Pleasure Exchange Read online

  Turning her attention to her sandwich, she bit into it. Trying for casual she said, “This is delicious.”

  “Good,” Sam said.

  “I’d have to say this is the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had.” She grinned and added with a wink. “Probably because I didn’t have to make it.”

  Sam chuckled and sat beside her, taking a bite out of his own sandwich.

  Cat glanced around. “Where’s Rio.”

  “At the lab. After I drop you off, I’ll go get her. Sometimes I leave her at the lab, but I’d feel better if she’s with me tonight.”

  A few minutes later, after their sandwiches were gone, Cat sat back, stretched, and gave a contented sigh. She glanced at the clock, knowing she should go, but not wanting the day to end.

  “I should probably go. It’s getting late and you need to go get Rio.”

  “And we still have a lot of work ahead of us tomorrow night,” he reminded her. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your door.”

  As she walked by another stack of pictures of Samantha on her way to the door, she thought of her nephew Matt, and how much she loved to snuggle and play with him. How much joy and love he brought into her life.

  She felt Sam’s hand close over hers. When his thumb softly brushed her skin in a warm caress, she wondered, for the first time in ages, what she really wanted in life. She’d been living her father’s dream for so long she’d forgotten what her own dreams were, what made her happy.

  She swallowed, needing time alone to sort through her feelings. “I’m fine, Sam. It’s just across the courtyard.”

  He ignored her protest and followed her to his door.

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re worse than my brothers.”

  He dipped his head. His hair fell forward and she didn’t even hesitate to push it off his forehead. “I promised them you were in good hands, and I don’t break my promises.” When she gazed into his eyes, she knew there was a new closeness between them. She felt it in every fiber of her being.

  Like the true gentleman he was, he helped her with her coat, circled his arm around her shoulder, and hastily walked her across the dimly lit courtyard.

  Standing outside her condo, she crimped her neck to look at him. Warmth settled in her stomach. “Thanks, Sam.” Turning around, she inserted her key into the lock and pushed open her door. “I’ll see you in the morning then,” she said, remembering she’d left her car at the office.

  Sam cupped her elbow and urged her back. His roped muscles tightened. “Cat. I was wondering,” he said, his voice a gruff whisper.

  She twisted to face him. Dear God, when his deep blue eyes looked directly at her like that, it was possible to forget every sane thought. He tucked her hair behind her ear. A grin curled his mouth as he inched forward. His sensuous lips were so close she could almost taste them.

  She squared her shoulders, her spine starched. “What is it?”

  His rich baritone licked over her thighs. A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Should I leave my blinds open tonight?”

  She froze. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp. Holy hell, he knew. All this time, he knew she’d been secretly watching him in his bedroom. She bit back an agonized groan.

  His eyes were full of teasing warmth as they moved over her. His smile brimming with tenderness. “Or have you had your fill of me?”

  “I…I…”

  He leaned in and pressed his ear against hers. “Why don’t you leave yours open, too,” he said, his voice full of tortured promise. “After I get back from picking up Rio, I’ll meet you at the window.”

  Less than an hour later, Sam pulled into the parking lot, Rio in tow. With long, hurried strides, Sam rushed to his condo, all the while wondering if Cat would indeed play his little voyeur game. His cock thickened as a wave of anticipation took hold.

  Of course, he knew she watched him at night. Hell, he had to be watching her to know she watched him. On many nights he’d purposely left his blinds open, hoping to get a glimpse of the sexy woman across the courtyard. The sight of her always played havoc on his senses. Once her lights dimmed, he’d retreat to his own bed and imagine there wasn’t a courtyard separating them.

  He pushed past his condo door and locked it behind him. After securing his tired chimp in her bed, he rushed to his bedroom. Sam opened his blinds and peered into Cat’s window. Her outside light cast mysterious patterns on her walls. He took a moment to reminisce about the way her body had opened up to him this afternoon. He could still hear her sweet voice in his head. Calling out his name, begging for him to take her where she needed to go.

  Desire moved over and through him as he recalled the way she’d burned up in his arms when he’d slid his tongue over her trembling flesh. The way she had eagerly responded to his touch and his kisses had made him mad with longing. The way her eyes had churned with emotions, and blazed with hunger, had taken him to a foreign place where no coherent thought existed. It was unnerving the way he’d lost control and had become completely consumed by her. He suspected being with Cat had changed the fate of his future forever.

  Cat moved to her window. Sam shifted his stance. A half smile turned up his lips when he caught sight of her gorgeous body silhouetted in the dark. Damn, he loved her sense of adventure.

  He studied the contours of the woman he now knew intimately. His heart leapt as a sense of longing tugged at him and ripped a hole in the shield around his heart. He couldn’t understand his reactions to her. He’d never experienced such a yearning before. Nor had he ever opened up to anyone and told them about his past. What in the hell had possessed him to do that?

  Sam peeled off his shirt as Cat slowly, seductively unbuttoned her blouse. He licked his lips and scrubbed a hand over his chin, recalling the texture and taste of those hard-marbled nipples. He could almost feel her warm breath caressing his bare skin. Without taking his eyes from her, he pulled off his pants and kicked them away.

  Once again, his body grew needy for her. The oddest sensations settled in his gut. Something about her pulled at him. Cat Nichols was quickly becoming his weakness. The truth penetrated his defenses as a riot of emotions rushed through him.

  Cat stretched out her arms, slipped her finger between her wet lips and then touched herself, rubbing her moistened fingertip over her dark nipples. The sweet torture made him throb.

  Completely rattled, Sam swallowed. His heart rate galloped. Sweet Mother of God. She was going to pay for that tomorrow night. Using his tongue, he planned on parting her folds, dipping into her sweet spot, branding her plump clit with his heat, stroking, lapping, bringing her higher and higher, driving her as crazy as she was driving him right now.

  He felt his composure slip away. No longer able to fight the inevitable, his hand went to his throbbing dick. He growled. His blood flowed hot through his veins. His nostrils flared as his fingers closed around his thickness.

  Her hand slid lower over her body. She traced the pattern of her curves until her fingers disappeared below the window pane. He could only imagine she was playing with her sweet spot.

  Lord, he hungered to touch her there again, to taste her. He also hungered for her touch. Wanted her hands all over his body, claiming him as her own, branding him.

  Being with her was so easy, so comfortable. So natural. Warmth streaked through him. His heart clenched, knowing where his thoughts were taking him, knowing he was venturing into unknown territory. When he wasn’t paying attention, she’d slipped beneath his skin without even trying. Cat Nichols was different from every other woman he’d been with. She’d taken him to a place where he’d never let himself go before. Taking him to a deeper level of intimacy where emotions ruled his actions.

  He’d never had a relationship last past a few months. Never wanted to. Over the last twenty-four hours something had changed because suddenly he was thinking just that.

  Hell, he wanted her.

  For himself.

  A wave of possessiveness swamped him at the thoughts of her becoming i
ntimate with another man. A quick flash of anger made his blood boil. He swiped away the moisture collecting on his forehead and cursed under his breath.

  He watched Cat’s hand slide back up her body. She lifted her fingers in the air, gave a little wave, and blew him a goodnight kiss. A moment later she backed away from the window, out of his line of vision.

  As he watched her go, his heart churned for something more, something deeper, something forever.

  She was a journalist, climbing her way to the top. What if he opened himself up to her and took a chance on what was between them, only to have her bail when something bigger and better came along?

  What if she didn’t?

  Chapter 8

  Cat’s morning had passed by in a flurry of activity. After she’d engaged in easy conversation with Sam during her ride to work, he’d dropped her off outside her building as promised. Cat had worked furiously to finish her article and make her deadline.

  Now she sat there, toying with her pencil, impatiently waiting for Blain to finish his conference call so she could once again pester him about clearing things up for Sam.

  Cat didn’t trust Hawk enough to believe he’d make things right. And after spotting him with that protestor yesterday, she suspected he was up to no good. As soon as she had proof, she’d take it to Blain.

  Just before her noon hour break, Blaine had poked his head out of his office. “Cat, can I see you in here for a minute?”

  She climbed from her chair. “Sure, what’s up?” Her mind raced, wondering if he’d wanted to interrogate her again about the supply closet incident. Or maybe he’d changed his mind about the article. Yeah, and maybe Hawk would take to the sky and fly away, never to be heard from again.

  “Have a seat.” Blain motioned to a chair across from his desk as he made his way to his own seat. “Rumor has it you’ve applied at the Daily Press in New York.”

  Well, he certainly got right to the point.

  She rolled her shoulder. “Rumor is right.”

  Blain scrubbed his hand over his chin and she noted the tired lines bracketing his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, Cat. In fact, I’m hoping what I have to tell you will entice you to stay.”

  She raised an inquisitive brow. “Go on.”

  “I’ve been working on this for awhile. I didn’t want to mention it until I had confirmation. Your column was just picked up for national syndication.”

  Her eyes flew open. “No way!”

  Blain laughed. “Cat, it’s not that I don’t think you’re good enough for hard-hitting news. I do. It’s just that your talent and personality are better suited for your humorous ‘Cat on the Prowl’ columns. People love them. They’re eating them up like sugar-coated candy.”

  Cat got quiet for a moment as she mulled over the news. Her thoughts strayed to her parents. Warmth curled around her as she reflected on what Sam had said to her the night before. Deep in her heart she knew her mother and father would be proud of her and would want her to choose a path that made her happy.

  She glanced up to see Blain watching her, his brow furrowed in concentration as he gauged her reactions. “You can let me know at the end of the week, okay?”

  Nodding, Cat stood. “Thanks, Blain. One more thing.”

  He rolled his eyes, but his smile was genuine. “I’ll see to it that Hawk does a proper follow-up on the story. And make sure he gets his facts right,” he said with a wink.

  Cat planted her hands on her hips. “If he doesn’t, I’m writing another article,” she said, challenging him.

  Blain laughed. “Stick to what you do best, Cat.”

  Cat smiled, touched that he had so much faith in her, and fought to keep her as an employee. “Thank you,” she said, and made her way back to her desk.

  After Cat returned a dozen phone calls from people wanting to be interviewed for her article, she climbed from her chair and stretched. She glanced at her watch and noted that time had gotten away from her. She needed to get home to prepare for tonight’s experiment.

  A half an hour later Cat changed lanes and maneuvered her car through dinner hour traffic. The dashboard clock indicated that she had less than an hour to get ready before Sam picked her up to help him complete his research. She switched lanes again after the traffic in front of her came to a complete standstill.

  She hadn’t expected to be running so late or to be caught in rush hour traffic. Cripes, she felt like she was stuck smack dab in the middle of a freaking snail convention.

  Tapping her fingers impatiently on her dashboard, Cat flicked on the radio and waited. Finally, traffic began moving again. A short while later Cat tapped her brakes and eased into her exit. As she neared her condo, her thoughts returned to Sam. They always returned to Sam. Even when she wasn’t with him, he was always with her. In her mind. Under her skin.

  Once this project was complete and he got what he needed from her, would he resume his “Romeo” lifestyle—as Jen had described it? Would she stand in her window and watch a bevy of women come and go from his condo? Her stomach lurched. She felt physically ill. She could no longer pretend it didn’t matter.

  Cat pulled into her driveway and rushed inside her condo. Her stomach grumbled as she kicked off her shoes and sifted through her mail. She’d be lucky to grab a quick bite before Sam arrived. Stepping farther into her condo, she stripped off her jacket and tossed it onto the sofa.

  The doorbell chimed.

  She stopped dead in her tracks. Sam couldn’t be here this early, could he? Cat padded across the floor, peeked through the peephole, and then pulled the door open. She came face-to-face with her grinning friend.

  “Hey Jen, I’m kind of in a hurry,” she rushed out, unbuttoning her silk top, needing to get a quick shower before Sam showed up.

  “Well, how was it?”

  Cat crinkled her nose and pinned her friend with a glare. “Have you ever known me to kiss and tell?”

  Jen chuckled. “So there was kissing involved, was there?” she probed, stepping inside the condo, shutting the door behind her.

  Cat pulled her top off and walked to the kitchen. She called over her shoulder, “I have to get a shower before Sam gets here. We have more research to do tonight.” Opening the fridge she popped a strawberry into her mouth, attempting to appease her hunger.

  Keeping pace, Jen followed behind. “Research? That’s what they call it these days, is it?” she teased. She leaned against the doorjamb while Cat rifled through her produce drawer.

  “I thought you might want this,” Jen said.

  Cat peeked over the top of the door to see Jen hold out an envelope. A wide smile split her pretty face. “It’s from the Daily Press. It landed in my mail slot by mistake.”

  Cat’s heart stilled. The refrigerator door slipped shut as she came out from behind it. “You’re kidding,” she said around a mouthful of strawberry. “I just sent my resume off a week ago. I didn’t expect to hear from them so soon.” She wiped juice from her lips, accepted the envelope, and plopped herself into a wooden chair.

  Jen lowered herself into the chair opposite her, her eyes wide in anticipation. Cat ripped open the envelope and scanned the letter. She read it once, let out a heavy breath, and read it a second time, assessing the information.

  “Bad news?”

  Cat tipped her head. “Well, not really. They’re interested in my work.”

  “Whoo hoo! That’s great, Cat.” Jen paused and narrowed her eyes. “Hold on, what’s up with you? This is what you want. What you’ve always wanted. You should be up doing the River Dance. Why aren’t you?”

  “It seems my article on the Iowa Research Center really intrigued them. So much so, they want me to fly to New York for a personal interview.” She twisted her lips and furrowed her brow.

  Jen’s eyes opened wide. “And you have a problem with this? Why?”

  Cat dropped the letter on the table and pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s not as simple as that.”

  One brow rose,
intrigued.” No?”

  “My editor just told me my column was going into national syndication.”

  “Really, that’s fabulous Cat. But isn’t this the break you’ve been waiting for? I once remember you saying you’d do anything to write hard-hitting news for the Daily Press. What has changed?”

  Everything.

  “I thought you wanted to break away from writing what you consider fluff articles? Even though I think they’re fabulous.”

  Cat swallowed. “So does Sam and the rest of the world apparently.”

  Jen sat back, bobbed her head, tapped her fingers on the table, and tossed her a knowing smile.

  “What?” Cat asked defensively, bracing herself for more of Jen’s textbook psychology.

  “It’s Sam, isn’t it? You got it bad for him.”

  When Cat didn’t respond, Jen blew out a breath and continued. “Dammit Cat. You’ve had it bad for him for months, haven’t you? Is that why you haven’t been dating anyone?”

  She shook her head adamantly. “No, there are just no good guys out there.” It was a half-truth.

  “And you think Sam is one of the good ones?”

  Cat rolled her shoulders. “Maybe.”

  Jen nodded to the envelope. “I thought this was your dream.”

  Cat gave a wan smile. “I think I might have been chasing the wrong dream. I think everything I want is right here. It has been all along and I just didn’t realize it.”

  Jen’s features softened. “Does Sam feel the same way about you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Then maybe it’s time for you to find out if he thinks of you as more than his lab rat.”

  Cat nodded, knowing exactly what she had to do. After their experiment tonight she’d invite Sam back here and tell him about the job offer. To see if it mattered to him. To see if he’d ask her to stay. She needed to find out if she meant more to him than a sex experiment.

  Sam paced around his apartment, watching the clock, counting the hours until he could pick up Cat. As he moved through his condo, he stopped for a moment to look at the pictures of Samantha. A surge of love rushed to his heart. His gaze traveled to Erin and Kale’s wedding picture. As he took in the vision, envy hit him hard and nearly knocked him to his knees.