Beginning Again: Book 1 in the Second Chances series (Crimson Romance) Read online

  “Oh, God … I think … yes, that’s … it’s exactly where we were.”

  But they didn’t stay there for long. As he resumed his ministrations to her breasts, and the kisses that robbed her of a will to be anyplace but here, her body began to feel restless, demanding more from him. A desire she’d never felt before began building deep in her, confusing her with the intensity, exciting her with the power. He seemed to understand and left off kissing her mouth and began to move down her body again, kissing, nipping, and licking between her breasts, to her navel, her hipbones. When he got to her sex, he used his tongue to tease again, this time the nub of nerves where the coil of heat had taken up permanent residence. He began slowly circling, then rapidly flicking the tip of his tongue across her clitoris as her hips bucked up to give him more access.

  She’d never felt anything like it, this electricity racing through her body, this need to have him inside her, to be completely his. No one had ever made love to her like this before. She whimpered in protest when he moved his mouth only to gasp with pleasure as he introduced his fingers into her slick, tight channel.

  His fingers moved inside her, finding a place she didn’t know existed and massaging it as his thumb circled her clitoris. The orgasm ripped through her and she knew the world would never be the same again.

  “Collins, please … ” She tugged at him to move up, so she had contact with more of his body.

  “Please, what, sweetheart? Tell me what you want. I’ll do whatever you want me to. Just tell me.”

  “I want you.”

  “How? How do you want me?” He moved up over her, his body rubbing against hers with the maximum of friction, every inch of her body aware of every inch of his.

  “Inside me. Please.”

  “Like this?” She could feel his finger moving inside her.

  “No, I want … ” She paused.

  “What? Say it.”

  “Your cock. I want your cock in me. Please.”

  “Put your legs around me.” When she did, he said, “That’s my girl,” and slowly, carefully entered her. “You’re so snug, so hot. You feel amazing.” Finally, with long, slow strokes he filled her completely. Then he stopped.

  “Oh, God, don’t stop!” She arched against him, angling her hips, moving restlessly.

  “Tell me what it feels like, sweetheart,” he whispered as he nuzzled her neck.

  “Good. It feels good.”

  “No, tell me really what you feel.”

  “I can’t feel anything but you. Every part of me just feels you. I’ve never… … I never knew… … ” She took his face in her hands and kissed him with a hunger only the taste of him could satisfy.

  When he began to move inside her again, her internal muscles contracted around him as her climax revived and strengthened. He thrust faster, harder. His breathing matched. “Come with me, babe,” he said in a hoarse voice.

  But he didn’t have to ask. The second orgasm overwhelmed her and brought on his as together they rode it out to completion.

  Afterwards neither of them spoke as they lay twined together trying to get their breathing and heart rates back from someplace in the stratosphere. Finally, he said, “So, was that nice for you?”

  She nipped him on the shoulder. “You win. You’re amazing. I never — ”

  He stopped her with a quick kiss. “Babe, it takes two to be amazing. And we were, weren’t we?”

  “Yes, but I’m not a babe.”

  “Believe me, sweetheart, you are a babe.” He touched the tip of her nose with his index finger. “A babe who owes me twenty bucks.”

  “Are you serious?” She reared her head back and threw him a startled look.

  “A bet is a bet. And you just admitted I won.”

  “I’ve never paid for sex before.” The startled look had morphed into a disingenuous smile. “Is a check okay?”

  “If the purpose of that comment was to put me in my place, it sure as hell worked.”

  “You don’t like being a boy-toy?”

  “I guess you didn’t notice that’s not in my personality.” He kissed her again. “But, maybe for you, I’d be willing to give it a shot.” After a few minutes of contented silence, he said, “About that bad-in-bed thing … ”

  “Okay, can we leave the subject behind? I’ve conceded just about everything. What more do you want?”

  “Alsace-Lorraine. East Jerusalem. Fifty-four Forty or Fight.”

  “What, were you a history major or something?”

  “We just did ‘or something.’ And, no, political science.” He snuggled her close to him. “But now that I think about it, there is one other concession.”

  “The Korean DMZ?”

  “Nice, but not what I had in mind. Concede that you feel better about not sending me away with just a goodnight kiss. You do feel better, don’t you?”

  “You make it sound like this was some kind of pity fuck to improve my mental health.”

  He laughed. Loudly. “What do you know about pity fucks?”

  “I may not be the most experienced person in the room, but I have impeccable sources who are quite knowledgeable on the subject of sex. So, was this one?”

  “Not unless you took pity on me for being so pathetic when you rejected me.” He dropped a kiss on her head. “What else have you learned from these sources of yours?”

  “Well,” she said, running her finger over his mouth, “I hear that some men can have sex more than once a night.”

  He pulled her hips against him where she could feel the already impressive beginnings of another erection. “You have excellent sources, sweetheart. And they are correct.”

  Chapter 6

  “Isn’t it the guy who’s supposed to fall asleep after sex?” he asked when she opened her eyes. He was watching her, his head propped up on his hand, a grin on his face.

  “Sorry, I must have dozed off.” She tried to hide her embarrassment by nestling her face into his shoulder. He wouldn’t let her.

  “We’ve only made love twice and you’re already bored with me?”

  “Hardly. I’m tired from working in the gallery. Maybe that’s it. Although, truthfully, it’s been a long time since … you know … and you’re quite a bit more intense than I’m accustomed to so maybe … ”

  “Then I’ll take it as a compliment.” He brushed hair away from her cheek with the back of his fingers. “You’re even beautiful when you sleep.”

  “I’ve always been afraid I drooled or slept with my mouth open and my tongue out or something equally disgusting.”

  “Not that I noticed.” He turned toward the side of the bed.

  She kissed his shoulder. “If you want to go back to your hotel room, it’s okay.”

  “You trying to get rid of me?” His back was to her so she couldn’t see his eyes.

  “No, I’ll understand if you want to leave, that’s all.”

  “And if I want to stay?” He turned to face her and she could see he did.

  “I’d like that.”

  “So would I.” He sat up on the edge of the bed. “But I’d love something cold to drink, first. Can I get some ice water from your ’frig?”

  She started to sit up. “I’ll get it for you.”

  “Let me. You go back to sleep.”

  She pulled the covers up around her shoulders and made a soft sound. “Okay, if you don’t mind.”

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “I’ll probably be asleep when you get here.”

  • • •

  He put his boxers on, went to the kitchen, and got a glass of ice water. Returning to the bedroom, he made sure she was asleep, then went into her office. A half-hour later he checked on her again, pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket, and w
ent down the steps to the entryway where he made a phone call.

  “David, it’s Michael.”

  “What the hell are you doing calling at this hour of the night?”

  “You want to know what I found or not?”

  “Do you have them?”

  “What I have is nothing. I’ve been through her desk, all her computer files, and her file cabinets. She doesn’t lock the cabinets or any drawer in her desk. Her computer isn’t password protected. None of the files are either. She’s not hiding anything.”

  “You didn’t find any financial files at all?”

  “Yeah, I found all her personal files, copies of their IRS filings, the records for her gallery. Nothing like you told me she had. This is a wild goose chase.”

  “How’d you get into her office at this hour?”

  “Don’t ask.”

  “So, the old girl fell for the young man’s flattery.”

  “She’s not old and don’t talk about her that way.”

  “Am I hearing this right? Are you finally falling for someone? I don’t believe it.”

  “Fuck off, David. All I’m saying is she doesn’t deserve what I just did to her.”

  “Right.” A sigh came from the other end of the line. “Okay, if you’re sure. I guess you’re going to have to figure a way to check out his files.”

  “No. I said I’d do this one last thing for you. I’m not doing — ”

  “Maybe you can use the same talents with him you did with her. I hear he swings both ways.”

  “Shut the fuck up. I’m done.”

  “Michael! Don’t hang up … ”

  He hung up.

  When he crawled back into bed, she stirred and curled up close to him, her hand on his chest. The gesture felt trusting, almost childlike. He put his arm around her and cursed himself, his former partner, and the client from hell who’d put him in this position.

  • • •

  She woke with a start, breathless. God, what she would give to dream like that every night. Blinking at the daylight making its way through the sheers on her bedroom window, she stretched. It was morning. No more dreaming. Time to get to work.

  Funny, she felt sore in interesting places like she’d …

  Then she remembered. Not all of it was a dream.

  But she was alone in bed. The pillow next to her was cold, although it smelled of him. Had he left after she’d fallen asleep the second time? Why hadn’t he wakened her to say goodbye? Maybe he changed his mind about staying … about a lot of things. Oh, hell, she’d been foolish to think …

  “Good morning, sweetheart.” Dressed only in his boxers, he appeared in the doorway with two mugs in his hands, coffee, from the smell. “Guess I won’t have to tempt you awake with this.”

  “Oh, are you up … ah … awake?” She was staring at the front of his boxers and could feel herself blushing as she stumbled on her words.

  He grinned at her embarrassment. “For about half an hour. I thought breakfast in bed might be nice.” He sat next to her and handed her one mug. “However, you need to do some serious grocery shopping. This is about all I could manage in the breakfast department other than the coffeecake and scones leftover from yesterday, and I wasn’t sure how you felt about stale crumbs in bed.”

  “This is great. Thanks. I apologize for what’s not in the kitchen. I’ve been eating take-out for weeks while I work on the gallery.” She sat up, pulled up the sheet to cover her breasts, and took the mug. “I thought maybe you’d left. Gone back to the hotel so you could get an early start for home.”

  “Without saying goodbye? I wouldn’t do that.” He watched her as if waiting for something from her. “Anyway, I don’t think I’m going to leave Portland for a couple more days.”

  “Oh.” A pause. “That’s nice.” A race to find another word. “I mean, I’m glad.” She sipped at her coffee, not looking at him. “Will you stay at your hotel?”

  “I imagine I can if I want to.”

  The pause was longer this time and mutual with much coffee sipping and no talking. Then, looking up at him, she said, “You could stay here.”

  He put the mug on the bedside table, stripped off his shorts, and hopped over her to get back in bed. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  She finished the coffee and put the mug beside his. “Good.” Feeling mischievous she said, “I mean, I have one man helping me, but another one would let me finish the to-do list for the gallery faster.”

  “I have another kind of to-do list in mind.” He pulled the sheet away from her and tugged at her arm to get her to lie down again. “Can’t you take a couple days off?”

  “Assuming I get a lot of work done today, I guess I can. And what would you have on your to-do list?”

  “While I waited for the coffee to brew, I got to thinking that you’ve probably always made love in bed and always in missionary position. Right?”

  Nodding, she felt another blush redden her face. “Are we going to spend all our time together talking about sex?”

  “No, sometimes we’ll be having sex.” He ignored her eye roll. “Okay, so, since that’s true, there are lots of opportunities here for me to be your first and I thought we could explore … ”

  “Actually, you already have been my first.”

  “Right. Betting on sex. Or do you mean paying for sex?”

  “Neither one. Well, yes, both. But that’s not what I meant.”

  He frowned. “Then what … wait, are you telling me you never had an orgasm before?”

  “No, although it was more like a sneeze before and with you I’m sure it registered on Portland State’s seismograph. Anyway, that’s not it either. Last night, you kissed me … where … ah … where no one ever has before. I liked it. More than liked it. Loved it.”

  “Good, one thing checked off already.” He smiled. “Surely those ‘informed sources’ you told me about have talked about other interesting things. And maybe there are places where you’ve thought about making love but never have.”

  “What, you’re going to catalogue my fantasies and then check them off like a perverted Christmas list?”

  “Hmmm. I’m Santa and you’re the naughty-or-nice little girl. That could be fun. Although I’m a little uneasy about the perverted part — you’re not talking about involving animals or innocent teenagers, are you?”

  “If I do this, and that’s a big if, you’ll be the youngest and the only other person involved. And animals? Dear God, I can barely handle my own species. I sure as hell have no desire to add another.”

  He roared with laughter.

  “Not so loud. I just heard Jamie come in downstairs. He’ll hear you.”

  “Who’s Jamie?”

  “The guy I told you about who’s been helping me get the gallery ready. When we’re dressed, we’ll go downstairs and you can meet him.”

  “In a bit. First … ” He nudged his erection against her thigh. His fingertips touched her breast, his breath feathered over her lips. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you.”

  “Mmmm. Having your hands on me is one of the things I like about you.”

  “What else do you like about me?” He pulled her leg up over his hip and touched her sex.

  “Just about everything right now.”

  A long while later, they showered and dressed. She’d chased him out of the bathroom when he wanted to make love in the shower and disentangled his arms from around her when he suggested sex in the kitchen as the best way to start the day. Saying that they’d already made love more in the last twenty-four hours than she had in the whole previous year, she asked his patience until she got used to it.

  He turned serious, held her, and told her she would never again, as long as he had anything to say about it, be without someone to make
love to her whenever she wanted. She bit her lip to keep tears from forming.

  With the key to her apartment in his pocket, Collins left to check out of his hotel, snagging a piece of leftover coffeecake on his way out the door.

  Liz poured what remained in the coffeepot into her mug and wandered into her office. Sated with sex and deficient on sleep, she didn’t trust herself to remember what needed to be done today. The master to-do list on her computer would tell her what had to be finished before she played hooky with Collins.

  But even her lust-fueled brain knew something wasn’t right when she sat down at her desk. For starters, her wireless mouse was on the right side of the keyboard. She was left-handed and used it on the other side. And the art books she’d just bought from Powell’s. They were no longer on the desk, but in two piles on the floor. Looking around the room she saw other signs that someone had moved things. More books out of place. A file cabinet drawer slightly open. Who the hell had been in here?

  It had to have been Jamie. He was the only other person with a key to the apartment. Well, Mason had access to it, too, but he was never here. And Collins had spent the night, but he had no reason to be in her office. It must have been Jamie. But why? She heard movement downstairs in the gallery. She’d just go find out.

  He didn’t give her much time to ask about her office. “Sooo … ” he said with a smile and a sideways glance, both of which looked suspiciously leer-like. “You weren’t alone when I came in this morning, were you? I heard two people walking around upstairs and heavy footsteps coming down the back stairs a while ago.”

  “Jamie, I hate to have to ask this but … ”

  “Was it morning after or early morning delivery?”

  She could feel her face redden. “Obviously I should think about carpeting everything upstairs.” She pushed through her embarrassment. “Look, I have to ask you something.”

  “From your face and this need to change the subject it’s certainly interesting, whichever it was.”

  “If you’ll let me ask what I need to, I’ll satisfy your curiosity.”