.

“Ohhh.” Kasey exhaled on a long breath. “Oh, god, Skyler.”

Then she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him tight to her. His hips moved and she moved with him, riding him, feeling him filling every empty space in her body. She knew it wouldn’t be long for her either, as her climax began to build at once.

“I’m sorry, honey,” he groaned, “I can’t hold it.”

“Me, either. Now, Skyler. Right now.”

“Come with me, Kasey.”

They exploded together, riding the roller coaster, flung into space and spun around. Bodies shuddered, hearts thudded, breathing rasped as the orgasm consumed them. Until at last they lay spent and sweaty, still wrapped in each other’s arms.

Finally Skyler kissed her, a soft kiss full of promise. “Am I going to be the hero in your next story?” he asked.

She smiled up at him, hands smoothing on his firm back, more fulfilled than she could ever remember.

“You’re going to be the hero in
all
of my stories, Sky. Every one of them.”

Allie Standifer
has lived in various places around the world. The gift of travel enables her to create the rhythm and feel of far-off places and feed an overactive imagination. Her life has been one of constant adventure, including growing up in Saudi Arabia, where her brother tried to sell her to Bedouins (for what amounts to less than $1.50). It’s been nonstop; she loves every minute of it.

Ideas, plots, characters and conversations keep her company inside her head and fuel her need to write. And no, they don’t tell her to start fires.  :)  Tired of everyday stories, Allie adds paranormal twists to her tales. They’re filled with past lives, chain-email-sending oracles, mythical creatures, magic, sexy gods, and heroines who know exactly what they want—and aren’t afraid to go get it.

Free time is spent spoiling two nieces and two nephews, pumping them up on sugar and caffeine and buying very loud toys then sending them back to their parents. The perfect revenge for all the slights of being the youngest child. When not writing or contributing to the delinquency of minors, or trying to outsmart her psycho cat, she spends time with her wonderful and supportive family.

Desiree and Allie welcome comments from readers. You can find their websites and email addresses on their author bio pages at
www.ellorascave.com
.