A Walk in the Park Read online

  She hugged her arms around herself and asked, “Can we bring our doggies along? I don’t like leaving Smookie by herself too much these days.”

  He smiled. “Sure. I’ve taken Bandit out with me several times before. He likes it and I’m sure Smookie will, too.”

  She returned the smile while thinking she was certain that Smookie’s owner would like it as well.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  LATER THAT NIGHT, Raquel moved around the house checking everything before she entered her bedroom. Tonight would be different and she intended to make it so. She and Ren might be having off-the-charts phone sex, but tonight she wanted to set the mood with the lit candles she’d placed around her bedroom.

  She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. He would be calling in twenty minutes and already her pulse was beating something fierce, and that wasn’t a good thing. She was supposed to be in control of the conversation, but Quest had pretty much taken that control away during the first call.

  She touched her lips, still feeling a sharp tingling sensation there. The man definitely knew how to kiss. It was a good thing she’d already been sitting down, or else her knees would have buckled beneath her. He had sucked on her tongue as if he had every right to do so, and she’d let him as though he did.

  Raquel eased the robe off her body and slid naked beneath the covers. She couldn’t help remembering how earlier he had almost given himself away when he’d mentioned her attending school. She could have called him out then, but chose not to. A part of her was curious to see how long he would play the game. But as long as she was one up on him, she would wait it out and see.

  She glanced over at the clock again. She had less than fifteen minutes, and a part of her wished things were different. She wished that he was here with her in the flesh, in the bed with her…just as naked as she was. She could imagine them snuggled up close, skin to skin, with his muscled chest resting against her back in the spoon position. That would also mean that his groin would be pressing hard against her butt.

  Raquel drew in a deep breath and tried taking her mind off the phone call that she was waiting for. She glanced around and thought the candles looked beautiful the way they were placed around the room.

  Romantic.

  Enticing passion.

  At first she had felt silly when she’d gone around lighting them, but then decided she had no reason to feel that way. Men called her all the time to play out their fantasies, and now it was time that she play out hers.

  It had rained earlier, not long after she had returned from the doggy park, and she could still hear the steady drip of water falling off the roof. A wry grin touched her lips. What would Quest think to know she was fully aware he was her Ren? Maybe it was time to let him know she knew his identity. It was just a matter of time before one of them would give something away. Besides, why were they playing this game anyway?

  She glanced over at the clock again, thinking she was playing the waiting game, but she had a feeling it would be well worth it tonight.

  * * *

  QUEST MOVED AROUND his condo, trying to convince himself he wasn’t counting the minutes before it was time to call in to the hot wire. He had taken care of Bandit for the night. Usually the dog slept on the floor next to his bed, but tonight Quest didn’t want anyone, not even his dog, listening to his conversation with Raquel. He knew it was crazy, since Bandit wouldn’t understand a word he said anyway, but it didn’t matter. He wanted total privacy.

  He couldn’t help but recall their time together at the doggy park and, although they’d tried ignoring it, there had been a primitive magnetism between them while sitting together on the bench. And he enjoyed listening to her talk, with that sultry voice of hers that put plenty of ideas into his head. More than once he’d been tempted to reach up and slide his fingers through her hair and pull her mouth closer to his.

  He thought her mouth was perfect and her taste delicious. Even now he wanted to kiss her again, plenty of times. But he didn’t want to stop with just one kiss. He wanted to do all those things with his mouth they’d pretended to do during their phone talks.

  He’d almost given something away when he’d mentioned her going to school. She’d never mentioned anything about taking classes to him. It had come directly from the report Brett had provided.

  Turning off all the lights, he headed toward his bedroom. Usually he would sit in a chair in the office with his legs stretched out in a comfortable position during their calls. But tonight he wanted Raquel in her bedroom, and he intended to be in his.

  His house was quiet, almost too quiet. Not that he was complaining, but he was realizing he’d lived a pretty lonely life since Monica’s betrayal. It wasn’t that he wasn’t over her; it was because he was. And as his brothers had told him, it was better to learn now what type of woman she was than to do so later. And just to think he had pretty much decided to ask her to be his wife. So finding out the truth had been a blessing.

  Today Raquel had looked good in her white cuffed shorts and blue-paisley halter top. The memory of just how good she looked was burned inside his brain, branding his senses in a way no other attraction to a woman had ever done.

  He glanced at the clock again. Less than ten minutes and he could feel a stirring in his groin. He was definitely looking forward to that phone call he was about to make.

  * * *

  RAQUEL WAS ABOUT to shift to another position in bed when the phone rang. She glanced over at the clock. Ren was five minutes early. Was he just as anxious for their phone talk to begin as she was?

  With her pulse skipping all over the place, she reached out and clicked the Bluetooth in her ear. “You’re early.”

  “I couldn’t wait,” was the husky reply. “Where are you?”

  “In bed.”

  “Under the covers?” he asked her.

  “Yes, I’m under the covers.”

  “What are you wearing?” The raspiness in his voice sent tremors through her body.

  “Nothing.”

  There was a silence on the phone, which made the sound of dripping raindrops off the roof become more noticeable. “Can I slide into bed with you?”

  She felt a moment’s pause with his question. This would be their third phone conversation, and if things were hotter tonight than they had been before, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stand it. “Umm, I was hoping you would,” she said.

  “All right, I’m sliding into bed with you. The sheets are warm from your heat.”

  She closed her eyes, imagining he was actually making good on his words. “Do you like the candles burning?” she asked, knowing he couldn’t see them.

  “Candles? Ahh, sure. Yes, they’re as beautiful as you are. I plan on getting lost inside you tonight,” he said in a husky note. “But first I want to lick my way all over your body. I became addicted to your taste from the last time.”

  She breathed in deeply and could envision his lips trailing a path from the center of her neck to her collarbone. In her mind she could actually feel those thick, long lashes caressing her skin. And just the thought that his sensual lips were coming in contact with her flesh made her moan.

  “You feel soft and smell good.”

  Her lips moved into a smile. “Do I?”

  “Yes. I have my hands all over you.”

  And as if he willed it to be so, willed her to feel him touch her, she did. Sensations started at the bottom of her feet, a prickling of electrical charge that was surging slowly upward, settling at the juncture of her legs.

  “Imagine my fingers there,” he whispered, and the sound of his voice had her heart thumping hard in her chest.

  She slowly opened her eyes, knowing what she wanted tonight. The hot wire would not be enough and it was time to bring their game to an end. She wanted him, not in her fantasy but in reality.

  “Open your legs, baby.”

  She shook her head and whispered, “No.”

  “No?”

  “No. I don’t want t
o pretend anymore. I want the real thing. I want you here with me in the flesh.”

  There was a pause and then he asked, “How am I supposed to do that?”

  She pulled up in bed, sat on the side and pushed her hair away from her face. “I think you know the answer to that…and Ren?”

  “Yes?”

  “You know where I live. I’ll be waiting.”

  * * *

  THE PHONE CONVERSATION ended with a resounding click in his ear, letting Quest know two things. Raquel had ended the call and she knew his identity. He couldn’t help wondering what had given him away. Did it matter?

  No, he thought, quickly easing off the bed and grabbing his jeans and shirt off the chair. Aroused anticipation took over his senses as he slipped into his shoes. No woman had ever had him wanting her this much. And to play it safe, he shoved a bunch of condoms into his back pocket. Shivers had begun running down his spine in an adrenaline rush, and in no time at all he was almost running for the front door. His libido was in an uncontrollable state and his erection throbbed mercilessly against the zipper of his jeans. She had him wired up to the point of no return.

  He hesitated a moment before grabbing his key off the table. It was a short walk, but he wouldn’t do so tonight. He needed to kill as much time as he could. He hoped she knew what she’d done because there was no turning back now.

  CHAPTER NINE

  RAQUEL’S HEART NEARLY stopped beating the moment she heard the knock at her door. She tightened the sash around the waist of her bathrobe and took a long, deep breath before opening the door.

  And then she and Quest just stood there and looked at each other. Their eyes held for one heat-blazing moment. She thought he couldn’t look any sexier than he did standing in her doorway in a T-shirt and pair of Levi’s that looked so good on him. His eyes were deep and penetrating, and there was a sharp edge of intrinsic masculinity about him that sent her hormones into a state of excessive activity. And had desire exploding into a thousand pieces within her body.

  She wasn’t sure who moved first, but within seconds he was there, slamming his lips down on hers at the same moment that he swept her off her feet into big, strong arms. He closed the door with the heel of his shoe, not breaking contact with her mouth, while she threw her arms around his neck to hold on. His tongue penetrated deep, exploring her mouth in sensual strokes that had her moaning.

  He slowly pulled back, broke off the kiss to stare down at her with those mesmerizing dark eyes, and simply said in a low drawl, “I’m here.”

  Yes, she thought, he definitely was. She could certainly see that. And she had a feeling that before the night was over she would be seeing a whole lot more. She swallowed hard, nodding. “I’m glad you came.”

  He didn’t say anything. Instead he lowered his mouth again and took her mouth in another hot, scorching kiss. She felt him moving, carrying her somewhere, and she knew just where when her bottom came into contact with the hard edge of her dining-room table.

  And then he broke off the kiss. “Where’s your bedroom?”

  She tilted her head. “Down the hall that way.”

  He smiled down at her and her heart thudded heavily in her chest. “I can’t wait to take you there and get you naked.”

  Her nipples hardened with his words and her belly began quivering. It wouldn’t take much for him to do that, given she was naked beneath her robe anyway. He swept her back into his arms and began moving in long, powerful strides.

  When he reached her bedroom, he glanced around at the candles before turning his full attention back to her. He then lowered her to the floor, letting her slide her body down his masculine build in the process. And then he just stood there and stared at her for a second, while heat settled everywhere within her, especially in the area between her thighs.

  Nervously, she bit her lower lip. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

  He smiled, reached out and brushed a few strands of hair back from her face. “I’m trying to get control, sweetheart. Otherwise, I’ll make love to you, right now, right here, standing up, without making it to the bed.”

  His voice had lowered, dropped an octave, and she could feel his words brush across her skin and her pulse rate increase. And then, without any warning or preamble, he reached out and pulled her toward him and lowered his mouth to hers.

  Some men kissed you. Others devoured you. Then there were those, like Quest Renaldo Newman, who gobbled you up whole. The thrust of his tongue into her mouth immediately sent a heated rush through her body as blood raced through her veins. And then in a dominant way, he moved that tongue around, conquering everything in its path, sending shivers through her body and absorbing every inch of her mouth into his.

  And she felt his hands moving all over her body and the hard, erect front pressed against her middle. He was aroused in a big way and the thought of that escalated her need tenfold.

  He broke off the kiss, and she heard his uneven breathing as he reached out and undid the sash at her waist and pushed the robe off her shoulders. She watched his penetrating gaze rake all over her naked body, covering it inch by inch. She drew in a deep breath when she felt that heated gaze linger at the juncture of her thighs. And the male intent in his eyes should have warned her to take a step back. Instead, she tempted him further by readjusting her stance to widen her legs in a way that let him see it all.

  She watched him lick his lips, and the sight of his tongue—the same one she had imagined doing all kinds of naughty things to her over the hot wire—had her body trembling in anticipation.

  Her breath caught when he reached out and with the tip of his finger trailed a path across her shoulder and down her arm, before zigzagging across to her breasts. She barely heard him murmur the word “beautiful” before his fingertips circled around a hardened nipple. Pleasure points shot out to every part of her body and she knew if he kept this up she would eventually lose her mind.

  “I imagined how you would look, but this is far more than my expectations, Raquel. You are truly a beautiful woman.”

  She couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. Tilting her head, she said, “You don’t look so bad yourself, even in clothes. When do you plan to take yours off?”

  He held her gaze and the mischievous glint in his dark eyes told her he would be taking them off soon enough. But first he planned to enjoy her for a while. She was proven right when his hand drifted low and gently caressed her belly, fanning desire all through her.

  “Tonight, I plan to do everything we did on the hot wire, as well as other things I wished we could have pretended to do,” he said in a deep, husky voice as his fingertips moved around her belly button, causing sensations to spark to life there.

  Other things? She could barely handle what he was doing to her now. Suddenly, she sucked in a deep breath when his hand moved lower, between her legs to gently cup her sex.

  “Damn, you’re hot.”

  Had he honestly thought she wouldn’t respond to what he was doing to her? Fat chance.

  “Would you like to explode with me tonight, Raquel?” He leaned close to whisper the question in her ear. “Hell, I hope so, because I plan on making us come all over the place.”

  At that moment the fire that was already blazing within her suddenly began raging out of control. Boldly she reached out and cupped him through his jeans, felt his erection—long and thick—and said, “Yes, I’d like that.”

  He smiled and the curve of his lips almost made her swoon. And before she could catch her next breath, he knelt between her legs.

  * * *

  QUEST GRABBED HOLD of Raquel’s hips just moments before shoving his tongue inside of her. Then he began feasting on her with a greed that made his erection press hard against his zipper.

  Her taste was just as he thought it would be and he intended to lap her up completely. She was sweet with a flavor that was uniquely hers. He wanted to slow down, keep his hunger under control, but the moment he took her clit between his lips to lap
up more of her exquisite-tasting juices, he was a goner. The sound of her moans was enough to push him over the edge.

  And then he tightened his hold on her hips as he plunged his tongue deeper inside of her, determined to taste every inch of her this way. She tried pushing his head away but he wasn’t going anywhere. Pretty soon she gave up and began grinding her sex hard against his mouth, letting him know she wanted more.

  He gave her more by deepening the intimate kiss to her pulsing core. He felt her beginning to quake all over and within seconds, her body exploded in his mouth. She screamed but he didn’t let up. Instead he held her tight while increasing the strokes of his tongue inside of her. When the last strangled cry had left her mouth, he released her and leaned back on his haunches to smile up at her. He wanted her to know just how much he had enjoyed savoring her that way.

  Disoriented, Raquel swayed and would have fallen flat on her face if Quest hadn’t stood up and pulled her into his strong arms. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire and she could barely catch her breath.

  “Now to get you in the bed,” he said, seconds before he swept her into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He moved back and she watched as he removed all his clothes, piece by piece. First came his T-shirt to reveal powerfully built shoulders, a beautiful, sculpted chest with tight abs. Next he lowered his jeans and his briefs right along with them. Air was suddenly snatched from her lungs and her sex throbbed upon seeing the thick erection he uncovered. It looked bold, daring and confident as hell.

  The thick veins running along the head of his shaft were enough to make her swoon again. But instead of swooning, her clit tingled in anticipation. She was oh so ready for this. And she wanted to taste him the way he’d tasted her moments ago.

  “Come closer.” She said the same words to him that he’d said to her earlier in the park.

  When he was within reach, she took him into her hand and began stroking him, moving her fingers up and down, liking the feel of his thick shaft in her hands. She curled her fingertips around the hard muscles while imagining something so big and powerful buried deep inside of her.