Текст книги "Reckless Nights"

Автор книги: Karen Erickson

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 6 страниц)

“What did you tell her?” he asked, knowing it was going to be something kind. Whereas Reagan might have noticed his innate confidence, he definitely noticed her innate sweetness. Because she was sweet, she had to be, what with what she did for a living.

“I reassured her she wasn’t an idiot. I gave her a hug. The poor woman was just beating herself up while the three-year-old was running around acting like it was no big deal.” She laughed. “It was kind of funny.”

“Sounds like the craziest stories are the ones where they stuff something where it doesn’t belong.”

“So true.” She turned to study him, her gaze meeting his. “I’m rambling about stuff you probably don’t care about, huh?”

“Not true. I wanted to talk to you about working in the ER, remember? I’m going to use it for my character,” he said.

“Yeah? When do you start filming?”

“Next week.” Unable to help himself, he touched her. Drifted his finger along her hairline, down her temple. She remained completely still—he didn’t think she was even breathing—and he let his hand drop. The shuddering breath that left her was full of disappointment. “A six-week shoot.”

“Where?”

“In and around Los Angeles. My character works at a fictional hospital there.”

“Awesome.” She offered him a tremulous smile. “Do you like being an actor?”

“It’s all I know. Pretending to be someone else, to do things I would never do…I like it.” Sometimes. Sometimes he didn’t. But what else could he do? He’d dropped out of school before he graduated and had to get his GED. His work schedule hadn’t allowed him for a normal high school life, and no way in hell could he go off to college. His mom wouldn’t let him.

She hadn’t allowed much of anything except work, work, work. They didn’t even talk anymore. One last major fight while he’d been high on coke and she’d been drunk off her ass had severed their relationship. He hadn’t gone back. Hadn’t said sorry, hadn’t begged for her forgiveness, nothing.

Neither had she.

He resented her for pushing him beyond his limits and she resented him for cutting her off. So they didn’t speak, the two of them too stubborn to give in first.

Stupid.

“Did you miss it? When you went…” Her voice trailed off.

“To rehab? Yeah.” At first he missed the fame and what came with it. Women, booze and drugs. His life had become an endless party, and then it was gone. Felt like he blinked and he was in rehab, going through withdrawals, cranky as shit and feeling like he was at the end of his rope. “Once I got sober and my head on straight, I realized I didn’t want to give acting up. That I’d have to change the way I think and what I did in order to get what I want.”

A soft smile curled her pretty lips. And they were definitely pretty. Lush and full and the perfect shade of pink. Her lipgloss had worn off long ago, and he had the urge to press his lips to hers. See if her mouth turned red and swollen after a few minutes of intense kissing.

“Sounds like you’re on the right track, then,” she said.

“I feel like I’m on the right track. Now I just need to make sure and not fuck it up.”

Her eyes widened the slightest bit at his use of the word “fuck”, but otherwise she didn’t say a thing. She didn’t need to. Any other words uttered could potentially destroy the mood and that was the last thing he wanted.

Leaning in, he traced his fingers along the edge of her jaw, smoothed his thumb down the front of her chin. She parted her lips when his fingers made contact with her skin, her breath stuttering when he brushed his thumb against her plump lower lip. She tilted her head up as his descended, their mouths meeting at the perfect moment.

If this was a movie, the music would’ve swelled in the background and the camera would’ve panned out on the kissing couple. But this wasn’t a movie. This was his life.

And he planned on enjoying every second of it.

Chapter Three

Declan cupped Reagan’s cheek to steady her as he drank from her lips, delving his tongue into her mouth to caress hers. A little whimper escaped her and she practically fell into him, her hands bracing against his chest to steady herself, slender fingers curling into his shirt.

She tasted sweet, like wine and mint and honey. She kept edging closer with every sweep of their tongues, until she was practically falling on top of him, and he reached for her, wrapping his arms around her waist so she could settle in his lap, right over his burgeoning erection.

Her hands sank into his hair and she tugged, making him wince. Making him groan. The kiss grew even hotter, wetter, deeper, and he finally broke away from her first. To catch his breath, gather his thoughts, remind himself they were in a public place and anyone could come upon them.

“Wow.” She uttered that understatement of the year at the same time she pressed her face against his neck, her lips causing a path of fire wherever they touched.

He threw his head back against the couch, his breaths ragged as she skimmed her hand down the front of his shirt, fingers tripping over the buttons as her mouth worked some sort of magic on his neck. There was nothing restrained about the way she touched him, kissed him, ground her lower body against his. The girl was on fire for him.

And he felt the same exact way.

He lifted his head, determination filling him. “Come with me,” he murmured into her silky soft hair, his low words getting lost in the moan that escaped him when she settled her hand directly over his cock. Even through his jeans, her touch burned. He tried to tell himself it was because it had been awhile since he was with a woman, but he knew the truth.

It was the woman touching him that brought out such a strong reaction.

“Come with you where?” she asked, her voice this low, sexy purr that sent every hair on his body standing on end.

“My hotel room.” He cupped her chin and kissed her, not allowing her to answer for long, tongue-filled minutes, until he broke apart from her again, leaving her dazed and breathing heavy. “I’m staying in this hotel. Are you?”

She slowly shook her head, her fingers curling around the length of his cock for a too-brief moment before they moved away.

He fought off the wave of disappointment and the urge to grab her hand and place it right back on his erection. “Stay the night with me, Reagan.”

“All right.” She nodded, her dark hair spilling over one shoulder, exposing the creamy skin of her neck. He kissed her there, hopefully driving her as crazy as she drove him, licking and nibbling on her skin until she was shoving at his shoulders and begging him to stop.

And also begging him to never stop.

“Come on.” He pushed away from her and stood, offering his hand. She took it and stood on wobbly feet, brushing her skirt down with her free hand, and he watched her, his gaze locked on her chest, where he could see her hard nipples poking against the fabric of her dress. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” She offered him a tremulous smile and shook her hair back, her breasts rising with the deep inhale she took. He was fascinated with her chest, was dying to see what color her nipples were, and he told himself to knock that shit off.

But it was no use. It was going to become his mission to catch a glimpse of those nipples within the next five minutes if it was the last thing he did.

He took her hand and they walked briskly toward the double doors leading back to the party. Mentally he prepared how he was going to brush off his friends, because he knew they would come running the moment they saw him. This get-together tonight was really all about him, after all. If he was going to bail on his own party, then they’d be disappointed.

When they entered the room, though, he didn’t see his friends at all. And Luke and Noah were hard to miss.

“I don’t see Natalie or Andrea anywhere,” Reagan said, craning her neck as she looked around the dimly lit room.

“I don’t see my friends either.” He slipped his arm around her waist and steered her toward the exit. “Text the girls and let them know you’re with me.”

She sent him a sly smile. “They’ll probably tell me to run as far as I can if I tell them that.”

He laughed too. “Well then, reassure them this isn’t a bad idea.” He stopped short. “Unless you do think it’s a bad idea. If that’s the case—”

“Shush.” She set her index finger over his mouth, silencing him. “Let’s go.”

Everything inside of him heated at her gentle touch. “Yeah?” he asked, his lips moving against her finger.

Her lips parted, and a shuddery little sigh escaped her before she whispered, “Yeah.”

He couldn’t resist. He bit the tip of her finger, pursing his lips around it to give a gentle kiss before he lashed his tongue around her flesh as if to soothe the ache.

Fuck yeah, did it soothe. Her eyes flared with heat and she visibly trembled. His entire body went tight at the sight of her, a heavy throb moving through his cock, and he clamped his arm tighter around her waist, leading her through the small clusters of partygoers with a grim determination.

There was no time to waste. He planned on having this woman naked and in his bed in quick order. Minutes. Seconds if he could, but he still had a long elevator ride to go.

Of course, an elevator ride accompanied by a sexy as hell woman always filled his head with all sorts of ideas.

The moment they slipped into the elevator, she was reaching for her phone, plucking it from the tiny purse she carried. She dashed off a quick text and shoved the phone back into her purse, flashing him a dazzling smile. “I let them know,” she said, indicating her friends.

“Did you tell them you were safe with me?” He pushed away and walked toward her, crowding her so her back was to the mirrored wall, their chests brushing, legs tangling.

“Safe?” She tilted her head back, a sexy little smirk curling her lips. “That’s not the word I’d use to describe what I feel when I’m with you. So…no.”

“What do you feel when you’re with me?” He settled his hand at her waist, his fingers pressing into her flesh, and he felt a full-body shiver move through her.

“Excited,” she whispered. He dipped his head and kissed her, pulling away just as she was about to sneak her tongue inside his mouth. “Aroused.” Her voice was a little weaker, and he swore she swayed on her feet.

Those two words triggered something within him. Without thought, he grasped her by the waist and hauled her up, her back pressed against the mirror, her long legs winding around his hips automatically. He thrust his lower body against hers, slow and easy, just as he took her mouth in a heated kiss.

The elevator stopped, the doors quietly sliding open, and he lifted away from Reagan, glancing over his shoulder to see an older couple standing in front of the elevator doors, their shocked expressions downright amusing.

The woman found her tongue first. “Aren’t you that actor?” She waved a hand at him.

He smiled before he turned back to face Reagan once more. “Nope,” he replied reaching out and hitting the button repeatedly until the elevator doors closed.

Reagan slapped his chest lightly. “You lied.”

“Come on. I wasn’t about to tell them the truth. Then they would’ve barged into the elevator demanding an autograph.” He settled his hand over her left breast, her nipple pebbling against his palm. “And then I wouldn’t have been able to do this.” He flexed his fingers, slipped them beneath the fabric of her dress and encountered bare, warm flesh.

Her eyelids fluttered and she parted her lips, a hiss escaping. “That would’ve been…awful.”

“I know.” He nipped at her jaw, licked down her throat. All the while he continued caressing her breast, his thumb teasing her nipple, plucking the hardening bit of flesh. “Good thing I got rid of them.”

The elevator stopped at its final destination, the doors sliding open again with a hushed whisper, and he slowly moved away from Reagan. He kept his hands on her waist, steadying her as she unwound her legs from around his hips so she could stand. She brushed her hair away from her shoulder when he let her go and exited the elevator, flashing him an enticing smile from over her shoulder that had him following after her like he was some sort of dumbstruck dog.

Which he sort of felt like he was.

Go for it.

Those three words were an incessant beat thrumming through her body, a reminder that she needed to take this opportunity for what it was and…go for it.

A chance. One night with Declan Carter, her every fantasy man come to life. She’d admired him for so long, giggling with her friends over how hot he was. Watching his movies alone and pausing the DVD machine when he was shirtless so she could admire his abs.

Fine, she might’ve even used him as a masturbation aide once or twice in her life. She never thought she’d actually be with him, though. Kiss him. Feel his fingers pinch her nipple and his erection grind against her aching wet center.

Yeah. That all happened only within the last ten minutes. She couldn’t wait to see what unfolded next.

Declan chased after her—yes, he was chasing her, unbelievable—in the short hallway that lead to one single door that had a gold plaque beside it reading Penthouse Suite. Stopping short, she slowly turned and watched him approach, his keycard already clasped in his fingers, wearing that sexy closed-lipped smile she remembered seeing him wear in his first movie long, long ago.

Her knees went weak at the sight of that bone-melting smile because it was aimed directly at her. Not a camera. Not a gorgeous blonde model hanging on his arm. Her.

“Nice digs,” she murmured as he came up beside her and slid the key into the slot.

He shot her a look, his gaze dark and direct and full of undisguised arousal. “Only the best.”

“What about your friends? They didn’t get as fancy a suite? Looks like this is the only room on this floor.”

He opened the door and waved his hand, indicating she should enter. “They’re on the floor below mine. They decided I should have the best suite this time around, since we’re celebrating my new role,” he explained, shutting the door behind him and turning the lock into place.

The loud click rang inside the otherwise stillness of the suite, and she turned on her heel, watching as he carefully approached her. He set the key on a nearby table, his fingers drawing across the tabletop in a sensuous caress and she shivered. Could imagine those fingers doing that very thing to her body.

“Nervous?” he asked, raising a single brow.

Who knew one eyebrow could be so damn sexy? Her panties grew wet at the mere sight of it. Maybe knowing what his intentions were helped that cause too. “No,” she answered carefully.

He stopped just before her, reaching out to trace a single finger down the length of her cheek. “Maybe you should be. It’s been a while since I’ve been with a woman.”

She found that hard to believe. “Really?” The sarcasm in her voice was evident even to her own ears. But come on.

He’s Declan fucking Carter.

“Don’t believe me?” He snuck his arm around her waist and pulled her in close, their hips colliding, her hands going to his broad, warm chest. She wanted his shirt off. Wanted to explore the acres of potentially exposed skin with her lips and tongue.

Her insides went liquid at the thought.

“I want to,” she said earnestly, and then she started to laugh, making him chuckle too.

“No one’s interested me.” He sank a hand beneath her skirt, lifting the fabric so he could touch the outside of her thigh. She both wanted to yank away from his hand and press into it. His palm heated her. Branded her. “I’ve been so focused on work lately, it didn’t allow for many…distractions.”

“Is that what this is? What I am? A distraction?” Her breath hitched in her throat when his fingers traveled across her thigh, up toward her panties. He played with the silky fabric strip at her hip, and she waited breathlessly for him to venture into more forbidden territory.

“What do you want to call it? A one-night stand?” He kissed her before she could answer, his tongue tangling with hers at the precise moment his fingers wound around the band of her panties, pulling the fabric taut at the center of her legs.

Oh God, that felt so good. The fabric rubbing against her sensitive flesh sent little zings through her bloodstream, heat sparkling across her skin. He broke the kiss first, his gaze intense as he stared into her eyes, his fingers moving in a sawing motion that had the fabric of her panties go slack, then tighten again.

“That’s really all it is,” she murmured before she bit her lip to keep her whimper contained. She needed to remind herself that was all this was. A one-night stand. A little fun on a Friday night. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” and all that nonsense.

He slipped his hand beneath the front of her panties, making her gasp when his sure fingers cupped her bare skin. “Wet,” he murmured just before he devoured her mouth with his.

All she could do was stand there and take it. Everything was centered on that one spot between her legs where Declan was rubbing her, again and again, his mouth locked with hers, his tongue doing perfectly wicked, perfectly perfect things. She could come like this. She was already close. It had been so long since she had assured, rough male fingers between her legs, stroking her into oblivion. Lately it had been her own hand.

This was sooo much better.

Her thighs went rigid when he swiped his thumb across her clit and pressed. She clutched him close, her fingers bunching the fabric of his shirt, a low moan sounding from deep within her when he pressed even harder…

And then released his hold on her, pushing her away until there was enough distance between them that she couldn’t even touch him without taking a step forward.

“Wait.” His voice was ragged, as was his breathing. His hair was a mess, no doubt from her hands, and his lips were swollen. He rested his hands on his hips, looking every inch the hot and bothered man. “We need to take this slow.”

Slow. That was a funny word. Only moments ago she’d been this close to an orgasm. Right now her tense body wanted only fast, fast, fast. “Why?” she asked incredulously.

He laughed. The jerk. He looked quite pleased with himself while she was a shaky, on-edge mess. Yes, fine she could see the impressive outline of his erection beneath his jeans, but otherwise he didn’t seem fazed by this pause in the action at all.

“Why? Because I want to savor you.” His expression sobered, went from amused to aroused in mere seconds, and she went still, a shivery sensation seeming to engulf her entire body.

“Savor me?” The words came out in the barest whisper, and he smiled, tilting his head, studying her like she was his favorite subject.

“I have plans, Reagan. Like I said, it’s been a long time, and I want to make this good for both you and me.” His sexy, deep voice was full of promise. Promise she instinctively knew he could one hundred percent deliver.

Without another word, he turned and walked away. She followed without hesitation, her gaze roaming everywhere, trying to take it all in. The suite was huge. Beautiful. But the lights weren’t on and she could hardly see anything. She wanted to see it all, too. Memorize it so she could store this away in her mind in the hopes she would never, ever forget this night.

He entered a room at the end of the hall, hitting the wall so the lamps on the bedside tables that flanked the giant king-sized bed came on. The light was dim, casting the room in a hazy golden glow, and she looked around, her gaze taking in the furniture, the casual tangle of clothes piled on an overstuffed chair, the unmistakable scent of Declan’s cologne filling the air.

She breathed deep and held it, closing her eyes, reveling in the scent. The man smelled amazing. The room itself was amazing. And when she opened her eyes to find Declan pulling his shirt off over his head, exposing his broad, muscular chest, all the breath left her in one exhale.

He was beautiful. Even better than any photo she’d seen in a magazine or what she’d watched from his movies. He tossed the shirt onto the chair, on top of the pile of clothes already there, before he settled his hands on the waistband of his jeans.

“Wait.” She went to him, resting her hands over his, unprepared for the blast of heat his bare torso radiated toward her. Oh, he had the smoothest skin she’d ever seen. Her fingers literally itched to touch him and so she gave in to the urge, releasing her hold on his hands so she could rest her palms directly on his pecs.

His eyelids lowered, he stared at her, watching as she skimmed her hands down, over his perfect abs, his flat stomach. “What am I waiting for?”

“I want the honors.” She curled her hands into his jeans, her fingers going for the button fly as she yanked it undone, his black boxer briefs coming into view. Reaching inside, she ran her hand along the hot length of him, satisfaction filling her when she heard him growl. “You’re big,” she murmured.

And he was. About the biggest she’d ever touched, seen, had. A mixture of fear and arousal trickled down her spine as she wondered exactly how he might fit, which made her feel like an amateur. But it was a serious consideration. She’d had decent-sized men before. Average mostly—save for her first boyfriend in college, who had been a total pencil dick, which had equaled a total disappointment.

Declan Carter? The words pencil and dick did not compute. The man was thick and long. And hard.

Very, very hard.

Oh, and also very, very impatient. All thoughts of taking it slow must’ve left him and she must’ve taken too long for his tastes, because he pushed away her hands. Shucked his jeans in a fervor, kicking off his shoes along with the denim and leaving it in a pile on the floor.

All worry and fear left as Reagan let her gaze roam freely down the length of his beautiful body, so entranced she had no idea she’d let forth a wistful sigh until she heard Declan ask a question, his deep voice full of amusement.

“That bad? Or that good?”

She jerked her gaze to his, mortified. Never had she ogled a man like she was ogling Declan. “Definitely not bad,” she said weakly.

“Right back at you.” He spun his finger in a circle. “Turn around, Reagan.”

She did as he asked without protest, breathless when she felt his hands settle at the neckline of her dress. He tugged the zipper down, the fabric slowly parting, revealing her bare back. His fingers teased her exposed skin and she closed her eyes, pressing her lips together when he pulled the zipper down as far as it would go.

“Take it off,” he whispered, his mouth at her ear.

Without thought, she shrugged out of the beautiful red dress and let it fall in a heap around her feet. She stood in just her white satin panties, since she hadn’t worn a bra. The dress hadn’t allowed it.

“Jesus.” Her eyes flashed open at his muttered word and she turned around, her hands automatically going to her breasts, covering them. Did she look that bad? Was he disappointed? God, she would die. Just melt into the ground and hope like crazy she disappeared if he was somehow…displeased with what he discovered beneath the dress.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, her voice small, every one of her insecurities coming back at her tenfold.

Declan slowly shook his head, his gaze locked on her hands, still covering her breasts. “No. Hell no. Drop your hands, Reagan. Let me look at you.”