Page 23
Story: Capture the Rainbow
His green eyes were glazed a smoky emerald as they flew to her face. “Did I hurt you?” Then, as he saw the flushed languor of her face, he gave a pleased laugh that was oddly boyish. He lowered his head to kiss her lips with honeyed sweetness, his fingers plucking at her with a pressure that made her arch against him with a little moan. “Do you know what it does to me to feel you swell to fit my hands like this? To know I can make you feel the same ache that’s ripping me apart?” His hands left her breasts to encircle her waist and pull her close against his arousal. “See how I’m aching for you, Kendra? Do you want me like that, too, love? I need you to want me as much as I want you,” he murmured as his lips pressed a hundred frantic kisses across her throat. “It never mattered to me before. I just took what I wanted from a woman and tried to give her what she wanted. But it’s different with you. I’m burning up and I want you to burn with me.” His hands were running over her in a wild symphony of heat, gliding over her hips, traveling with a sensual rubbing motion over her belly and between her thighs. Then he pressed her to him with bruising strength, his face buried in the side of her neck, his body tense and vibrating with raw need. “Burn,Kendra; I think I’ll go crazy if you don’t!”
“Oh, I am burning,” she gasped, her hands moving desperately over his chest and shoulders, wanting to get closer to him. Then her fingers worked with trembling urgency at his shirt. “Joel, I want to touch you.” Her voice was shaking with frustration as her fingers seemed to be all fumbling thumbs. “Help me to touch you, please!”
He pushed her hands away and the white shirt was suddenly undone. She pressed her face to the hard warm muscles of his chest. She’d forgotten how deliciously sensual the springy mat of hair on his chest felt against the softness of her cheek, and how the thunder of his heart reverberated beneath her ear. Her hands moved over him in erotic slow motion, her eyes closed to isolate the pleasure she drew from the touch and sound of him. He inhaled sharply as she stroked and explored every inch of the sleek muscles, his body tensing as if her gentle voyage of discovery was almost painful. His heart, leaping beneath her sensitive fingertips, seemed to be trying to burst through the wall of his chest.
“Open your eyes and see what you’re doing to me, you little devil.” There was a thread of amusement under the hoarse exasperation in Joel’s voice. When Kendra opened her eyes, there was a hint of that same tender humor in the curve of his lips, even though his face was flushed with passion and his eyes smoldered with the same sensual need.
“Now, if you’re quite through trying to turn me into a human bonfire, I suggest we repair to the bedroom before I take you here in this chair. I don’t think I can…” He broke off as a sharp rap sounded at the door.
Kendra lifted her head. “What’s that?” she asked, startled.
Joel closed his eyes in frustration. “I believe that’s the Marasef equivalent of Providence saving you from a fate worse than death.” He sighed and his lids flew open. “That’s got to be the dinner I ordered in a moment of sheer insanity.” The knock was repeated.
“But I don’t want to be saved,” she protested with an impish grin. “Maybe if we don’t answer, they’ll go away.”
Swiftly he lifted her off his lap. “No, it’s just as well,” he said gloomily as he stood up and buttoned his shirt. “I wanted this to be something more than a roll in the hay.” He smoothed his tousled dark hair, his eyes never leaving hers, then repeated as if in incantation: “Dinner, conversation, romance. I’ve got to remember that. Lord, I don’t know if I’m going to make it, sweetheart.”
Well, who was asking him to? she thought in exasperation as she watched him cross quickly to the door and open it for the waiter. She was in just as much a fever as he, but she had none of the maddening apprehension he evidently felt about satisfying that hunger. How could either of them concentrate on food after what had almost happened such a short time ago? The man was totally unreasonable. Yet there was something very endearing about his very irrationality, Kendra thought with a poignant little tug at her heart. Somehow she doubted that Joel had ever before in his life restrained himself from taking what he wanted at a moment like that. His gift of restraint might have been terribly frustrating, but it was a lovely and touching gift all the same. She would just have to exert all her energies to show him how unnecessary that restraint was.
An enigmatic smile touched her lips as she watched the waiter deck the little table on the balcony with a white damask cloth and a crystal candleholder garlanded with white camellias. All the delicious little touches of romance, she noticed with amusement. Had Joel made a special point of ordering those as well as dinner? She felt a sudden surge of love for him so strong that it overshadowed even the desire she was experiencing. It had hurt him to let her go, yet he would suppress that aching to give her this gallant and quixotic present. With tender ruefulness she noticed the lines of strain about Joel’s lips as he watched the boy transfer a large covered bowl from the serving cart to the table. Yes, she definitely had to do something to make Joel see the light.
There was still a slight smile on her face when she sat down opposite Joel and served herself some of the exotic stew from the large crockery bowl in the center of the table.
“You seem to be very well pleased with yourself,” Joel said with a scowl as he lifted his glass of wine. “You evidently have a talent for reversing gears that I don’t possess.”
“Nope. I’m in exactly the same shape you’re in,” Kendra said cheerfully, picking up her fork. “I’m just hoping to convince you how idiotic this is, so we can get on to more important things.” She took a bite of the stew. “You know, this is very good, but I can’t quite place the sauce. It tastes rather sweet.”
“They make it with dates,” he said absently, his eyes narrowed on her face. “I hope you’re not going to try a Tom Jones style seduction.” His voice was dry. “Contrary to popular myth, I understand it’s extremely bad for the digestion.”
“Heavens no,” she denied sweetly. “It’s been done far too many times before to make such tactics anything but ludicrous.” She gazed dreamily over the graceful minarets and flat-roofed houses now touched with the violet shadows of early evening. “No, I had something more in line with your ideas of keeping our relationship honest and basic.”
“Indeed?” Joel’s voice was cautious. “Would you mind elaborating?”
“Certainly.” Kendra’s gaze returned to his face and her voice was silky soft running over him, as fluidly sensual as her fingers had been such a short time before. “I just want to tell you very honestly how much I want you to do all those things to me that you did in your House of Rainbows. How I want your hands all over me as if you loved every inch of my body. How empty and aching I feel and how much I want you to fill that emptiness and soothe that ache.” Her velvet-brown eyes were glowing. “And I want to tell you very basically what I’d like to do to you. How I’d like to rub my hands over your chest, then run them across your back and down…”
“Stop.” His voice was strangled and there was a feverish flush on his cheekbones. “I think that’s more basic honesty than I’m capable of hearing at the moment.”
“Well, you did specify conversation.”
“I didn’t have such erotic subject matter in mind,” he said wryly. “I was thinking more along the lines of a question and answer session. We haven’t had much time this week to learn very much about each other.”
She didn’t agree. She felt she had learned a great deal about the complex man who was Joel Damon by watching him work. His humor was as much a part of him as the hard incisiveness, as was the vision and excitement that seemed to electrify him when a scene was coming together just the way he wanted.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Joel said thickly. “That’s even more erotic than your idea of basic conversation.” He took a quick sip of his wine. “If we’re to get through this dinner, I think I’d better take the initiative.”
“Oh, I’m all for initiative,” she said lightly. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Would you like me to go into detail about what I’d like you to initiate?”
“No!” he said quickly. “Your family. Tell me about your family. The personnel record said your parents were deceased but that you have a brother. What’s his name? Are you close?”
Suddenly she felt as if she had been doused with ice water, and her smile faded. She didn’t want to think about Casey right now. To think about Casey and her responsibilities would bring an end to the happiness that suffused her. She had known this was too ephemeral to last, but she wanted to seize as much happiness as she could tonight.
“His name is Casey. And yes, we’re very close.”
His eyes narrowed speculatively. “You’re not very outspoken on the subject, are you? Is he older or younger than you?”
“Casey’s twenty-six,” she answered flatly. “You’re not eating,” she went on, making an effort to smile. “So much for your three-part plan. We have romance and conversation, but you’ve taken only a few sips of that wine.”
“What does he do for a living?”
“Oh, I am burning,” she gasped, her hands moving desperately over his chest and shoulders, wanting to get closer to him. Then her fingers worked with trembling urgency at his shirt. “Joel, I want to touch you.” Her voice was shaking with frustration as her fingers seemed to be all fumbling thumbs. “Help me to touch you, please!”
He pushed her hands away and the white shirt was suddenly undone. She pressed her face to the hard warm muscles of his chest. She’d forgotten how deliciously sensual the springy mat of hair on his chest felt against the softness of her cheek, and how the thunder of his heart reverberated beneath her ear. Her hands moved over him in erotic slow motion, her eyes closed to isolate the pleasure she drew from the touch and sound of him. He inhaled sharply as she stroked and explored every inch of the sleek muscles, his body tensing as if her gentle voyage of discovery was almost painful. His heart, leaping beneath her sensitive fingertips, seemed to be trying to burst through the wall of his chest.
“Open your eyes and see what you’re doing to me, you little devil.” There was a thread of amusement under the hoarse exasperation in Joel’s voice. When Kendra opened her eyes, there was a hint of that same tender humor in the curve of his lips, even though his face was flushed with passion and his eyes smoldered with the same sensual need.
“Now, if you’re quite through trying to turn me into a human bonfire, I suggest we repair to the bedroom before I take you here in this chair. I don’t think I can…” He broke off as a sharp rap sounded at the door.
Kendra lifted her head. “What’s that?” she asked, startled.
Joel closed his eyes in frustration. “I believe that’s the Marasef equivalent of Providence saving you from a fate worse than death.” He sighed and his lids flew open. “That’s got to be the dinner I ordered in a moment of sheer insanity.” The knock was repeated.
“But I don’t want to be saved,” she protested with an impish grin. “Maybe if we don’t answer, they’ll go away.”
Swiftly he lifted her off his lap. “No, it’s just as well,” he said gloomily as he stood up and buttoned his shirt. “I wanted this to be something more than a roll in the hay.” He smoothed his tousled dark hair, his eyes never leaving hers, then repeated as if in incantation: “Dinner, conversation, romance. I’ve got to remember that. Lord, I don’t know if I’m going to make it, sweetheart.”
Well, who was asking him to? she thought in exasperation as she watched him cross quickly to the door and open it for the waiter. She was in just as much a fever as he, but she had none of the maddening apprehension he evidently felt about satisfying that hunger. How could either of them concentrate on food after what had almost happened such a short time ago? The man was totally unreasonable. Yet there was something very endearing about his very irrationality, Kendra thought with a poignant little tug at her heart. Somehow she doubted that Joel had ever before in his life restrained himself from taking what he wanted at a moment like that. His gift of restraint might have been terribly frustrating, but it was a lovely and touching gift all the same. She would just have to exert all her energies to show him how unnecessary that restraint was.
An enigmatic smile touched her lips as she watched the waiter deck the little table on the balcony with a white damask cloth and a crystal candleholder garlanded with white camellias. All the delicious little touches of romance, she noticed with amusement. Had Joel made a special point of ordering those as well as dinner? She felt a sudden surge of love for him so strong that it overshadowed even the desire she was experiencing. It had hurt him to let her go, yet he would suppress that aching to give her this gallant and quixotic present. With tender ruefulness she noticed the lines of strain about Joel’s lips as he watched the boy transfer a large covered bowl from the serving cart to the table. Yes, she definitely had to do something to make Joel see the light.
There was still a slight smile on her face when she sat down opposite Joel and served herself some of the exotic stew from the large crockery bowl in the center of the table.
“You seem to be very well pleased with yourself,” Joel said with a scowl as he lifted his glass of wine. “You evidently have a talent for reversing gears that I don’t possess.”
“Nope. I’m in exactly the same shape you’re in,” Kendra said cheerfully, picking up her fork. “I’m just hoping to convince you how idiotic this is, so we can get on to more important things.” She took a bite of the stew. “You know, this is very good, but I can’t quite place the sauce. It tastes rather sweet.”
“They make it with dates,” he said absently, his eyes narrowed on her face. “I hope you’re not going to try a Tom Jones style seduction.” His voice was dry. “Contrary to popular myth, I understand it’s extremely bad for the digestion.”
“Heavens no,” she denied sweetly. “It’s been done far too many times before to make such tactics anything but ludicrous.” She gazed dreamily over the graceful minarets and flat-roofed houses now touched with the violet shadows of early evening. “No, I had something more in line with your ideas of keeping our relationship honest and basic.”
“Indeed?” Joel’s voice was cautious. “Would you mind elaborating?”
“Certainly.” Kendra’s gaze returned to his face and her voice was silky soft running over him, as fluidly sensual as her fingers had been such a short time before. “I just want to tell you very honestly how much I want you to do all those things to me that you did in your House of Rainbows. How I want your hands all over me as if you loved every inch of my body. How empty and aching I feel and how much I want you to fill that emptiness and soothe that ache.” Her velvet-brown eyes were glowing. “And I want to tell you very basically what I’d like to do to you. How I’d like to rub my hands over your chest, then run them across your back and down…”
“Stop.” His voice was strangled and there was a feverish flush on his cheekbones. “I think that’s more basic honesty than I’m capable of hearing at the moment.”
“Well, you did specify conversation.”
“I didn’t have such erotic subject matter in mind,” he said wryly. “I was thinking more along the lines of a question and answer session. We haven’t had much time this week to learn very much about each other.”
She didn’t agree. She felt she had learned a great deal about the complex man who was Joel Damon by watching him work. His humor was as much a part of him as the hard incisiveness, as was the vision and excitement that seemed to electrify him when a scene was coming together just the way he wanted.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Joel said thickly. “That’s even more erotic than your idea of basic conversation.” He took a quick sip of his wine. “If we’re to get through this dinner, I think I’d better take the initiative.”
“Oh, I’m all for initiative,” she said lightly. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Would you like me to go into detail about what I’d like you to initiate?”
“No!” he said quickly. “Your family. Tell me about your family. The personnel record said your parents were deceased but that you have a brother. What’s his name? Are you close?”
Suddenly she felt as if she had been doused with ice water, and her smile faded. She didn’t want to think about Casey right now. To think about Casey and her responsibilities would bring an end to the happiness that suffused her. She had known this was too ephemeral to last, but she wanted to seize as much happiness as she could tonight.
“His name is Casey. And yes, we’re very close.”
His eyes narrowed speculatively. “You’re not very outspoken on the subject, are you? Is he older or younger than you?”
“Casey’s twenty-six,” she answered flatly. “You’re not eating,” she went on, making an effort to smile. “So much for your three-part plan. We have romance and conversation, but you’ve taken only a few sips of that wine.”
“What does he do for a living?”