Exposed Page 12

  “I like to travel too,” he said, hoping this topic would finally bring them together, not apart.

  “Where did you go last?” she asked, her eyes wide and still with listening.

  Matt rubbed his chin. “Can’t recall. I guess if you looked at my passport, you would consider me a globetrotter, but the fact of the matter is, my trips tend to be for the company. In fact,” he continued, recalling his trip to Europe more than a year before, “I get very little enjoyment out my travels. It seems whenever I find myself in a foreign city, I’m always alone. More business than pleasure, I guess you could say.”

  He noticed she was nodding sympathetically. “I know what you mean. When you have no one to share the experience with, it seems to taint the beauty of what you’re seeing, no matter how awe-inspiring the view is.”

  She was smiling at him, which told him he’d finally struck on the right subject. “And how about you?” he prodded. “Where have you been in the world?”

  “Maybe you should narrow it down a little. Name a continent, and I’ll tell you what I’ve seen of it.”

  “Okay—Europe.”

  “Hmm… That’s easy,” she said dreamily. “Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece…”

  He could see where she really wanted to be. Not with him, but flying off to some far-flung corner of the earth. It was hard to compete with the rest of the world. But for tonight at least, he had to try.

  Chapter Nine

  Nicky was thoroughly enjoying herself now that they’d left Lindenfield and all the problems it represented behind. The scenery was beautiful, the ride smooth, and the company was all a woman could ever dream of. Matt seemed somehow more gentlemanly than roguish this evening, which was a relief. It made it easier to control her physical reaction to him.

  He steered them through the streets of Stockbridge with its Victorian homes all kept in pristine condition. This really was New England at its finest, she considered, as they stopped at a pretty blue- and white-painted restaurant with a sprawling garden on one side. As they stepped up to the entrance, she could feel Matt’s hand on the back of her waist, guiding her through the door. The slight pressure of his hand sent her pulse into a faster, more unsteady rhythm as a sudden warmth washed over her skin. She did her best to push aside the feeling.

  A man in a tux immediately stepped up to them, calling Matt by name. They were seated at a table overlooking the garden. There were white fairy lights outlining the trees, lending a magical atmosphere to the night. She was promptly served a colorful drink, which, the waiter explained, had been developed especially for Matt and his guests. It was a mixture of tropical fruit juices, vodka, crushed ice, and sparkling water. She sipped the cocktail slowly, and as she looked around at the candlelit dining room in all its finery, she tried to make herself comfortable in a playing field that was normally out of her league.

  “May I order for you?” Matt offered.

  “That would be great,” she replied gratefully. “You seem to know this place pretty well. Or rather, they know you.”

  He nodded. “Yes, I come here frequently with my friends and colleagues. It’s one of my favorites.”

  Nicky smiled thoughtfully at him as he opened the menu and mulled over it. She couldn’t help noticing, he spoke as a single person would, not as someone who was part of a couple. And certainly not as someone who was about to be married in a matter of weeks. It was strange, now that she thought about it. There was never any reference to “our” or “we” anywhere in his speech.

  Matt’s choices were excellent. The marinated sole with lemon-roasted potatoes surrounded by an artistic arrangement of summer vegetables was sumptuous. Normally she found these upscale restaurants insufficient in terms of their portions. But here, she was completely and utterly satisfied. Except for one thing. She still had one stubborn craving that would not go away, and he was sitting right across from her.

  “How about something for dessert, Nicky?”

  She smiled. “Oh no, I couldn’t,” she replied with a sigh. She really was full, plus the waiter had given her another cocktail when she wasn’t looking.

  “Well, normally I wouldn’t let you off this easily, but since you’re staying overnight, perhaps we could skip dessert here and have something delectable back at Lindenfield instead.”

  She gazed at his flashing brown eyes, understanding him perfectly. “Perhaps,” she answered uncertainly.

  “Tell me more about your position,” she said, trying not to think about what he’d meant by that last comment. “I’d like to learn more about what it takes to run a paper.”

  He smiled but his eyes suddenly looked weary. “Well, we’re in a bit of a muddle at the moment, to tell you the truth.”

  Nicky wondered if he was referring to his need to marry. “What do you mean?”

  Matt grimaced. “I’m afraid there’s another company that has designs to buy out Anderson Press.”

  Nicky found herself staring, her lips parted in surprise. Nothing about the will, nothing about the fiancée? It seemed Matt had yet another problem, one disconnected from his personal life. “But, I thought the Independent Courier reigned supreme in the newspaper world. Who could be powerful enough to threaten you?”

  To her surprise, Matt reached across the table and took her hand. Like the first time he’d touched her yesterday, she thought she would melt, her bones dissolving until there was nothing left of her except a hot, rippling pool of sexual desire. But back then it had only been a handshake. This time he obviously planned to spend some time there, his hand covering hers, his fingers threading bolding through hers.

  The heat of him seeped through their entwined hands and traveled up her arm to flood the rest of her body with its sensual warmth, its current of intensity.

  “Funnily enough, that’s exactly what my board of directors said to me this afternoon.”

  Nicky blinked, trying to pick up the thread of their conversation amid her muddled thoughts.

  “I know it doesn’t seem possible, but all the indications are there,” Matt went on. “My instincts tell me Cromwell Incorporated is planning a hostile takeover of Anderson Press.”

  “I’m sorry this is happening to you,” she said in all sincerity, then looked away. She wished she could do something to help, but it wasn’t her place.

  Meanwhile, Matt’s hand was still holding hers, his attention was still focused on her—only on her, forcing her heart to throb in her chest, making her breathless. And despite however much she tried to concentrate on what was right and moral, deep in her pelvis she could feel a definite stirring, a tension starting to build. Again.

  “But enough about work,” he said, squeezing her hand. “The night is still young. Shall we?”

  Nicky waited for Matt to settle the bill before they stepped together into the warm summer night. She felt him wrap his arm around her shoulders and draw her to his side. And against her better judgment, she let him. In fact, as he opened the car door for her, Nicky knew Matt could drive anywhere right now, take her any place at all and she wouldn’t utter a word of protest. Now that their last evening alone together was nearly over, she couldn’t stand for it to end. And she couldn’t help but wonder whether he felt the same way as they drove smoothly through the night, the same scenery as earlier bathed now in the entrancing light of the full moon.

  Nicky stared at that perfect circle of light, looking for something to break the heavy, smoldering tension between them. “It’s so beautiful here in the countryside. Reminds me of home,” she said at last, her voice thin and tremulous.

  “Yes, it is beautiful. At least, I’ve always thought so. And where is home, Nicky? Where did you grow up?” he asked, his voice so deep it made her ache. She wanted him to go on talking like that all night, only with his lips closer, so close there would no longer be this distance, this wall between them that involved other people—his mother, his fiancée, her boss.

  “I come from just north of Boston, on the outskirts of a small town
,” she said, allowing herself to sink back against the plush seat. “You know, when I was a teenager, I always wanted to get away. It seemed so boring compared to the city.”

  “And now?” Matt’s tone was almost unbearably languorous. She swallowed hard, trying to dampen the fireworks that were exploding in the core of her body.

  “I think I would feel differently now.”

  “Are you saying you don’t get home much?”

  She pursed her lips as a subtle nudge of guilt made its way through the pleasure she was experiencing from the sound of his voice. “I suppose I don’t visit as often as I should. But my mother’s doing fine. She set up a tearoom in town, and business is booming.”

  Matt’s eyebrows rose. “A successful entrepreneur. And your father was a mechanic with his own shop. A knack for business must run your family.”

  “Is that a scientifically based deduction?” she teased.

  “No, that’s wishful thinking. You see, I’m hoping to get some help with this Cromwell problem. And well, you might be just the person.”

  Nicky shook her head. “You’re barking up the wrong tree on that one, Mr. Business Tycoon.”

  He chuckled. “Well then, maybe I should be asking you about that magazine you work for. What’s it called again?”

  “What?” She heard an alarm bell go off somewhere inside her. At some point during the evening, she’d wandered as far as possible from Smith and the whole arrangement, so far that she couldn’t even remember the name of the magazine. “Can’t we talk about something other than work?”

  He nodded. “You’re right, we shouldn’t be working tonight. Tell you what. I’ll take you on a midnight stroll through my garden. We can talk roses and stars. How does that sound?”

  Sounds too romantic, a voice inside her answered as he steered the car into the private laneway leading to Lindenfield. But instead, she let out a breath. “That sounds perfect.”

  Matt stopped the car along the driveway long before the mansion came into view. She could see lights glimmering every now and then through the trees. He came around to her side, and let her out. This time he didn’t take her hand or slip his arm around her waist, but simply walked beside her through the rosebushes and trees. The path they took was surprisingly bright in the moonlight, and so well maintained, she had little problem negotiating the turf in her unfamiliar shoes.

  As she accompanied him down the path, Nicky wondered where the night might lead. Images of the previous night flitted through her mind. She could see herself falling headlong onto the dining room floor, and where that path had led.

  Even though her footing felt surer tonight, inside her she was falling all the same—her heart was doing somersaults with each casual brush of her bare arm against the sleeve of his shirt. The occasional feel of hard muscles beneath the silky material created a startling contrast that sent shivers rippling over her skin. She felt heady with the musky smell, the unwavering confidence, and the raw energy of him walking so close, yet barely touching her.

  Nicky gasped with delight as they turned a corner and found themselves in what looked like a private, outdoor garden room. Shrubbery formed an enclosed circular space, adorned with a beautiful marble fountain in the center.

  “Nicky,” she heard him say, his voice thick with unmistakable desire.

  She felt him moving closer to her, until he took her hand in one of his, the other curling under her chin and tilting her face up to meet his. Looking into those eyes that had become two dark glistening pools of moonlight, Nicky found herself tongue-tied. She tried to swallow, but all the emotion rising through her had gotten lodged in a lump at the back of her throat. As she ordered herself to take a step backwards, Matt spoke again, silencing any thought she had of moving.

  “Nicky,” he whispered again, this time so close to her mouth, she could breathe in his warm breath, drink in the sound of her name that turned to liquid on his tongue, preparing the way for his lips.

  She closed her eyes, unable to fight against him any longer. And when his lips caressed hers, they felt so right, so perfect. Hot and moist, they opened her mouth to him, making way for his tongue that met and entwined around hers while his arms wrapped around her back, her waist. She shivered, then sank against him as the kiss grew deeper, more urgent, her breasts tingling to awareness against the muscular wall of his chest, yearning for his touch.

  He kissed her deeply, thoroughly, setting her body on fire. She ran a hand through his thick hair, trailing it down to explore the subtle roughness of his face. As his lips pressed harder against hers, she felt his hands moving up her back to the nape of her neck, grasping the zipper of her dress, and tugging it the same way he had done earlier, except now he was undressing her. Down, down the zipper slid, to the soft rise where her buttocks began.

  She felt the night air caress the bare skin of her back, followed by his warm hands moving up and down over her spine and gradually, torturously, edging around her ribs to where her breasts waited for him. Because the sequined top of her dress fit her so sleekly, she hadn’t worn a bra tonight, never expecting it would give Matt easier access to her body as a result.

  As soon as he realized there was no bra to fiddle with, nothing between his hands and their goal, he made a moaning sound, the sound of a man in lust.

  “God, Nicky,” he murmured. “You drive me crazy.” He slid both hands inside her top and around to her erect nipples. He felt the two small, hard beads, felt how much she wanted him. Then he fanned his hands to take all of her breasts in, just as hungry for her as he had been earlier. She filled his palms and spilled over the top as he grasped her, caressed her. And she knew as he did so, he was getting more and more excited.

  Then, holding onto her breasts, he pressed himself against her and she felt for herself what she had imagined was true—the nudge of his erection. He was hard with wanting her. An almost imperceptible cry left her lips—a cry of undeniable, torturous physical need. Her nipples ached and, as if he knew what she needed, he instantly gripped them between his fingers, pinching their pink rosebuds firmly. She could feel an electric current connecting her breasts to her clitoris as a bolt of electricity passed through her like lightning.

  She knew what she had promised herself. She knew this was a mistake, but it no longer mattered to her. She needed him, wanted this to happen. And if there were consequences to her actions, she would deal with them later.

  She pulled away from him slightly, and he duly withdrew his hands from her beneath her clothes. Then, watching the sparks of excitement ignite in his eyes, she slowly pulled the sequined top from her shoulders to her waist, leaving her standing half-naked before him in the moonlight.

  Matt let his eyes get their fill before his hands fell upon her, tilting her breasts up to his mouth and suckling them until she felt as if she was streaming with liquid readiness for him. Pressing his chest hard against her breasts, he urged her backward until she felt the firm foundation of the marble basin behind her. She used the rim of the fountain’s base to support her as Matt reached under her skirt.

  She gasped as he daringly slipped his fingers under her panties to explore her damp mound, her yearning vagina. He played with her clitoris and she immediately felt herself climbing a steep rise of mounting passion toward sexual fulfillment. Then he slipped his fingers into her slick opening, prodding her and circling around the thick entrance, sending currents of pleasure over her nerve endings.

  While he continued stroking the inside of her channel with his fingers, he knelt down and dipped his head under her skirt. She let out a tiny shriek as his mouth came into contact with her thighs, his hot breath caressing them as he kissed the skin near her mound. Then she felt him trailing his lips closer, seeking her clitoris. She gasped as he licked her labia, then found the round pearl of her pleasure.

  His tongue danced around her clitoris, encircled it, brushed over it, lightly at first, then with added weight and pressure. Meanwhile, he continued stroking her slick channel with his fin
gers, making her breathe harder, faster. Holding onto the marble basin on either side of her, she savored the feelings he was creating in her, and the way she was responding to him. It was even more exciting out here in the open, amid the sensuality and basic animal forces of nature.

  Her floating gaze fell on a flowerbed several feet away. In it, a large, exotic flower had opened its white pedals to reveal a long, protruding red stamen. The flower glowed in the light of the moon, and in her mounting ecstasy, she felt at one with the flower, with Matt, and with everything around her.

  She clenched her vaginal muscles against his fingers as he stroked her, as his mouth suckled her clitoris. Her body responded fully to his attentions—he was pollinating her like a hungry bee, opening her like a flower. And with every stroke of his tongue, he brought her higher, until one last penetration of his fingers delving inside her brought her to the point of no return. She gasped as an orgasm shook her, made her cry out into the night. She felt her body throbbing, singing with release.

  As the waves of her orgasm eased into ripples of physical fulfillment, she became aware of Matt watching her from where he knelt on the ground. He removed his hands from under her skirt, dropping them to the sides of his waist as he rose to his feet. “Was it good?” he asked smoothly.

  Suddenly shy, she nodded. “Very.”

  He took her hand and placed it on his trousers, against the hard bulk of his constrained erection. “I’d say it’s my turn now.”

  Looking up at him, she saw satisfaction mirrored in his eyes. He was proud of what he’d done—too proud. And now he wanted her to pleasure him.

  She didn’t like the suddenly practical, straightforward approach he was taking. Gone was the romance, the gentleness, the lure of forbidden love.