Pleasure Exchange Read online

  He slanted his head and offered her one of his incredible smiles. Cat felt her body grow moist and her knees turn to pudding. A sudden breeze rushed through the parking lot and ruffled his hair. The light wind drifted over her warm face and helped ease the heat inside her.

  Shrouded in darkness, she hurried her footsteps to keep pace as they crossed the unlit parking lot. Her “fuck-me-shoes” tapped a steady rhythm and cut through the silence enveloping them. So far, so good. She hadn’t fallen and broken her ass, or any other vital parts. Fortunately, the rain had subsided, leaving a fresh autumn scent in the breezy evening air and the ground nice and dry for walking in heels.

  Sam opened the passenger side door for her. She stepped away from the circle of his arms and immediately missed his touch. She made herself comfortable in his sporty Jeep as he climbed behind the wheel and maneuvered them out of the parking lot.

  “Sam?” She may have appeared calm on the outside but their close proximity rattled her more than dice in a Yahtzee cup. Chaos erupted inside her as a tremor of awareness made her quiver in the most interesting places.

  “Hmmm?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Are you going to hook me up to electrodes?”

  He grinned and shook his head. “No need to.”

  “Oh.” Folding her hands on her lap, she nodded and focused on the dark road ahead. Out of her peripheral vision, she caught him staring at her.

  “You sound disappointed.”

  She faced him. “No, it’s not that. I’m just wondering how you’re going to record my responses to your,” she swallowed before completing the sentence, “stimuli.”

  Sam’s bad-boy grin turned wicked. “Trust me, Cat. Tomorrow night after we enhance your sensitivity, you’ll be able to feel the different responses in your body.” He leaned closer, until his mouth was only a tongue flick away from hers. “And so will I.”

  Oh yeah, he had every intention of feeling her responses because the minute he got her alone in the research room he planned on sliding his hands over every delicious speck of her sweet-scented bare skin. He’d waited far too long as it was.

  Twenty minutes later, he pulled his Jeep into his assigned parking spot and glanced at her profile, soaking in her beauty. He was so aware of her, her every breath, her every movement. Watching her for the past six months had left him feeling as though he’d known her for a lifetime when, in fact, he didn’t really know her very well at all. Tonight that was about to change. They were going to get to know each other. Intimately.

  His eyes caressed her face. Long blonde curls framed her high cheekbones and billowed over slender shoulders. A dark curtain of thick black lashes flickered over her green eyes. Sam shifted in his seat, giving her his full attention. Hands folded she stared straight ahead, her expression unreadable. He couldn’t tell whether nervousness or excitement stirred her soul. He hoped for the latter.

  He raised an inquisitive brow. “You sure you want to do this?”

  She turned to face him. Her head nodded, repeatedly. “Yes. Of course.”

  Sam let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. When Cat moistened her lips, it took every ounce of control he possessed not to brush his own tongue over her mouth, to feel if her lips were as lethally soft as they looked. He ached to taste her, to take pleasure in her plump mouth moving under his. God, he wanted her. Inside out, upside down, but mostly underneath.

  Hell, it was all he’d been able to think about for the last few months. He clenched his jaw, scrubbed a hand over his chin, and drew a breath. Later, he promised himself. Later.

  “What’s the game plan?” she asked. Her voice sounded tight.

  “Once we get inside, I’ll test your responses to stimuli, without the serum.” His cock throbbed in anticipation. Down boy! Fuck, he needed to get control of himself. What was it about her that had his dick in a constant state of flux?

  His glance flickered over her knee-length coat. His imagination kicked into high gear as he visualized himself ridding her body of the unnecessary barrier of clothes that separated skin from skin.

  Green eyes came alive with curiosity. Her chest heaved, drawing his attention downward. “How exactly do you plan on doing that?”

  He guessed that question had been on her inquisitive mind all day. He pitched his voice low and sidled closer. “First, I’ll have to remove your clothes.” He reached out and touched her coat. With slow, sinuous movements, he fingered the soft material.

  Hanging on his every word, she arched forward to meet him. Mouth poised open, her breathing grew shallow. Seductive cat eyes turned one shade darker. Her feminine aroma mingled with the faint scent of oranges and saturated the cab of the Jeep, stoking the fire smoldering inside him.

  “Then…we’ll…” He stopped talking. Primitive need compelled him to brush the pad of his thumb over her moist painted lips. He took a moment to dwell on the softness. He nearly came unhinged as the smooth texture of her skin sent heat charging to his cock. She didn’t seem to mind his intimate touch. In fact, a sexy pink hue suffused her skin as desire flitted across her face.

  “Yes?” she probed, urging him on. “Then what?” A mixture of curiosity and excitement lingered in her tone.

  A smile pulled at his mouth. Hot damn. He loved how much she was into him. Into this game. It suddenly occurred to him how thrilled he was that she wanted him. How much that mattered to him.

  Christ, maybe this game would prove to be more dangerous than he anticipated. There was something very irresistible about Cat Nichols. He swallowed. Hard. Suddenly feeling off kilter.

  The thing was, he genuinely liked Cat and wanted her, no, needed her with an intensity and urgency like he’d never before experienced. And that frightened him.

  Catching him off guard, Cat reached out, closed her hand over his, and squeezed. The feel of her warm skin pushed away his reserve as his mind took him on a journey of the ways he planned on taking her.

  Anticipation rushed through his bloodstream, generating warmth and need, scattering his thoughts. His gaze panned her face and met with eyes full of dark passion. Fuck, he couldn’t wait to get her alone, to feel her sensuous body beneath his. A restless ache stirred his dick, suddenly making his seated position most unbearable.

  Needing to feel her under him, he deliberately leaned across her and pulled open her door handle. With Cat pinned beneath him, he pressed against her and absorbed her tremble. He felt her warm breath on the back of his neck. The next time he trapped her body under his, she’d be naked, he silently vowed. Naked, wet, and writhing. His cock pulsed and throbbed in anticipation.

  He let out a slow breath and straightened in his seat. “I have a better idea. Instead of telling you what I plan on doing, why don’t you come with me and I’ll show you instead.”

  “Okay.” Her voice sounded breathless.

  Sam climbed from the driver’s seat and circled the Jeep to meet her. He snaked his arm around her slender shoulders, holding her close, offering his warmth in the cool night air. She felt so good in his arms, so natural, like it was where she was meant to be.

  Dark lashes fluttered in appreciation for that small gesture. Something about those honest, honey-flecked eyes and the warm, wanting way they gazed at him sucked him under like a tidal wave, pulling him into an emotional place he had no intentions of going. They’d have their fun, then part as friends. Sam never let anyone get too close. Heartbreak wasn’t an option.

  Sam tightened his embrace. Cat’s smile widened. Her smile was more sweet than seductive and could undoubtedly disarm an entire S.W.A.T team. He felt an odd twist in his stomach and quickly pushed it aside.

  A golden halo from the street light fell over her as he escorted her into the main lobby. She looked like an angel who’d fallen from the sky.

  Sam pulled open the door and motioned for her to enter. She always seemed so pleased yet surprised by his gentlemanly gestures. Tenderness stole over him. He furrowed his brow trying to understand what it was about her that sp
awned such peculiar emotions inside him. He’d never moved past a sexual relationship before, always keeping things superficial. So what suddenly compelled him to think about lazy afternoons, long nights, and lasting relationships?

  Unnerved by the direction of his thoughts, he banished them to the far corners of his mind.

  A few minutes later, after signing in and taking the elevator to the top floor, he guided her down a narrow hallway to the research room.

  Cat’s eyes darted between the sign over the door and him. She tossed him a perplexed frown. By small degrees, her body tightened. “We’re not going to your lab?”

  They were playing in his territory now and he planned on taking full advantage of it. “Nope, we’re taking this experiment into the research room. It’s much better…” he paused, searching for the right word, “equipped for what I have planned.”

  He pushed open the door and ushered her inside. He studied her expression and watched her shoulders relax as she glanced around. In an attempt to vacate any clinical feel, Sam had stayed late, setting the mood for seduction. Music, the same music he’d often heard blaring from Cat’s open condo window, drifted in from a corner speaker instantly putting her at ease. He’d fitted the mattress with silk sheets and strategically positioned candles throughout the room to provide sufficient, yet romantic light.

  Hanging the floor to ceiling mirror had been a shitload of work, but dammit, the look in Cat’s eyes as she perused the room had made it worthwhile.

  Her gaze fell upon his padded workout bench that he’d purposely positioned in front of the mirror. Her quick intake of breath hadn’t gone unnoticed. He could almost hear that inquisitive mind of hers racing, wondering how he planned on using that particular prop.

  Sam pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the candles, creating an aura of warmth and coziness. Pushing her hair off her face, Cat stepped farther into the room. The light fell over her, bathing her body in a soft golden glow. The erotic vision bombarded his body with lust and need and something else, something just out of grasp, something he couldn’t quite put a name to.

  Something, he suspected, he was better off leaving nameless.

  He crossed the room to stand before her. His movements were slow, deliberate, giving her time to absorb her surroundings, to get comfortable.

  “Everything okay?” He shrugged his coat off and tossed it over a nearby chair.

  She nodded. “Yes.” Deft fingers began working the buttons on her coat. “The room looks beautiful. Not at all what I expected.”

  He grinned, pleased that she approved. A woman like Cat deserved only the best. “You were nice enough to volunteer your services. It’s the least I could do to help you relax and make you comfortable.”

  “Still, you didn’t have to go through so much trouble,” she said, her voice a rough whisper. She removed her coat, placed it over his, and tipped her head. Sexual tension hung heavy in the air as he stood there basking in the glow of her sensuous body.

  He stepped closer. Using the backs of his fingers, he caressed her cheek, surfing the outline of her jaw as he gazed into her eyes. She leaned into him, letting him know she welcomed his touch. He really loved her inhibition and her feminine confidence.

  Contrary to what he’d told himself earlier that day, he had the distinct impression that Cat wasn’t anything at all like the other women he’d had sex with.

  Damned if that didn’t scare the hell out of him.

  Pressing her palms flat against his chest, she splayed her fingers, caressing and exploring his hard angles. The sweet friction penetrated his defenses. His stomach knotted like a pretzel.

  “It wasn’t any trouble. Beside, you’re worth it,” he said, knowing he meant every word of it. Her pretty pink tongue slid over her lips. Her sensuous mouth lifted in a half-smile. He watched, transfixed, as his gut rolled. A riot of foreign emotions took hold, leaving him feeling disorientated and perplexed.

  Her grateful smile stirred something inside him. His heart hammered. Edging closer, he breathed in her arousing feminine scent. Fuck, he wanted her. Fast and hard. Every fiber in his body demanded he touch her. To push inside her warm sheath. To feel her creamy essence drip over his cock as he claimed her. Branded her. Possessed her. He called on every ounce of strength and coached himself to control his primal urges and slow down, to make this good for her.

  He angled his head and anchored her hips to his. It pleased him the way her body liquefied under his touch. Her lashes fluttered shut as their bodies melded. The silky sweep of her hair against his neck flooded him with lust, deepening his need. He feathered his lips over the hollow of her throat and could feel her pulse race.

  He framed her face with his hands, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “You look beautiful tonight, Cat. I should have told you that earlier.”

  As though moving of their own volition, her legs widened, her eyes glazed with desire. He wedged his thigh in between hers. Heat radiated from her sex and it took all he had not to drop to the ground and press his mouth against her sweet spot. To inhale her, to taste her, to push his tongue all the way inside her hot core. To please her like she’d never been pleased before. He’d always taken the time to satisfy his women, but suddenly her pleasures were of the utmost importance. His old frat house mantra rushed through his mind. When I’m on my knees I aim to please.

  “Thanks. You clean up pretty good yourself.” Her voice hitched. Her seductive gaze panned the room and he wondered what she was thinking.

  He stroked her cheek. “I want you to relax and enjoy this, Cat.”

  “I’m relaxed,” she assured him. “And I’m ready,” she paused and glanced at his bench, “for whatever you have in mind.”

  Chapter 3

  Relaxed!

  Oh yeah, she was relaxed alright. About as relaxed as a pen full of turkeys the day before Thanksgiving. Less than five hours ago she’d never expected to be locked inside a research room with six feet of drop-dead-gorgeous stimuli.

  Did life get any better than this?

  So what if he’d never paid any attention to her before. So what if she was simply his own personal lab rat, and once this experiment was over, things would go back to normal. Wasn’t that what she wanted, anyway?

  “Then let’s begin. Come with me.” Cat accepted his offered hand and let him guide her across the room until they stood before the mirror. To think this bad boy, this playboy, as Jen had referred to him, had gone through so much trouble to make the room perfect in a bid to relax her. He might act the Casanova, but deep down Cat caught glimpses of a true gentleman. She suspected there was much more to him than met the eye. His chivalry warmed her right down to her toes. And the way he took measures to assure her comfort proved Sam was a thoughtful, considerate guy.

  The kind of guy she’d choose to settle down with and raise a family. If she ever wanted to settle down, that is. Which she didn’t. She had to put all her energy and concentration into her career if she wanted to make it into the big league. A husband and kids didn’t fit into that plan.

  Pressing on her shoulder, he gently eased her down. “Have a seat.”

  With her gaze locked on his, Cat lowered herself onto the bench. She suddenly found herself presented with a full, un-obstructed view of his crotch. Ah, and what a lovely crotch it was. As her tongue darted between parched lips, she listened to the slight change in Sam’s breathing as he scrutinized her every movement.

  She lifted her eyes and met his penetrating stare. His expression told her nothing. Maybe it was time to do a little experimenting of her own. Just because he had to test her responses didn’t mean she couldn’t test his. Maybe she could show him what he’d been missing all these months.

  Sam dropped to his knees, gripped her legs and spread them.

  Oh my!

  Forget chivalry. Chivalry was overrated. She wanted him to throw her down caveman style and have his wicked way with her. Until sun up. Next week.

  The girth of his broad shoulders pushed her
wider as he insinuated himself in between. Her heart picked up pace. She caught the reflection of his perfect, sculpted ass in the mirror and hoped he couldn’t see the drool pooling at the corners of her mouth.

  Her eyes traveled back to his face. The soft glow from the candlelight made his skin glisten. Heat radiated from him as his blatant masculine scent curled her toes. White-hot desire claimed her, leaving her feeling a little dizzy, a little drugged.

  With her pulse racing, it took all her effort to keep her voice steady, seductive. “Since I know my own body’s responses better than anyone, maybe I should start by showing you what I like.” She’d never pleasured herself in front of a man before, but then again she’d never been anyone’s lab rat either. This guy brought out a completely different side of her.

  Trying for sultry, she toyed with the top button on her blouse, tempting him. “What do you say?”

  Sam’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. His eyebrow rose a fraction, his gaze latched upon her breasts.

  She leaned forward, her mouth a hairbreadth away from his. His burning gaze moved to her face and settled on her parted lips.

  His tongue traveled over his bottom lip, moistening, preparing. He slanted his mouth.

  In that instant, Cat knew he was going to kiss her. Her pulse skyrocketed. Her body hummed with renewed excitement. For months she had fantasized about what his lips would feel like on hers. Now she was finally going to find out.

  She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Unless you had something else in mind.”

  His eyes darkened, his tone deepened, his mouth curved enticingly. The air around them crackled with charged electricity.

  “I like your idea, Cat.” The fierce need and desire in his voice whipped through her like a powerful aphrodisiac. “I really do.” He threaded his fingers through her hair. Tugging slightly, he drew her mouth to his. “And I like that you’re comfortable enough to do that in front of me. But maybe I’d prefer to discover all your likes and all your secret desires on my own.”