Who's the Boss? Read online

  “I feel overdressed.” Straightening, he whipped his shirt off, and the light that had been too stark only a moment before became a blessing. Rugged, lean and rangy, he was quite simply the most magnificently made man she’d ever seen. His gaze held hers as his fingers went to the button on his jeans. It opened and...

  Oh, how could she have forgotten? “Joe—” She let out a disparaging sound. “I don’t know quite how to tell you this,” she moaned.

  His fingers stilled. “You could start by opening your eyes,” he suggested quietly.

  She did, then wished she hadn’t. His body was incredible. His chest drew her fingers. She couldn’t help herself, the tensed muscles, the light, springy hair that tapered down and disappeared into his open jeans...

  Capturing her wandering hands in his, he looked at her. “Tell me now, before this goes any further. A change of heart?”

  “Not exactly.” Bravely, she met his hot, frustrated gaze. “I’m sort of a...virgin.”

  12

  “SORT OF?” Joe let out a choked laugh. “You’re sort of a virgin? How is that?”

  “Because I haven’t done it before.”

  “Caitlin.” His rough voice held a hint of a smile. “How is it you’ve never done this before?”

  Self-conscious now, she turned from him and once again crossed her arms over herself. “I know you probably thought I had lots of experience. I let people think that because...”

  “Because?”

  This wasn’t the time to shrink back and try to save her feelings, or her pride. “Because then they know I mean it when I say back off.”

  “Ah...the curse of being desirable.”

  “I don’t understand it.” She wished she had her shirt back, but in her haste to jump him, she’d tossed it dramatically across the room. “But nobody looks beneath the surface.”

  “Or past the checkbook,” he said in her ear, making her jump.

  “I guess you do understand.”

  “What I don’t understand is why you were going to let me have you.” With terrifying tenderness, he pulled her back against his chest, crossing his arms over hers to hold her close.

  It took every ounce of courage she had, but at this point, there was nothing to lose. Turning in those warm, capable arms, she met his questioning, and yes, still passionate, gaze. “Because I love you, Joe. I wanted you to be my first.”

  His eyes were bright, eloquent. “I thought we weren’t going to make promises.”

  “I don’t expect one back,” she assured him, pulling his head down to hers. “Please, Joe. Love me. Just for now.”

  Her lips clung to his, warm and wet. Sensuous and innocent. Just for now, Joe promised himself. His eyes never left hers as he stepped out of the rest of his clothes. “Don’t regret this. I won’t be able to stand it if you do.”

  “I won’t.” Her gaze was glued on him, her eyes wide and huge as she unabashedly stared at his proud, heavy sex. “You’re so beautiful, Joe. All virile and...hard.”

  On a laughing moan, he lay down, wrapped her in his arms and held her to him while his mouth ravaged hers again. “Hard being the key word here.” He slipped his hands beneath her skirt, caressing her thighs, playing with the tiny panties he knew were covered with happy faces. “I’ve wanted to take these off since the moment I got a front-row view of them on the landing.”

  She closed her eyes, her face flushing. Laughing, Joe kissed her until she was flushed with passion, not embarrassment. He loved the texture of her—all soft and dewy, he discovered as he removed the last of her clothing. Loved, too, the way her body quivered at his every touch. Lowering his head, he nuzzled at her, kissing and nipping until she was squirming and burning and restless beneath him.

  Lifting his head, he whispered, “Every time I was a jerk at work, it’s because I wanted to do this.” His thumbs made passing caresses over the tips of her tight, aching breasts, and he watched her body’s response, the way she panted for air, how her nipples puckered and beaded. When he drew her into his mouth again, she arched off the bed and into his arms.

  His hands ran down over her stomach, her thighs and back up between her legs. She caught her breath when he touched her there, then again when his touch deepened. Tossing her head back, she fisted her hands in the sheets and pushed up against his fingers, whimpering shamelessly.

  “Good?” he asked.

  “More.”

  She was the sweetest, most desirable woman he’d ever seen, and for the moment, she was his. “Yes,” he promised. Her slippery heat coated his fingers and he moaned. “Yes, more.”

  Her body tightened as he stroked her slowly, every muscle clenched. His fingers continued their sensuous play, giving her what she’d wanted, and she whispered his name, her voice torn between need and panic.

  “It’s all right.” He drowned in the pleasure of watching her discover desire. “I’m right here to catch you.”

  She was on a tightwire, grappling and struggling for balance. She hadn’t expected this. Had thought it would be fast. Reckless. Even painful. What she got was hot, delicious sensation. “Joe!” She wriggled, but the heat just consumed her all the more. “Where’s my more?”

  “For someone new at this, you’re awfully bossy.” He kneeled between her legs. “I like that in a woman.” He put on a condom before she could stop him. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be protected, but she wanted to participate in everything. Before she could complain, he was kissing her again and she could participate in that, oh yes, she could.

  Joe tasted her lips, her jaw, the precise spot on her throat where the pulse frantically leaped, then took her mouth again, shaken with the force of his own need. And those fierce little sounds that escaped the back of her throat were the most arousing he’d ever heard. He heard her sigh, then when he nudged at her hot, wet center, she gasped.

  “Okay?”

  “Yes,” she murmured, opening for him. “More. You promised.”

  “Hold on to me, Caitlin. Hold on tight.”

  Her arms slipped around him. His mouth closed over hers as he slid into her inch by inch. When she cried out, he froze in terror that he’d hurt her, but she shifted her hips, lifting experimentally. “Oh,” she breathed, drawing him in deeper, snugger, tighter. “Oh, I like it.”

  His hands shifted from her hips to brace on either side of her face where, from behind a haze of deep hunger, he watched her for any signs of pain or discomfort. She shot him a dazzling smile, and he saw only pleasure—dazed, dark pleasure.

  “There’s even more, isn’t there?” she asked hopefully, making him both groan and laugh at the same time.

  She met him stroke for mind-blowing stroke. And in her eyes, he saw everything he’d feared. Warmth, affection, acceptance, heat, need. Love. He saw her soul, and his mirrored back. He knew that alone should have brought the most fear of all, but miraculously, it didn’t.

  Beneath him, her eyes went wide, her mouth opened in a surprised O as she began to tremble and quiver. He tried to hold back, to prolong it for her, but his body finally betrayed him as she convulsed. Her shudder worked through him and became his, swirling and demanding, and he buried his face in her neck. She sobbed out his name as she climaxed, and clenching her fisted hands in his, he let himself go with her.

  CAITLIN WOKE FIRST, to the sound of a light spring rain. Joe held her as he slept, her back to his front, his arms possessively tight. One of his large hands, fingers spread wide, was low on her belly. The other had tangled itself in her hair. One of his thighs was pressed between hers, and for a minute, she allowed herself to snuggle in deeper, surrounded by his warmth.

  She’d made love, for the first time in her life. Giddiness welled, as did a blissful wonder. She’d never known...never expected it to be so spectacular.

  He had made it that way, she thought, joy flooding her. He’d been fierce and wild, and gentle and tender. And afterward, he’d carefully cleaned her with a warm washcloth, expressing concern, but it hadn’t been necessa