“Yeah, okay. I’ll do it.”
“Perfect,” Marilyn said. “Eleven o’clock.”
“Am I dating a famous woman?” Carrie whispered. My cheeks went instantly hot because she’d just said we were dating. I loved hearing that. I wanted her to write it in whipped cream across my chest.
“Yes. Very famous.” I batted my eyelashes. “The clamoring for me is out of control. You should probably lock me in.”
“Do I need to?” She rested her cheek on her hand in the most adorable pose.
“Not when you look at me like that.” She grinned and went back to her screen, yet I continued to watch her. A few moments later, her cheeks went pink.
“You’re staring, Ms. Ruiz.”
“Damn straight I am,” I said, grinning around my pen.
A pause as she click-clacked away on her keyboard. “Are you heading out on a story?”
“Not until the Commissioner on Agriculture has his press conference in an hour. Why do you ask?”
“Really cool footage I want to show you. But only if you have time.”
“Oh yeah. Of what?” There was no footage. I knew exactly where this was heading based on our last rendezvous and couldn’t like the idea more. A tingling sensation moved across my skin at the thought of kissing her, touching her. The editing bays had locks on each door and no windows. Thank God for whoever implemented those design features. Flawless.
“You know. Footage,” Carrie reiterated. “Of the really cool thing I was telling you about.”
“Hmmm,” I said studiously. “You know, I have been wanting to see that cool thing for a while.”
“Really?” She nodded sagely. “I’ve been wanting to show it to you. Follow me.”
I did. Happily, like a puppy. The door closed, the lights stayed off, and her warm breath tickled my neck. I was in heaven. When she kissed me expertly on the same spot, my whole body went slack in her arms as I relished the stolen moment.
“I’ve missed this,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. She moved her attention from my neck to my lips, and we were off. In a jumble of kissing, groping, and all-around decadent behavior we left ourselves breathless and longing. Our hips pressed together and moved in subtle rhythm, a nod to what we really wanted to be doing to each other. Soon.
“This is a fun but cruel practice,” Carrie whispered in my ear.
“I want to do so much more to you,” I said in the darkness, running a slow finger up the inside of her thigh, inching her skirt up and pausing mere inches from where I really longed to go.
Her breathing went noticeably shallow when I reached the edge of her underwear, tracing it from her midthigh down. “Free later tonight?”
“Mm-hmm,” I said, placing a kiss under her jaw. I found her lips and sank back in. We danced together. Our lips clung, sexy and perfectly in rhythm. Kissing chemistry was important, and we seemed to have it in surplus. It was intoxicating and addictive, kissing Carrie.
Someone tried the door, and we went still. Caught.
She took a step back. “Come over tonight.”
I nodded my agreement as she flipped the lights on. With one last wink, she exited the room, leaving me alone. I sighed. Back to real life and sitting next to the most beautiful woman on Earth and pretending I wasn’t in the land of lust. How many hours until the ten o’clock ended?
Now if only I could get through the day without exploding into a hot and bothered ball of flames. A flash of Carrie’s lips pressed to my neck hit. I went immediately warm and wet. The odds were not in my favor.
* * *
Carrie’s street was quiet when I killed my engine in her darkened driveway. The world had gone to sleep, leaving just those of us who worked odd hours awake to see the midnight sky. I’d driven along the beach on my way to her place, taking in the sounds of the waves rolling in, my windows down and my senses firing.
Carrie opened the door and handed me a glass of wine, wearing a baby-blue T-shirt and light gray cotton shorts. My brain stumbled. She had the best legs, a hint of a tan and sculpted. The curves of her breasts were outlined nicely under the fabric of the T-shirt. It was clear she’d ditched the bra upon arriving home, and I applauded the decision. “Hi,” she said, grinning at me.
I took a sip of the white. Dry. Crisp. “Sav blanc?”
“You’re good.” She turned and led me through the entryway. Tension clung. We both knew why I was there, and the anticipation was palpable.
“I’m not, but I’m learning. Great job tonight.” I meant it. She was on.
“You watched?” She turned and faced me, sitting on the arm of the couch.
“Damn straight, I did.” I’d submitted my last story by eight and made my way home to freshen up, get Micky a walk, and drop him to hang out with Grace, who was thrilled to have a cuddle buddy for the night. In between, I’d watched Carrie anchor the ten, taking notes on how effortlessly she transitioned, how naturally she engaged with the other anchors, and most importantly, how she connected with the lens, making me feel as if I was the only person watching. Her gift, and why she’d done so well in the field. The best in the business as far as I was concerned. And okay, the sexiest, too. By far. She didn’t even have to try. A pair of cotton shorts and I was gone.
“And? What was the verdict?” she asked around her glass.
“That you’re incredibly smart and poised and—” I exhaled. “Confession. I’ve missed your lips. More than I can even believe.”
“Then come here, Skyler Ruiz, and say hello to me.” Those lips curled into a smile as I moved to them, hovering just shy, enjoying the slight height advantage I finally had with her sitting on the edge of that couch arm. Finally, I captured her mouth with mine, and our connection lit up the room with startling intensity. Everything in me hummed when I kissed this woman, and in seconds I was drunk with lust and a need for more of her mouth, her body. It was only a moment before she stood in the midst of our kissing and angled her mouth for better access, parting her lips and allowing my tongue entrance. How did she know just the perfect way to kiss me so that I felt it everywhere? My skin prickled fantastically, my breasts longed to be touched, and my center ached for her alone. I’d only been in her house for four minutes, and we weren’t wasting any of them. She slipped her hands beneath the hem of my black T-shirt, her palms flat against my ribcage. She eased them upward until they covered my breasts entirely through my red bra, the one I picked out in hopes she’d like it. I closed my eyes, saw bright light, and tried to steady myself. Good God, she wasn’t shy.
“Coming off,” she whispered against my mouth and lifted my shirt easily over my head. Her fingertips descended on exactly what she wanted, across the tops of my breasts, as I pulled in air. She cradled them as I struggled for strength. I shifted to relieve some of the sensitivity between my legs. I was so turned-on that I trembled but tried hard to play it cool.