Scent of a Woman

“Go on.”

“I don’t care to enlarge the circle.”

“Hmm. Now that’s unusual.”

“What?”

“Most men would sell a lung to be with two women at the same time.”

“Nope. I like to focus. I don’t want any distractions.”

“So, I should call Tom Cruise and cancel?”

“Hey, no fair. I didn’t know you were going to ask him.”

She laughed. It took an exceptional man to be humorous when the subject was another man.

“I believe it’s your turn again,” he said.

“Right.” She let her hands wander south, and this time when she hit his belt, she kept going. Her touch as light as a feather, she ran her fingers down the straining length. “Safety first. No risking anyone’s life.”

“Good plan.”

“And we’ll always have an out. A safe word. I don’t want any psychological scarring here. This is meant to be freeing. Not twisted.”

His hips pushed up, his desperation mounting. There was more to be said, but first she needed to show a bit of mercy.

“David,” she said softly.

He grunted an attempt at a reply.

“We’re not going to have sex tonight.”

His groan was achingly heartfelt.

“Because we both need to think this through. This is new territory. Risky business. We’re going to be vulnerable. Bare our throats, as it were.”

“Susan,” he said, forcing the word out between clenched teeth. “I appreciate what you’ve said. And I concur. However, you should understand that I’m going to die in about two minutes. And all your hard work will be in vain.”

“Hmm. I suppose you have a point.”

“To say the least.”

She laughed again, but as she did, she lifted herself to her knees, her back straight, her eyes locked on his. Her hands went to the back of her head where she opened the tortoiseshell clip. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders and down her back.

David’s mouth opened and his cheeks flushed with color. She knew he’d react this way. The next step was going to be even more fun.

Slowly, knowing he couldn’t have looked away if he was on fire, she shook her head, fanning the last of the kinks from her hair. Only then did she lower her body once more. Controlling her movements with her thighs and her hips, she rode him. Friction, tension and heat were all focused on about eight inches of thick flesh. Her own breath became shaky as she rubbed harder, and she had to shift her position so she got as well as she gave.

“Oh, my God,” he said, thrusting up to meet her.

“I can’t… Please…”

“Please what?”

“I need to touch you.”

“You are touching me.” She squeezed her thighs to remind him of the contact.

“No. It’s not enough. Let me touch you. I need to feel your skin. Your hair.”

“But that would mean untying you.”

He groaned pitifully.

She increased her pace. Even though she wanted to feel his arms, his hands, she wasn’t going to give in. Like Scheherazade, she was going to hold back. Keep an ace in the hole. She wanted this to work. She wanted a playground, and she wanted her anonymity, and she wanted it with him.

His breathing changed, and she knew he was close. She bore down hard and ground herself against him. He wasn’t the only one close. Oh, damn, she was going to come before he did. No, no. Not yet. Not yet…

Her body shuddered violently as she climaxed. Tremors from deep within stole her breath. She arched her back as she continued to ride him. David moaned and thrust his hips up hard, and then every muscle in his body tensed as he passed the point of no return. His head went back, his neck bare and straining as he gritted his teeth. She wanted to stay, to watch him come down, to see the release in his eyes, but that wasn’t for tonight.

She slipped off the bed, grabbed her purse and her coat, and ducked into the bathroom. One coat of lipstick and a surprise for him, then she hurried to the door. Although she shouldn’t have, she looked back. David had gone slack, his chest heaving with his efforts to cool down.

When his head started to turn, she slipped out, closing the door behind her.

Walking on shaky legs to the elevator, she congratulated herself on a job well done. She’d actually pulled it off. No strings, no names, no boundaries. What could be more enticing?

The elevator door opened and she settled next to a nice-looking man in his forties. He tried not to stare, but his gaze kept coming back to her. Was it her hair? Men did love her hair. Or was it the look of smug satisfaction she couldn’t quite tame?

It didn’t matter. She’d done it. She’d gone after what she wanted. Not that it was a replacement for love and marriage and all that. She’d date if someone interesting came along. This was about pleasure. About breaking the rules. About knowing exactly why he was with her.

When the elevator hit the lobby, she gave her staring friend her most dazzling smile, then headed for home. She couldn’t wait to get into bed. What dreams she’d have tonight.

“SUSAN?”

When she still didn’t answer, David sighed. She’d disappeared. Why? It had all gone her way. So why ditch him? Why go to all this trouble and not even have sex? Okay, so they’d had sort-of sex, and he had to admit, he’d come like Old Faithful, but still. He hadn’t touched her once.

The thought reminded him about the ties around his wrists and in short order he’d freed himself. She’d left her scarf. If he knew her name, he would return it to her.

Dammit. Why the tease? How had he been so wrong about her? It made no sense.

He got up, stretched his neck muscles a bit, then headed for the bathroom. As he walked in, he smelled her perfume, the scent as mysterious as the woman. Something in the mirror caught his eye and he looked at the opposite wall. Nothing. He went to the sink, and the explanation was simple. It wasn’t reflected on the mirror. It was on the mirror itself. A message. In scarlet lipstick.

NEXT WEDNESDAY.

He grinned. She hadn’t ditched him. She’d just left in a very unique way. But then, this whole night had been unique. She was something else. Someone he wanted to discover.

God, what would her fantasies be? He felt pretty confident they weren’t going to be run-of-the-mill. He just hoped he was up to the task. A shudder hit him as he remembered the feel of her on top of him, the way she rubbed him so sensuously it was all he could do not to explode in the first two minutes.