Authors: Kate Perry

Project Date (25 page)

BOOK: Project Date

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“I think you proved your point.”

I grinned at the hoarseness in his voice. “What point?”

“That you’re better at stripping.”

“Ah.” I’d forgotten about that. It’d become so much more than that to me. I sidled up to his legs again, kneeling in front of him. I pushed them apart and wriggled my way between them. I did a couple sinuous moves against his belly, deliberately brushing against his arousal. He groaned and arched his hips into me.

Yes. I had him at my mercy. Grinning, I eased myself down his abs to the waistband of his jeans. On impulse, I licked the skin right there.

He gasped. “Jesus, Phil.”

I glanced up. “Hmm?”

“Enough playing.” He jerked at the handcuffs again.

“Careful. You’ll scrape your wrists raw.” Next time I’d get fur-lined cuffs. I lapped at the tight skin of his belly again.

“Phil,” he moaned.

There was a world of pleading in his voice, and because he’d been such a good boy, I decided he deserved more. So I unbuttoned his fly and opened the zipper slowly with my teeth.

His cock sprang out like it had a life of its own. Eager and flushed, if it could speak I knew it’d be begging me too.

I gave the tip a lick. I liked the way it leapt under my tongue so much, I gave it a few more. Then I figured I might as well go all the way, so I took him in my mouth as deep as I could.

Rio groaned. I knew he was a breath away from coming so I released him with a pop. “Not yet.”

He stared down at me, his cheekbones flushed. “You want me just as badly.”

I couldn’t deny it—it was in the tenor of my voice, the hardness of my nipples, and the wetness on my thighs. But that didn’t mean I was going to give in. Not yet.

I backed off and went to rummage in the bag again. I found a condom and the jar I wanted. I unscrewed the lid as I sauntered back to him.

“Peanut butter?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

I grinned. “Yummy and full of protein. For endurance,” I said with a wink. I quickly slipped the condom on him before scooping peanut butter onto a finger. “Actually, I was trying to be imaginative. Chocolate sauce is so overdone.”

“You aren’t really—” he swallowed audibly “—I guess you are really going to smear that on me.”

I grinned but concentrated on covering his nipples. When there was a thin coat on each peak, I set the jar down, straddled his hips, and worked the tip of him just barely into me.

We both moaned, but I had plans so I tried to keep my head. Sliding down on him, I steadied myself on his shoulders and bent to lap at one of his peanutty nipples.

“Phil.”

My name was a rumble in his chest that I felt more than I heard. For variation, I kissed him, hard with lots of tongue, before I attacked his other nipple. But I was impatient for more, so I straightened to concentrate on what was going on down below.

“You have some peanut butter on you.” The next thing I knew he’d leaned forward and grasped my nipple between his lips.

“Rio.” I grabbed his head to hold him close. I yelped as he bit me, then moaned as he sucked the pain away.

My hips began to grind against him in their own rhythm, fast and frenzied. I wanted to slow down, but my body wouldn’t listen to my mind. I let my head fall back and my eyes shut as I got close.

Rio’s groan muffled against my breast. He drew more of it into his mouth and thrust up with his pelvis. The two sensations together sent me over the edge. I screamed and held onto his shoulders. Distantly I heard him shout too, but I knew he orgasmed because of how he felt inside me.

I collapsed against his chest, breathless and light-headed, my head cradled in the hollow of his neck.

“Phil?”

I grunted.

“Think you can uncuff me now?”

Chapter Twenty

“If you try hard enough and make the best of a situation, the situation won’t get the best of you.”

—MacGyver, “Birth Day” Episode #36

Wednesday evening. Daphne was going out with Johnny (yes, miracles do happen), so I’d arranged to have Rio meet me at my place after his boxing lesson and my Kung Fu class.

One problem I didn’t foresee was getting rid of Matt, who gave me a ride home.

Usually it was no big deal. If we weren’t going out for a pint, he’d drop me off at home and race off to get something to eat. Tonight, for some reason, he’d parked his car, followed me up the steps to the porch, and slouched against Magda’s door with his arms crossed.

“I can make it in on my own.” I gave him a look over my shoulder as I unlocked the front door. “See?”

“Maybe I’ll come in for a while.” He unslouched and started for the doorway.

“No!” I coughed. “I mean, I’m kind of tired. I thought I’d take a shower and hop into bed.”

That wasn’t a lie. Not really. I did plan on taking a shower and hopping into bed pretty quickly. I just didn’t plan on doing it alone. Or sleeping any time soon.

Something on my face must have given me away, because Matt’s eyes narrowed. He studied me for an uncomfortably long second before he said, “I’ll come up and make you a snack before you go to bed.”

“No, really, Matt—”

But he’d already pushed his way past me and was skipping up the stairs.

Grr. I ran up after him. What time was it? Maybe I had enough time to humor Matt before Rio got here.

Eight thirty-five according to the DVD player. Shit. I told Rio to be here at nine.

“You want a peanut butter sandwich?” Matt called from behind the refrigerator door.

I almost choked. “Um, peanut butter would be great.”

“Although I could make just about anything.”

I walked into the kitchen to see him close the door with his foot because his hands were full. I glanced at the clock on the oven, hoping I’d misread the DVD clock, but it read eight thirty-six.

He dumped everything on the counter and took out a cutting board. “I can’t believe you went grocery shopping.”

“I didn’t.” I hopped up on the counter and tried to resign myself to eating a sandwich when the only way I wanted peanut butter was if it was smeared on Rio.

“Oh, right. Daphne’s staying with you. I wondered why there was healthy food in there and not just candy bars.” He opened a drawer and frowned. “Where’s the bread knife?”

I blinked. “Huh?”

“Never mind.” He opened another drawer and apparently found what he was looking for.

Matt knew his way around my kitchen better than I did. I had no clue where anything was or even what they were called, much less that you used a special knife for bread.

But who cared about any of that? It was eight thirty-eight, for God’s sake. I tapped my foot against the cupboard. “Hurry up.”

He glanced at me as he ever so carefully spread peanut butter across the slices. “Hungry, huh?”

“Starving.” But not for food.

He smirked like he could read my mind. Hell, he probably could.

I turned beet red. Because the thoughts in my mind were X-rated. Maybe worse than that. Was there a Z-rating?

He held up a piece of bread. “I have to start over.”

“Huh?” I looked at the bread to see what was wrong. Mold?

“Look.” He held the piece close to my face. “The peanut butter is uneven. It’s thicker on this side, and in trying to even it out I tore the bread.”

I squinted to see what he was talking about, but I couldn’t. I shook my head. “Where is it torn?”

“Here.” He poked a finger at a spot that looked perfectly normal and punched a gaping hole in it. “Oops.”

I glared at him. “You did that on purpose.”

“Me?” Matt blinked his eyes like an innocent baby.

I didn’t buy it. Through gritted teeth, I said, “Hurry
up
.”

“That hungry, huh?”

“Matt!”

“I’m making it. Jeez. You can’t rush genius.”

Bastard. I was about to tell him unequivocally to forget the sandwiches and that he had to leave when I heard the front door open and voices at the bottom of the stairs.

Shit. Daphne. And Johnny.

“Looks like you have company,” Matt said casually.

I scowled at him, hopped off the counter, and went to head off disaster. I met my sister and her beau at the top of the stairs. They had their arms around each other (gross) and were laughing.

I narrowed my eyes at Daphne. “I thought you were going to be out tonight.”

“I was.” She batted her eyes innocently. Only with Daphne it wasn’t an act. “But I forgot a sweater, and I wanted to show Johnny my room.”

“Hi, Mena.” Johnny gave me a jaunty little wave. “Didn’t know you were going to be here.”

I caught the look they exchanged, like I was the one intruding. Delusional. And I wasn’t going to let them get away with it. I held my arms out to keep them from entering the living room. “You can’t stay.”

“I live here,” Daphne said slowly, as if I were retarded.

“No, you’re just visiting. And you said you were going to be out.”

“We were. But we’re making a stop here first.” She gave Johnny a look that clearly asked him to excuse her insane sister.

But I wasn’t insane, I was horny. “Look—”

“I’m just going to show Johnny around.” They brushed by my outstretched arms. “Oh, hi, Matt.”

I stood at the top of the stairs, grinding my teeth while Daphne introduced Matt to Johnny. As I headed toward the kitchen, I checked out the clock again. Eight fifty-seven.

Please,
please
, let Rio be late.

“Want me to make you guys a peanut butter sandwich?” Matt asked Daphne and Johnny.

“No, thanks. Johnny and I went to this great restaurant close by. Hurley’s. Have you ever been there, Matt?”

I choked on spit.

They glanced at me before going back to ignoring me.

Then I noticed the top Daphne had on. “Hey!”

All three of them gave me various looks of exasperation.

As if I cared. I was more concerned with the tank top she stole from me. Even worse, it looked better on her than it did on me. “What’s up with the clothes?”

“Do you like it? I got it ’specially for Johnny.” Her eyes widened and she blinked rapidly.

I frowned at my sister. “Are your contacts dry?”

“I don’t wear contacts.” She blinked a few more times, but what got the message across was the pleading look she gave me.

Oh.
Oh
. She didn’t want Johnny to know she wasn’t as hip and happening as he thought she was. This was going to cost her. (I couldn’t help it—I think it’s a gene younger siblings inherit.) Then the doorbell rang.

Oh, shit.

“Doc, that was the door.”

Matt, ever the helpful best friend. I glared at him and walked down at a snail’s pace to the front door. Wishing it was a homeless person come to crash the party, I threw open the door. But I knew I wouldn’t be that lucky. “Rio.”

His smile was slow and sexy as he stepped forward to circle my waist with his arms. “Phil.”

“Listen, there’s something I need to tell you ...”

He bent down and laid the most passionate, hungry kiss I’d ever experienced on me. His arms tightened and next thing I knew I was pressed against the length of him—the very hard length of him—lost in his mouth. Finally, we came up for air and stood, staring into each other’s eyes, breathing like we’d just sprinted a mile.

Rio pushed back a strand of my disheveled hair. “There was something you wanted to tell me?”

I blinked. “There was?”

He grinned and began to move me toward the wall. “If there wasn’t, then maybe we can get on with—”

“Doc, you okay down there?”

Oh, shit. I looked up at Rio, who looked back down at me with a frown. “Who’s that?”

I grabbed the collar of his T-shirt. “Listen, things haven’t quite gone according to plan.”

“Doc,” Matt called from the top of the stairs. “You okay?”

“Fine,” I squeaked, my hands tightening on the shirt.

Rio’s gaze cooled and his arms loosened from around me—a little, but I could still feel it. “If you’re busy, we can reschedule.”

“No! No.” I shook my head vigorously. Then I grimaced and dropped my head against his chest. “All I wanted was an evening alone with you and then everyone showed up and I can’t get rid of them and I don’t know what to do.” I lifted my head as inspiration struck. “I can throw them out the living room window.”

Rio chuckled and gripped my waist. “That might be extreme.”

“An explosion would make them leave.” I pursed my lips. “One time MacGyver made a bomb out of weed killer.”

“Doc?” Matt’s heavy footsteps clacked on the wood steps. “Oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Yes, you did. I pulled out of Rio’s arms and glared at him.

Matt ignored my obviously peeved expression, skipped down the rest of the steps till he was on the landing with us, and held his hand out. “I’m Matt. Philomena’s best friend.”

I sighed at the challenge in his statement and waited for the usual male posturing.

Surprisingly, Rio just smiled and accepted the proffered hand. “Rio McKenna. Good to finally meet you. Phil’s told me a lot about you.”

“Funny, because she hasn’t mentioned a thing about you.”

I elbowed Matt and turned to Rio with a gritted smile. “Matt’s making peanut butter sandwiches. Would you like one?”

Rio’s eyes went sultry. “I’d love one.”

This time I whacked my forehead for real.

Matt stared back and forth between us, finally giving Rio an approving nod. “I think we’ll get along just fine.”

Peachy. That was all I needed.

But at the moment, there was nothing I could do but go along with this whole farce of an evening, if I wanted to get Rio alone anytime soon. So I sighed and trudged up the stairs with them.

“Barry!” Daphne cried with a smile.

Oh, God—not Barry too. I looked around the living room. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he was hiding under a cushion or something.

She walked out of the kitchen, Johnny hot on her tail. “It’s nice seeing you again, Barry.”

Shit. I plopped onto the loveseat with a groan. I forgot about that.

Matt looked around. “Barrington is here?”

“Barrington?” Daphne frowned briefly before understanding hit. She turned to Rio. “I didn’t know your name was Barrington.”

“It’s not,” he said with a kind smile.

“But—” She looked at me and then back at Rio.

I had to speak up. It was a matter of self-preservation more than anything. I had to keep my sister from blurting something potentially damaging. “His name is Rio, Daphne. Though you may not remember because you were so out of it that night.”

Her forehead creased. “But I thought—”

“Rio, can I get you anything to drink? A beer?” Matt asked loudly.

Oh, you are a good man. I tried to tell him with my eyes that I owed him big time. The way his lips quirked told me he knew and was going to milk it for all it was worth.

“A beer would be great, thanks.” He strode to me and sat down next to me, his arm slipping around me to cuddle me to his side. It was almost enough to distract me from this fiasco of a rendezvous.

“Doc? A beer?”

“Maybe a glass of water.” I shrugged at the questioning look he shot me. I had to keep my wits around me.

“It’s so funny,” Daphne said as she dragged Johnny by the hand to the couch. “I could have sworn your name was Barry.”

“Barry was the other guy,” he replied, toying with the rubber band in my hair.

Matt came back, handed Rio a bottle, and perched on the end of the other couch, opposite my sister and her date. “So.”

“So you forgot my water,” I said peevishly. Not because of the water either.

Rio started to rise. “I’ll get it.”

“No, you sit.” Matt waved him down. “I’ll get it for her.”

The doorbell rang. Again.

“Maybe it’s Jehovah’s Witnesses,” Johnny offered helpfully.

“No way. They’d go to a Satan worshipper’s house before coming to Doc’s.” Matt hopped up. “I’ll get it.”

Fine. Whatever. How much worse could it be?