from inside out. His kiss was silky smooth, the stuff of sensual dreams as he drew his mouth back and forth over hers and lulled her into a hazy stupor of wanting. She lifted her hands and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, something he seemed to appreciate because he slid his tongue over the seam of her lips, teasing her back and forth until she opened her mouth and let him inside.
Her tongue tangled with his, matching every fantasy she’d ever had of him and providing even more. He ran his thumbs over her cheek, gently caressing her face while he ravished her mouth. She didn’t need food, not when she had this. Wanting to taste more of him, she curled her hands into the hair at the nape of his neck, then tilted her head back, giving him better access. He swept his tongue one last time around her mouth, then began a warm, wet trail of kisses down the side of her face, her neck, her throat, until his head came to rest on her chest just above her cleavage.
Her heart pounded and her breasts felt full, her nipples tightening into hardened peaks at the thought of his wicked mouth suckling her hard. Moisture pooled between her legs, dampening her panties as desire pulsed through her body.
“You taste sweet,” he said against her skin.
She moaned. The sound tore from deep inside her at the same time the crowds cheered at the dropping of the ball.
“Happy New Year,” she said, drunk with happiness.
“Happy New Year.” He pulled back, and she tilted her head, smiling at him, expecting him to kiss her again. After all, the first time had been spectacular and he obviously wanted her, too.
Instead, he pushed himself up and rose to his feet.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To get you a blanket so I can tuck you in. Much as it kills me, I’m going to be a gentleman.”
She started to rise, then decided it was too much effort. She hadn’t had alcohol in a long time and the champagne had gone straight to her head. Of course, it could also be his kisses that made her feel light-headed and dizzy.
“Sit tight,” he said, a sexy smile lifting his lips. “I’ll be right back.”
Amy lay her head back against the couch and shut her eyes, waiting for him to return. Maybe she’d be able to pull him down so they could finish what they’d started. Her mind might be hazy, but she was clear on what she wanted.
Amy wanted John Roper.
AFTER HANGING UP WITH JOHN, Cassandra Lee opened the screen door to her patio and walked outside into the warm air. Although she had to leave in half an hour for the New Year’s party she was attending, she had some things to work out in her mind first. Family things. Personal things. Scary things.
She paced the length of her outdoor pool. Normally the rhythm made by her small heels clicking against the stone provided a soothing sound that helped her think more clearly. But her life was truly overwhelming right now and she found it hard to concentrate.
On the one hand, she had director Harrison Smith pressuring her not just to take the role he’d created for her but to let him back into her life. Her daughter was getting married, and instead of enjoying the planning, Cassandra felt more distant from Sabrina than ever. Her youngest son couldn’t find himself and her oldest wouldn’t cut the youngest any slack. On top of it all, John was undergoing the worst career crisis of his life and Cassandra didn’t know how to help him.
At least he wasn’t alone on New Year’s. He’d said he had company, which in John’s world could mean a one- night stand, but something in his voice told her otherwise. The annoyance in his tone indicated he hadn’t appreciated the interruption. Normally John took her calls without question. Cassandra hoped there was something special about this woman, because her son needed happiness in his life. She just hoped whoever she was, she liked a close-knit family, because that’s what they were.
She picked up the phone and dialed her youngest son’s cell phone. “Hello, Ben,” she said when he answered on the first ring.
“Did you speak to John about the money for the gym?” he asked.
Cassandra sighed. She loved all her children, but truly Ben was the most selfish.
“Happy New Year, darling.” Lowering herself onto a cushioned lounge chair, she eased back against the pillow. “Yes, I tried to talk to him, but the timing was wrong. John was busy. He said he had company and I think it was a woman. You know we have to approach your brother at the right time. He’s got so much on his mind right now.”
“And I don’t? I could lose this opportunity,” Ben said.
“Not on New Year’s Eve, Benjamin.” Cassandra didn’t want to outright scold him. After all, he’d never had things quite fall his way, not the way John had. “What if you try talking to your brother yourself?” she asked.
“He hates me, Mom. He never wants to help, and when he does, he blames me when things go wrong. But he can’t say no to you. He never could. This is the big thing. I can feel it,” Ben said, his tone pleading.
Her heart squeezed tighter in her chest. “I’ll talk to him as soon as I can,” she promised.
“Thanks. I have to go.”
“I love you. Happy New-”
The phone line disconnected before she could finish.
Cassandra sighed. That was Ben. Well, at least she’d reached Sabrina and then Roper, wishing them both Happy New Years and receiving one in return.
She rose and headed inside to change and get ready for the party she was attending. The most mellow one of the year. A ladies-only affair among her closest friends, where she could end the old year the way she planned to start the new.
Avoiding her ex-lover Harrison Smith.
AMY AWOKE WITH A SLIGHT headache and fuzzy memories of an incredible night with a sweet man she’d once thought was anything but. She was glad she’d been wrong about him. As she stretched, she rolled over, and when she nearly fell face-first off the couch, she suddenly remembered where she’d spent the night.
On Roper’s couch.
In Roper’s apartment.
After that kiss.
“Oh, my God,” she groaned, tossing her arm over her face.
“Good morning,” he said in a gruff voice.
She peeked out and saw Roper standing over her with a glass of orange juice in hand. “Hi,” she managed to say through the fuzzy cotton taste in her mouth.
Knowing she’d have to face him sometime, she scooted upright, bending her knees in front of her. “Is that for me?” she asked, eyeing the cold juice hopefully.
He nodded. “I figured you’d be up soon.” He handed her the glass.
“Fresh squeezed?”
He rolled his eyes. “Now, that’s pushing your luck.”
She laughed. “I was curious just how far your culinary talent went.” She took a sip and then downed the glass in two big gulps. “Mmm. That is so good. I’m sorry I fell asleep.” The last thing she remembered was planning his seduction while waiting for him to bring her a blanket.
“Me, too.” His intense gaze burned into hers.
She swallowed hard. “I hope it wasn’t inconvenient having me stay over.”
“Only if you consider me lying awake in my bed knowing you were right in the next room inconvenient.” He spoke like a man who’d been a gentleman but who’d definitely had second thoughts.
Thank goodness she couldn’t hold her champagne. “You’re a good guy, John,” she said, calling him by his given name.
“I like when you call me that.” His face actually flushed. “As for being a good guy, I’m pretty sure it was a first.”
She untangled herself from the blanket he’d covered her with. “I really should be getting home. The daytime doorman will let me in without a problem.” She hoped. She got up and folded the covers, leaving them in a neat pile
