Page 29 of Love Me Carefully
“No.”
The solitary word was spoken so softly and with such finality that had she not been wrapped in his arms she wouldn’t have heard it.
He didn’t give her a moment to argue before his mouth took control of hers. His tongue slowly traced the outline of her lips, familiarizing itself with the intoxicating feel of her. Leah melted in his arms, angling her head so that their mouths were perfectly connected. Each movement was slow, deliberate, as she opened her mouth to him, invited him inside.
The first stroke was gentle, tentative, the initial meeting. He drew back, tracing the outline of her teeth, accepting her small whimpers of delight.
He was leading the kiss, driving her mad with this torture. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and she waited restlessly for the complete assault.
Terrell sensed her urgency and felt raging desire swoop through his loins. His tongue delved inside her mouth again, seeking hers, wanting hers. He stroked her warm moistness, tasting all the sweetness he’d imagined would be there.
Her hands came around his neck, holding the back of his head, angling him to her complete pleasure. He squeezed her waist, let his hands drift downward until they rested on the curve of her butt. His breathing was erratic as their tongues dueled and fought for control. In a minute he was going to tear those clothes off her and prop her up on that desk, legs spread wide and waiting for him. That wouldn’t be good. Dammit, she’d distracted him again.
What was she doing? Enjoying the hell out of this kiss, that’s what. She would’ve never believed this type of passion, this raw strength and urgency lived inside this man—the man with the unreadable eyes and ill-fitting glasses, the man who’d rather stare at computers than breathe. Yet here she was, standing in the middle of her office being tongued down by what she could only call a master. She’d never, ever, in all her years been kissed like this and for a moment wondered where he’d been all her life.
Then the incessant ringing of the phone on her desk disrupted the moment, and she pulled away.
Questions registered on each of their passion-filled faces as they stared for endless moments.
He spoke first. “I should go.”
“Yes, you should.”
Terrell grabbed his coat and headed for the door while she made her way to the desk to grab the still ringing phone.
* * *
At home Leah sat in her bed trying to erase the memory of Terrell holding her close. How could a man who seemed so average, so predictable, yet so intense put so much fire, so much yearning into a single kiss? Oh, who was she kidding? The only thing average about Terrell Pierce was that nonchalant look he gave on a regular basis. But beneath that quiet façade lay something totally different, and she’d be lying to herself—badly—if she said she wasn’t interested in finding out what that was.
Ever since their first meeting he’d moved her. There was no denying it now, there was something going on between them. Something that Leah didn’t want, mostly because she couldn’t understand it. On the one hand she had Leon—well, she really didn’t have him anymore since she’d given him his walking papers the other night—then there was Terrell. The contrast was staggering, from the arrogantly drop dead gorgeous man that any woman would kill to have to the more refined, boyishly good looking man that most women probably overlooked.
Terrell had something, some overwhelming quality that was calling to her, beckoning her to let her guard down and receive everything he had to offer. Was it his gentleness? When he’d touched her face and looked at her she’d felt like a delicate flower that he found entrancing. When he’d pulled her close to him, his large hands on her hips, she’d felt like the sexiest woman alive. When he’d kissed her, she’d melted in his arms, ready to give him whatever he wanted that would guarantee the continuance of such delectable torture.
But outside of the havoc he was wreaking on her personally, Terrell had too much going on. If what he was saying about Donald was true, his life was about to spin dangerously out of control. And she didn’t need that. Her mother’s life was drama enough for her. Still, she wondered how things would eventually turn out for him.
After continually changing channels, she deduced that there was absolutely nothing on television tonight. Every month she wrote a check for one hundred and ten dollars to pay for one hundred and twenty-two cable channels, and about three nights out of the month she actually watched something interesting on one of them. Annoyed, she hit the off button on the remote, tossed it onto her nightstand, and pulled the covers up to her neck, prepared to sleep.
A jarring ring echoed in the quiet room. Groaning, Leah realized that the telephone was quickly becoming her worst enemy, and she cursed Alexander Graham Bell for his damned bright idea. Snatching the phone off its cradle, she put it to her ear. It had better not be her mother, but Marsha and telemarketers were usually the only ones who called on her landline.
“Hello,” she barked.
“Leah? It’s me, Terrell.”
Either the background noise or his cheap cell phone muddled his voice. Leah figured it was the latter, but that didn’t stop her heart from racing. “Terrell? What do you want? Do you know what time it is? And how’d you get my home number?”
“Your assistant gave me both your numbers when I was at your office, in case my mother needed you. I put them both in my phone and this must’ve been the one it dialed when I hit your name.” He huffed. “But whatever, will you be quiet and listen to me?” he yelled. “I found something down here and I need you to meet me.”
“You found what? Where are you?” Sitting up in her bed, Leah glanced at the clock that now read twelve-fifteen.
“Damn, you should’ve been a detective. You ask a million questions!”
“If you don’t start answering some of them I’m going to hang this phone up,” she snapped.
“I’m down at the Harbor. I need you to meet me. I’ve got something on Donald.”
“So why doIhave to meet you?” Pulling her knees up to her chest, she cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear and wrapped her arms around her legs.
“Because I’m kind of on a stakeout and my…um, my car broke down.”
