Chapter 3

When Riley said suite he really meant it, Kari thought, as he opened the door and ushered her in. They were on the top floor of the hotel, which should have been her first clue that Riley was shelling out some big bucks for his stay. The so-called sitting room was bigger than half of her condo. Beyond open carved double doors she saw a bedroom big enough to hold the mob in the bar and a bed large enough for an orgy.

An orgy? God, Kari, you are really letting it all hang out.

Riley flipped a switch and two lamps with soft lights blinked on. The remote for the television sat on a glass table, and he pressed buttons to turn on the giant television and tune to the channel broadcasting the game.

"How about a fresh Lone Star?" he asked. "I don't think you even got to finish the one you ordered."

"That sounds good," she told him.

She stood in the middle of the room, rubbing her hands against her thighs and wondering where she should sit. On the couch? Too inviting? In one of the big chairs? Too standoffish? While she was having an internal argument with herself, Riley uncapped two bottles of beer and brought them over to where she stood.

His grin wrapped around her like a blanket of warm syrup.

"I can almost see your brain in a wrestling match with itself. You're making it too complicated, darlin'. Relax." He set the bottles on a small table and reached for her, pulling her close to him. "But first I'm going to do something I wanted to do since you sat down next to me at the bar. I can't wait."

He settled his hands on her shoulders, big and warm, the heat burning through her t-shirt. While she watched with wide eyes he bent his head and licked her lips. Just a very, very light sweep of the tip of his tongue, but she felt it always through her breasts to her womb. Heat crept over her skin and the beat of her heart tripped over itself.

"Mmm, good." He licked his own lips, then slid his hands up to cup her face. "I knew you'd taste delicious."

His mouth came down on hers again, his lips like rough velvet. She was sure he'd be the kind to attack voraciously, but instead he seduced her mouth. He nibbled at each lip, his teeth teasing around the shape of her mouth, his tongue touching each tiny bite. He rubbed his lips against hers, then drew in her bottom lip and sucked on it gently.

Her bones felt like wax and more liquid soaked her panties. She felt as if she was suspended in space, attached only to his wonderful mouth.

When his tongue pressed against the seam of her closed mouth she opened with a sigh and thought how good he tasted. It swept inside and she couldn't believe how good it felt, stirring the nerves on every inner surface. Not an inch was left untouched-the roof of her mouth, the insides of her teeth and her cheeks, the pebbled surface of her own tongue. Tentatively she stretched it out to touch his and in seconds they were tangled together.

He kissed even better than he looked. She couldn't breathe. Every bit of air was trapped in her throat. She lifted her hands and wrapped her fingers around his wrists, not to pull him away but to hold him in place. Her brain felt fuzzy, her body weightless, and she wanted this kiss to go on forever.

Then a switch snapped on in her head and she tore her mouth away from his. Inbred insecurity reared its head and skittered along her spine.

"Wait," she gasped. "Wait, wait, wait."

He lifted his head and took a step back. "For what? What's wrong, Kari"

"I have to tell you something. Please."

He frowned at her. "Like what? You're married?" He lifted her left hand, the ring finger glaringly bare. "No ring, unless you're one of those liberated women who doesn't think they're necessary."

"No, no." She yanked her hand back. "It's not that."

"So what else could it be? You're really a man who loves cross-dressing? Hell, I think it would be very hard to fake luscious breasts like those." He skimmed the palm of one hand over her. "Yup. Real and made for touching."

She took a step backward, wet her lips and let out a breath. "I'm forty two."

Riley stared at her, confused. "And?"

Why is he being so stupid? And why did I come upstairs with a man eleven years younger than me?

"I'm forty two years old," she practically shouted. Get it out now and get it over with.

"And that's a problem how? I'm sorry. I don't get it."

She clenched her fists in frustration. Why wouldn't he understand. "How old are you, Riley? Thirty? Thirty one?"

He shocked her by bursting out laughing. "Jesus, Kari. For a minute you had me scared there. I thought there was a real problem."

"But-"

He reached out and pulled her close to him again, tilting her chin up with one finger so he could look directly into her eyes. "I'm thirty one, completely free of disease, comfortable financially and worried that you might think me too young for you. And ditch me."

"W-What?"

"Darlin', the minute you hitched that cute ass up on the chair my dick got so hard I thought I might injure myself. Then I discovered that in addition to a body made for fucking you actually had a brain and my day was made. After that my only problem was how to lure you up to my room so I could ravish you."

"Ravish me?" She couldn't seem to get her mind around the whole concept.

He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, and said in that voice that melted her bones, "But only if you want me to."

Only if you want me to? Oh, Riley, you have no idea how much I want you to. I came here tonight to do this, never dreaming I'd find a tasty morsel like you.