"Mr. Right-now" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tyler Paige)

Chapter One

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Wasn’t that how the saying went? Well, it sure the heck fit her, Kate Gentry thought. Since graduating from college eight years ago, she’d been a bridesmaid eight times and had the dresses in her closet to prove it. After the last time, she told herself if one more friend asked her to be in their wedding party, she was turning them down. Of course, she couldn’t very well keep that promise when it was her best friend in the whole world doing the asking. Which was why she was on a ferry heading from Seattle to San Juan Island to be maid of honor at the upcoming nuptials.

For all her grumbling, though, Kate would never have dreamed of turning Rachel down when the other girl asked her to be in the wedding party. While she might have rotten luck when it came to men, Kate was thrilled Rachel was marrying the man of her dreams. Not only was Rachel’s fiancé good-looking and successful, but he treated her like a princess. Seeing the couple together gave Kate hope there was a guy just as wonderful somewhere out there for her. All she had to do was find him.

Kate leaned on the railing and propped her chin on her hand as she looked out over the water at the Cascade Mountains. Why the heck did all of her friends find Mr. Right while she got stuck with one loser after another? Okay, maybe “loser” was the wrong word. The men she’d gone out with were all very nice. Unfortunately, none of them were interested in marriage. Or maybe they just weren’t interested in marrying her.

Sighing, she let her gaze wander over the deck below. It was deserted except for a tall, dark-haired man standing by the railing. He had his back to her, so she couldn’t see his face, but from his broad shoulders, sculpted biceps, and great butt, she was willing to bet he was handsome. With a body like that, he had to be. It’d be a crime if he wasn’t. She wished he would turn around so she could see if she was right.

As if he’d somehow read her mind, the man turned to face her direction. He leaned back, casually resting his elbows on the railing behind him. Kate blinked as she took in his straight nose, chiseled jaw, and wide, sensual mouth. It was just as she thought. He was gorgeous. In fact, he was so good-looking it made her wonder if he was a model and there was a photo shoot going on for a magazine or something down on the lower deck. She could definitely picture him in an ad for Abercrombie amp; Fitch. She scanned the deck for a camera crew, but she didn’t see one. If anything, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Perfect seemed to be all alone down there.

Kate chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully, wondering if she should go down and casually run into him. It wouldn’t be the first time she did it to meet a guy. Who knew? Maybe he lived in Seattle, too. They could go on a couple dates, develop a deep meaningful connection, and be coming back to San Juan Island to get married themselves by this time next year.

Her gaze lingered on the man for another moment before she turned away from the railing and went back inside. Quickly making her way over to the stairs, she hurried down to the lower deck and out the double doors to the front of the ferry. When she got there, however, the handsome hunk was nowhere in sight.

Frowning, she turned around to look through the windows to see if she could spot him inside, but to her dismay, she didn’t see him anywhere.

“Damn,” she muttered.

Wasn’t that just her luck? She finds a gorgeous guy and loses him before she can even talk to him. Oh, well. He was probably married anyway. Or gay. The good ones were always one or the other.

Tucking her long, ash-blonde hair behind her ear, Kate walked over to the railing and looked out at the mountains again. Though not nearly as interesting as the hot guy she was eyeing earlier, the view was still breathtaking. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of seeing the lush, green trees and snow-topped mountains. The ferry was certainly a great way to see it all. After the wedding, maybe she should come up here on her own for a vacation.

The cool breeze coming off the sound whipped at Kate’s hair and she reached up to tuck it behind her ear again. Although she would have preferred to stay on deck and enjoy the view, she knew if she didn’t get out of the wind soon she’d be a mess by the time she got to San Juan Island. Since the rest of the wedding party would probably already be there, she didn’t want to show up looking like she’d spent the afternoon in a wind tunnel. Besides, she thought as she made her way across the deck and back inside, maybe she’d run into that gorgeous guy. God, he’d look so damn good in a tux.

Much to Kate’s disappointment, however, he was nowhere to be found. She kept an eye out for him anyway, hoping he might make an appearance at some point before the ferry arrived at San Juan Island, but he didn’t. When the boat neared the dock a little while later, Kate finally gave up on the notion of running into him and went down to the lower deck where the vehicles were parked. She made her way along the row of cars until she came to hers, then got in and waited along with everyone else while the passengers without vehicles disembarked.

Once Kate got off the ferry, it was a short drive through the small town of Friday Harbor to the inn where her friend’s wedding was being held. Though Kate had never been to the hotel before, she’d read about it in several magazines and according to them, it was one of the premier wedding venues in the Pacific Northwest. As she drove up the winding driveway, she could see why. With its panoramic windows, sleek-looking architecture, and well-manicured grounds, it was absolutely beautiful. She could just imagine the pictures of her own wedding party on the front lawn. She and her husband would pose right by that cute, little fir tree near the deck. It would be so romantic.

Kate glanced at her watch as she crossed the hotel lobby to the main desk a few minutes later. According to the detailed schedule of events Kate had helped Rachel plan for the weekend, the bridal party was supposed to be getting together for drinks at the poolside bar in twenty minutes. Although she knew she’d be cutting it close if she went up to her room and changed after checking in, she really didn’t want to show up in jeans and a funky graphic-print T-shirt.

Once in her room, Kate unpacked as fast as she could, but after one look in the mirror, she decided she needed to redo her makeup. Between hurrying to catch the ferry and braving the wind to find that guy, she was a mess. By the time she was dressed and ready, she was already fifteen minutes late for the start of the get-together. Catching sight of her reflection in the mirror on the wall as she made her way to the pool area, however, she decided being a little late was worth it. The flirty little slipdress and high-heeled sandals she’d changed into accentuated her slender curves and made her legs look a mile long. She didn’t like making her friends wait, but she never knew when she might meet her future husband, so she always liked to look her best.

Rachel and the rest of the bridal party were sitting at a table on the far side of the patio and Kate quickly made her way over to them. Spotting Kate, her slender, dark-haired friend squealed excitedly and immediately jumped up to greet her with a hug. The other girls did the same, each one taking turns putting their arms around her and giving her a big squeeze. Kate couldn’t help but laugh. It was wonderful to have all of her friends together in one place like this. Though they all lived within a couple hours of Seattle, they didn’t get together nearly as much as she would like. They had met during their freshman year in high school and been close friends ever since. Along with Rachel, the other girls-Kristen, Heather, Briana and Melanie-were like the sisters she never had.

“Come on and sit down,” Rachel said, patting the chair beside hers. “Did you just get in?”

“About thirty minutes ago. I wanted to unpack and change before I met up with everyone.” Kate looked around for Rachel’s fiancé as she sat down. “Where are Bob and the rest of the guys?”

The other girl waved her hand. “At the bar. They went to get us drinks, but I think they got sidetracked by the baseball game on the television.”

Kate laughed. “Typical.”

“Speaking of guys,” Heather said, looking around. “Where’s Jason?”

Kate made a face at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. “I broke it off with him a couple of weeks ago.”

Heather’s pretty brown eyes went wide. “You did? Why didn’t you tell us? What happened? He seemed so perfect for you.”

Around the table, Kate noticed the rest of the girls looked just as surprised to hear she’d called it quits with her most recent boyfriend. All except Rachel. Kate had told her the day after it had happened, but hadn’t got around to mentioning it to the others. It was kind of embarrassing, really. She’d been going on and on for months that Jason was The One. Then again, she thought every guy she went out with was The One. Until she figured out he wasn’t.

She shrugged. “I thought he was perfect, too, at first. But after a while, it was obvious there was something missing. I don’t think he was really marriage material. Which is why I’m really not all that upset about breaking up with him.”

Across from her, Kristen sat back with a frown. “He wasn’t marriage material? What the heck does that mean? He was good-looking, funny, had a great job, and according to you, dynamite in the sack. You’d only been going out with him for four months. I don’t see the problem.”

Kate should have known Kristen wouldn’t see the problem. She and her husband John had gone out off and on for years before they suddenly decided to get married. That concept didn’t make sense to Kate. Either a guy was The One or he wasn’t. And if he wasn’t, then why waste her time with him? To Kate, it always seemed like Kristen had just settled for John. Her husband was nice and all, but how magical could their relationship be if they’d been able to date other people in between? Of course, Kate would never say anything like that to her friend.

“The problem was that I could never see our relationship transitioning to marriage, no matter how long we went out,” Kate said, then added, “Actually, I’m not sure if the word marriage was even in his vocabulary. I didn’t want to waste my time with him anymore.”

“Kate, you’re crazy,” Briana said. Petite and slightly plump, she had curly red hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose. “Going out with a guy is never a waste of time if you’re having fun with him.” Her brow furrowed. “You did have fun with Jason, didn’t you?”

Kate almost laughed. “Sure I did. I wouldn’t go out with a guy if I didn’t. He just really wasn’t what I was looking for in a husband.”

“Ah, the infamous checklist,” Melanie said, her blue eyes teasing.

Around the table, the other girls nodded as if in agreement and Kate felt her face color. “What checklist? I don’t have a checklist.”

“Don’t even try to deny it,” Melanie said. “We’ve all known about it forever. It may not be in writing, but it’s the one you came up with senior year in high school. You know, the one you used to figure out which guy you wanted to take you to the prom? As I remember, you started at the beginning of the school year and mentally crossed off a guy’s name whenever he got a bad grade on a math test or showed up late to class too many times in a row. By the time prom rolled around, you came up with one guy in the whole senior class who fit your criteria and because you were afraid he might take someone else, you asked him to the dance.”

Kate blushed even more at that. She’d always been very organized and methodical when it came to doing something, so coming up with the checklist of criteria to help her figure out which guy she wanted to take her to the prom seemed like the most efficient way to go about it. She hadn’t realized her friends knew about it, though. “That was prom. I don’t use a checklist now.”

“Sure you do,” Melanie insisted. “You used it all through college. You never dated a single guy you didn’t think was worthy of marriage. You never had one drunken hookup or ever banged a guy just because he was on the football team. You evaluated every guy against your checklist back then and you still do now. You might have changed some of the things on it since then, but you still use one.”

“Okay, so maybe I do,” Kate admitted. “But everyone has one.”

Melanie let out a snort. “Not like yours.”

Kate shrugged. “I just have high standards, that’s all.”

Melanie laughed. “The problem isn’t your high standards. It’s your single-minded focus on finding the perfect husband.” She leaned forward to rest her arms on the table. “Let me ask you something. When was the last time you went out with a guy simply because he was hot and you thought he’d be good in bed?”

Kate opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it again when she couldn’t come up with an example.

“See? Either it was so long ago you can’t even remember or you’ve never done it at all,” Melanie said. “Which proves my point.”

Kate eyed her warily, feeling like this was some kind of intervention. “What point is that?”

“That you have to forget about your stupid checklist,” the other girl said. “It’s okay to stop looking for Mr. Right and just have fun with Mr. Right-Now every once in a while.”

Kate was silent as she mulled over her friend’s words. Considering Melanie was married to a great guy, that approach had obviously worked for the other girl, but it wasn’t Kate’s style. She didn’t go out with men unless she thought they had long-term potential. What was the point of hooking up with a hot guy for a night of amazing sex if it didn’t eventually lead to marriage?

“Melanie’s right,” Briana said. “You can’t expect every guy you go out with the be The One. I sure as heck didn’t think I was going to marry Tom when we first started dating. I just knew I liked spending time with him because we had fun together. I wasn’t even thinking about marriage, but when he proposed, I realized I’d actually fallen in love with him.” She grinned. “It helped that he’s great at oral sex, of course. It’s possible that was actually the deciding factor.”

Kate laughed at that last part along with everyone else, then shook her head. “Okay, I admit being great at oral sex is high up on my checklist, but I don’t see the casual approach working for me.”

“That’s the point,” Kristen said. “You’re not supposed to go into that kind of relationship expecting anything. That’s why they’re so much fun. For once, give yourself permission to have a no-strings-attached fling with a hot guy just for the fun of it.”

Beside Kate, Rachel grinned. “That’s a great idea! In fact, you can start this weekend.”

Kate looked at her in surprise. “This weekend?”

Rachel nodded. “No time like the present. And you know what they say, ‘what happens on San Juan Island, stays on San Juan Island.’”

Kate gave her a wry look. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that.”

“Well, they should. Besides, I have the perfect guy for you to have a fling with. Bob’s best man, Dawson McKenna.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Kate asked. “I’ve never even met him.”

“Which is why he’s the perfect guy to have a no-strings-attached fling with. After this weekend, you won’t ever have to see him again, which means you can be as wild and uninhibited in bed as you want.”

Kate shook her head. “You can’t honestly expect me to sleep with some guy I don’t even know.”

“Did I mention he’s handsome, smart, and has an absolutely gorgeous body?” her friend asked.

“You left that part out,” Kate said dryly. “But if he’s handsome, smart and has an absolutely gorgeous body, then why is he still single?”

Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care. Neither should you. You’re not looking to marry the guy, remember? You’re just looking to have a good time with him.”

“I don’t know, Rachel…” Kate began.

“Honey, believe me, if I wasn’t already so in love with Bob, I’d be all over Dawson and his six-pack abs,” Rachel told her.

“God, yes,” Melanie agreed.

“Same here,” Briana said.

“I’d do him,” Heather chimed in.

“Me, too,” Kristen added, then sighed. “But since we’re all married, or about to be, we’ll just have to live vicariously through you.”

Kate narrowed her eyes at the other girl. “So, by doing the best man, I’d be doing all of you a huge favor, is that what you’re saying?”

Kristen grinned. “Exactly. As a matter of fact, I think it might be one of your duties as maid of honor.”

“Uh-huh.” Kate sighed. “Look, I know you all mean well, but I’m just not the kind of girl who has a weekend fling with a guy.”

“Even if he is as ridiculously hot as Dawson McKenna?” Kristen asked.

“Even then,” Kate insisted.

Beside her, Rachel exchanged looks with the other girls, then nodded. “Okay, okay, we won’t push you. But you might want to change your mind after you meet Dawson.”

Kate didn’t think so and would have told her friend as much, but Bob and the rest of the men were already on their way over to the table, which effectively put an end to the girl talk. Curious to get a glimpse of this hunk her friends thought was so droolworthy, she was casually trying to get a look at him when she recognized the gorgeous guy from the ferry in their midst. He had exchanged the jeans and T-shirt for a pair of khaki pants and a button-up shirt, but there was there was no mistaking those ruggedly handsome features. She blinked in surprise. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Perfect was the best man?

She glanced at Rachel curiously, hoping her friend would give her a conspiratorial wink to let her know if he was the best man or not, but the other girl was smiling up at her fiancé. “We were beginning to think we’d have to send out a search party.”

Bob chuckled as he handed her a glass of white wine. “We were watching the game. We figured you’d be so busy talking that you wouldn’t notice we were missing.”

Rachel gave Kate and the other girls a knowing look. “What did I tell you? Good thing the Mariners aren’t playing this weekend or we’d be getting married in front of a big-screen TV.”

Although Kate laughed along with everyone else, she couldn’t keep her gaze from going back to Dawson McKenna. He was even more gorgeous up close. On the ferry, she hadn’t been able to tell what color his eyes were, but now she saw they were the most intriguing shade of golden brown and fringed with dark, sooty lashes. This guy was so good-looking, it should be illegal.

Beside Kate, Rachel glanced her way. “Kate, this is Dawson McKenna, the best man. I think I might have mentioned him to you. Dawson, my maid of honor, Kate Gentry.”

He flashed her a smile. “The maid of honor. Then this must be for you.” He held out a glass of wine. “Bob mentioned you’d come outside while we were at the bar, so we figured we should get you something, too. Hope white wine is okay?”

Though Kate was vaguely aware of the glass in Dawson ’s hand, she was so mesmerized by his voice, she couldn’t seem to make herself reach out to take it. When Rachel and the other girls were going on about how hot the best man was, they forgot to mention his voice was as sexy as the rest of him. She couldn’t remember ever feeling heat pool between her thighs at the sound of a man’s voice. Damn, with a voice as deep and velvety as his, Dawson could probably read to her from the dictionary and her pussy would be purring like she was a cat in heat.

Kate absently wondered if the only reason she was so hot and bothered by this guy was because her friends had gone on and on about how beddable he was. Had they planted a subliminal suggestion?

She didn’t realize how long she’d been sitting there gazing up at Dawson until Rachel nudged her foot underneath the table. Abruptly aware of the amusement on the other girls’ faces, Kate blushed. Well, what did they expect? They were the ones who made a big thing about what a hunk Dawson was in the first place. It wasn’t her fault they’d been right.

Ignoring them, Kate returned Dawson ’s smile and reached out to take the glass. “White wine is perfect. Thank you.”

Rachel said, “I was just reminding the girls we’re playing croquet tomorrow. We’re going to be in teams of two, so I thought maybe you and Kate could pair up, Dawson. Is that okay with you?”

Kate stifled a groan. So much for Rachel not pushing Dawson on her. She couldn’t be angry with her friend, though. Like Kristen said, Dawson was ridiculously hot. Maybe having a fling with him wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Good heavens, how could she even be thinking of doing that? Weekend flings were not her style.

“Fine by me.” He lifted a brow. “Kate?”

For some reason, her name sounded provocative on his tongue, and between her thighs, her pussy quivered. She barely managed to resist sliding her hand between her legs to touch herself as she gave him a nod. “Sounds good.” She looked up at him from beneath lowered lashes. “Though I do have to warn you, I’ve never played croquet before.”

He gave her a sexy smile. “I have. I can show you a few things, if you want.”

Kate’s pulse quickened at the suggestive words. While she kept trying to convince herself she didn’t do casual sex, her mind was telling her something completely different. Right now, she was imagining all the wicked things she wanted Dawson to show her and none of them had anything to do with croquet.

Underneath the table, Rachel nudged her foot again. Kate pretended not to notice as she sipped her wine.

As if apparently satisfied with her efforts to get Operation Get-Kate-Laid in motion, Rachel changed the subject, talking about the rest of the events she had planned for the weekend. Though Kate joined in the conversation, her gaze kept straying to Dawson. Every time it did, she caught him looking her way and their eyes would inevitably meet, sending little shivers of sexual excitement through her body. She didn’t know why Dawson was having such an effect on her. It wasn’t like she’d never been around a good-looking guy before. She just usually didn’t spend the time mentally undressing them and fantasizing about all the ways she’d like to have sex with them, like she was doing now. Again, it must be all that talk with her girlfriends about having a weekend fling. It was making her think all kind of lusty thoughts.

As she took another sip of wine, Kate studied Dawson from underneath her lashes, letting her gaze wander over his wide shoulders and broad chest. Regardless of her earlier protests, the thought of having a fling with him was definitely tempting. But could she really let herself go enough to have a fun-filled weekend of meaningless sex if a long-term relationship wasn’t even on the table? She wasn’t sure.

Kate felt her resolve slip a little more when Dawson ’s leg brushed hers as he sat down next to her at the table in the hotel restaurant a little while later. Just feeling the heat of his body that close to her was enough to make her knees weak. She could only imagine what it would be like for their naked bodies to be intertwined.

Maybe her girlfriends had the right approach after all. Maybe she did need to stop looking for Mr. Right and have fun with Mr. Right-Now. At least for this weekend. Trouble was, she didn’t know how to go about it. How did one proposition a guy for a weekend of meaningless sex anyway? She was better at twenty questions and checklists than come-on lines and sexual innuendos.

Figuring she should at least say something to him so he wouldn’t think she was a wallflower, Kate glanced at Dawson as she placed her napkin on her lap. “So, how do you and Bob know each other?”

Not exactly a sexy come-on line, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

Dawson took the menu the waitress handed him before answering. “We went to college together.”

“Oh. Are you an architect too, then?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m a civil engineer for the city of Seattle.”

She nodded. “Which means you build roads and bridges and things, right?”

The corner of his mouth edged up. “I don’t actually build them, I just design them. I leave the hard work to someone else.”

She laughed. “I don’t know about that. Using all that complicated math seems pretty hard to me. I’m lucky I can balance my checkbook.”

He chuckled, the sound a deep, sexy rumble that made her feel warm all over. “What about you? What kind of work do you do?”

“I work for an advertising agency in Seattle,” she said.

“You live in Seattle, too? Small world. Are you in the marketing side of advertising or do you work in the art department?”

“Marketing.”

“Do you like it?”

Her lips curved into a smile. “Most days.”

Kate supposed talking about their respective careers wasn’t very high up on the list of ways to seduce a man, but as Dawson told her about the current project he was working on while they had dinner, she discovered she liked listening to his voice too much to care. Besides, she still found plenty of ways to flirt with him while they talked, like lightly touching his arm or brushing her leg against his underneath the table.

It was then that Kate realized she was no longer thinking in the abstract about having sex with Dawson. Damn, she really wanted to get him into bed. After the initial shock of that stunner wore off, another thought occurred to her. If she was trying to let Dawson know she wanted to sleep with him, she was doing a really crappy job of it. While he certainly seemed to enjoy talking to her, she didn’t think he was picking up on any of her come-get-me signals. If she was serious about wanting this guy to take her to bed, then she was going to have to be a little bit more obvious with her desires.

Taking a deep breath, she slipped her hand underneath the table and rested it lightly on his upper thigh. Then she licked her lips seductively and gave him her best sultry look as she told him about the latest ad campaign she was working on. From the way his eyebrow rose, she could tell Dawson had finally picked up on what she was trying to tell him. He leaned in a little closer and slipped his own hand under the table to run his fingers up and down her bare thigh. His touch immediately sent electric sparks dancing along her leg. She smiled. Now we’re talking.

By the time Rachel and Bob announced they were going to call it a night, Kate was getting a lot more forward than she ever had in her life. As they talked, she let her fingers trail all the way up Dawson ’s leg until they were dangerously close to his cock before moving back down to his knee and doing it all over again. From the look in his eye, she had no doubt he was enjoying their foreplay just as much as she was.

“And remember,” Rachel added as she pushed in her chair. “Croquet starts promptly at noon tomorrow on the back lawn, so don’t be late.”

Around the table, the other couples began pushing their chairs back and getting to their feet as well. Kate reluctantly did the same. She would have rather stayed there at the table with Dawson and seen where their wandering hands would lead. Their friends were all leaving to go to their rooms, though, and it would look odd if she and Dawson sat there alone. So if she wanted to continue getting frisky with him, she was going to have to find another place to do it.

She was reaching for her purse as Rachel came up to her.

“You and Dawson certainly hit it off,” the other girl said. “I knew you would.”

Kate looked around for Dawson, worried he might overhear and think Rachel was trying to set them up, but he was standing a few feet away talking to Bob. “You were right,” she told Rachel, trying to make her voice sound as casual as possible. “He’s very nice.”

“Nice. Uh-huh. Don’t think I didn’t see where your hand was going during dessert. You are so busted, girl.” Rachel reached into her purse and dug around. A moment later, she pressed something into Kate’s hand. “Here. You might need this.”

Kate looked down to find a condom packet in her hand. Afraid Dawson might see it, she quickly closed her fingers around it. She gave her friend an incredulous look. “You carry these around in your purse?”

Rachel grinned. “I’m like the boy scouts, I’m always prepared. And now you are, too.”

Kate shook her head. “I won’t need it.”

Rachel shrugged. “Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. And trust me, I think you’re going to need it.”

Kate opened her mouth to reply, but her friend had already turned away. Short of running after the other girl and shoving the condom in her hand, Kate had no choice but to put it in her purse.

Rachel looped her arm through her fiancé’s. “Ready to go have mad monkey sex?” she asked teasingly.

Bob’s blue eyes danced with amusement. “Race you to the elevator.”

Though Kate couldn’t help but laugh as the couple practically ran from the restaurant, her gaze was wistful as she followed them. She’d never been that eager to be alone with any of the men she dated.

Dawson walked over to stand beside her. “Do you want to go to the bar for a drink?”

Kate hesitated. The bar was certainly much more intimate than the restaurant, so it would be the perfect place to carry on what they’d been doing underneath the table earlier. That would certainly be fun, but if she was really going to do this, why waste time in the bar? She caught her lower lip between her teeth, then tilted her head a little to the side and gave him what she hoped was a sexy look.

“Or we could just go up to your room and raid the minibar instead,” she suggested softly.

Dawson ’s golden eyes went molten. “Even better.”

Holy crap, she’d done it. She’d just propositioned a guy for sex. Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite that blatant, but it was obvious Dawson knew exactly what she meant. She felt so proud of herself she almost did a little cheer right there.

His room was on the fourth floor just like hers, but because the elevator stopped on every floor in between to let people on and off, it seemed to take forever to get there. Now that Kate had made the decision to sleep with him, she was impatient to get his clothes off and see if he was as well built as she thought. Being in the close confines of the elevator only made her hotter for him. By the time they got to his floor, she was ready to push him up against the wall and get busy right there. She actually might have done it, too, if she wasn’t afraid they’d get arrested for public indecency. She almost laughed. Wow, she was better at being naughty than she’d thought.

His hotel room was an exact replica of hers, right down to the fireplace and hot tub. It was the king-size bed against the wall that caught and held her attention, however. As she took in the fluffy pillows and white goose down comforter, she pictured herself rolling around on it with Dawson, their naked bodies entwined as they engaged in hot, sweaty sex. Just the idea started a really nice purr between her legs.

“The minibar is probably pretty limited, but I’m sure we can find something,” Dawson said as he tossed his key card on the dresser. “What can I get you?”

Images of her and Dawson still running through her head, Kate turned to face him. She couldn’t believe she was actually going to go through with this. Before she could change her mind, she set her purse down on the bedside table and walked over to loop her arms around his neck. She hadn’t realized how tall he was downstairs, but now she had to tilt her head back to look up at him.

“Maybe we should forget about having a drink and test out the mattress instead,” she suggested softly. “I hear they’re very comfortable.”

Surprise flickered in his eyes for a moment, but he rested his hands lightly on her hips all the same. “Kate Gentry, are you seducing me?”

“I might be,” she admitted. “But only if it’s working.”

He chuckled. “Oh, it’s definitely working.”

She smiled up at him. “Then in that case, I’m definitely seducing you. I figured since we’re both obviously attracted to each other, we should hook up for the weekend.”

She tried to make the words sound casual, but inside, her heart was pounding like crazy. She didn’t know if it was from excitement or nerves, though. Maybe it was a little of both. She’d never actually seduced a man like this. And the words “hook up for the weekend” had certainly never, ever come out of her mouth before.

He lifted a brow. “Hook up? As in casual sex, no strings attached?”

Clearly he was way more familiar with this type of thing than she was. She nodded. “Exactly. Once the weekend is over, we get on the ferry and go our separate ways. No muss, no fuss.”

He pulled her closer, his mouth curving into a sexy grin. “That works for me.”

She should have tried this whole seduction thing long before this. She was better at it than she’d thought. Kate didn’t reply, but instead leaned in and kissed him.

Dawson ’s mouth was gentle, his tongue slow dancing deliciously with hers. He deepened the kiss with a groan, one hand sliding in her long hair to tilt her head back so he could completely take possession of her mouth. She sighed and melted against him, her hand wrapping around the nape of his neck.

His hard cock pressed against her tummy, evidence of his arousal, and her pussy quivered with desire. God, this was going to be so good.

She dragged her mouth away from his to look up at him. Gaze locked with his, she put her hands on his chest and urged him back onto the bed with a firm little push. He went without protest, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile.

Without a word, Kate reached behind her and unzipped her dress. Rather than pushing it down right away, though, she slowly let it slide over her breasts, then took her time wiggling it over her hips. She’d never done anything as sexy as a striptease for a man before, but as Dawson ’s hot gaze followed her every move, she decided she liked it. She felt empowered, like she had permission to do things she wouldn’t normally do. Probably because she had no expectations where Dawson was concerned. The weekend was just about having fun and some seriously hot sex with a gorgeous guy. She didn’t have to worry about whether he would respect her in the morning.

Dawson ’s gaze caressed her from head to toe, lingering on her satin-covered breasts for a moment before moving over her skimpy panties and long legs. Squeezing her legs together to ease the sudden throbbing in her pussy, Kate bent to slip off her high-heeled sandals.

“Leave them on,” Dawson commanded softly.

Kate hesitated for a moment, but then straightened. She could do that. It made her feel like one of those models from Victoria ’s Secret.

Stepping over her dress, she slowly made her way to him, careful to add a little extra wiggle to her walk. Positioning herself between his legs, she slid her hand in his silky, dark hair and bent to kiss him. This time, she was the one in charge and she plunged her tongue into his mouth to take possession of his.

Dawson cupped her ass cheeks in his hands, giving them a firm squeeze through her panties as he kissed her back. Kate murmured her approval against his mouth. She loved it when a guy paid attention to her ass.

Dragging his mouth away from hers, he trailed hot kisses along the curve of her jaw and down her neck. His breath was warm and moist on her skin, and she shivered, clutching at his shoulders to steady herself. Dear God, if his mouth felt this good on her neck, she couldn’t wait to see what it felt like on other, even more sensitive parts of her body.

As if reading her mind, Dawson moved lower to press a kiss to the top of her breasts. Beneath her bra, her nipples hardened, straining at the satin covering them, and she let out a husky moan. She twisted her fingers more tightly in his hair and guided his mouth where she wanted it to go. He let her take charge, moving his lips and tongue over the slope of her breast, then dipping into her cleavage.

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She liked the sensation of being in control. It was a new experience for her.

Eager to continue to explore her newfound assertive side, Kate gently pulled his head away and gazed down at him with a wicked smile. “You’re way too overdressed.”

His mouth quirked. “We should do something about that then.”

Her smile widened. “I will.”

As she reached out to unbutton his shirt, she had to resist the urge to tear it open and send buttons flying everywhere. But undoing them slowly was just as much fun. Kind of like unwrapping a Christmas present.

Dawson leaned back on his elbows as his shirt parted to reveal a smooth, muscular chest and washboard stomach. She caught her breath at the sight. She’d seen some nice abs before, but his were positively lickable.

Kate caught her lower lip between her teeth, her gaze roaming over his bare chest. Did she dare?

Bending over, she shoved his shirt off his shoulders, then wrapped her hands around his muscular arms and slowly kissed her way down his chest. She paid special attention to his nipples as she went, teasingly flicking her tongue over them before taking each one in her mouth and gently suckling on the stiff little peaks. He let out a husky groan that made heat pool between her legs.

She moved lower, alternately kissing and nibbling her way down his rock-hard abs until she came to his bellybutton. Once there, she hesitated. She went out with a lot of guys in her search for Mr. Right, but she’d never done anything as bold as undo their belt and take off their pants. She was used to being more passive, figuring that was what men liked in a potential wife. But this weekend wasn’t about acting shy or demure. It was about letting herself go and just enjoying some hot, steamy sex.

Kate lifted her gaze to find Dawson regarding her expectantly. Lips curving into a slow smile, she gave him a seductive look as she ran her hands down his chest. Grabbing his belt, she roughly tugged it open, then slowly lowered the zipper on his khaki pants. When he lifted his hips so she could take them off, her eyes went a little wide at the sizeable bulge in his boxer briefs. Apparently, he was well built everywhere. This weekend was looking better and better by the second. Yanking his pants the rest of the way off, she playfully tossed them across the room. He wasn’t going to need them for a while.

Impatient to see if he really was as well endowed as he looked, she hooked her fingers in his underwear and yanked them down. When his hard cock sprang free, all she could do was stare in appreciation. He was bigger and thicker than any guy she’d ever been with. This was like winning the lottery, only better. She wasn’t going to have to pay taxes on this big boy.

Throwing his boxer briefs over her shoulder, Kate dropped to her knees in front of him and slowly ran her hands up Dawson ’s muscular thighs. She didn’t know why, but being on her knees like this between a guy’s legs was incredibly arousing.

She was so mesmerized at the sight of his gorgeous erection moving slightly in time to his pulse that she could have spent the whole night just like she was. But then she changed her mind. Why just look when she could touch all she wanted? She reached up to wrap her hand around him and almost moaned at how he filled her hand. He had the most beautiful cock she’d ever seen. Suddenly, she wanted to have him in her mouth, wanted to possess every glorious inch of him.

Between how hot she was for him and how tasty he looked, she was tempted to take all of him in her mouth at once, but she’d always been the type to savor her dessert and she had the feeling he was definitely going to be worth savoring. Besides, she had no reason to rush. They had all night.

She bent and ran her tongue over the glistening bead of precum on the head of his shaft. It was sweet and musky, and she let out a little moan of pleasure at how delicious he tasted. Wanting more, she closed her lips over the tip and slowly began to move her mouth up and down. As she did, she was rewarded with even more of his precum as the silky liquid rolled over her tongue.

Dawson groaned and slid his hand in her hair, gently guiding her movements. Kate liked the feel of his fingers there. While she liked being in control, she didn’t mind relinquishing some of it now. In fact, it gave her pussy a little extra quiver when he pulled her mouth down further on his shaft.

She took him a little deeper with each bob of her head until he was touching the back of her throat. Then she took him just a little bit deeper, letting the head of his cock slide down even more. Dawson groaned again, louder this time.

Kate cupped his balls in her other hand, gently massaging them as she moved her mouth up and down. She occasionally allowed him to slip deep into her throat again, but mostly she just swirled her tongue around the head. She didn’t want him to come too quickly, after all. She had another place she wanted his big, thick cock sliding into before that happened.

Satisfied she had teased him to complete hardness, she let Dawson ’s cock slip out of her mouth with an audible sound.

He lifted a brow. “You didn’t have to stop.”

“I’m not stopping.” She smiled. “On the contrary, I’m just getting started.”

Looking at him from beneath lowered lashes, Kate got to her feet and reached around to unclasp her bra. Remembering how much of a turn-on it had been to reveal her body inch by inch when she’d slipped out of her dress earlier, she slid off first one strap, then the other, careful to keep her arms crossed over her breasts. On the bed, Dawson was leaning back on his elbows watching her, his stare hungry. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and slowly lowered her arms, allowing her bra to fall to the floor.

Dawson ’s sharp intake of breath was audible in the big room and Kate felt herself blush. She had to fight the urge to cover her breasts at the suddenly predatory look on his face. She was a modern, empowered woman, for this weekend at least, and modern, empowered women were not shy in the bedroom. With that in mind, she hooked her thumbs in her panties, then slowly wiggled them over her curvy hips and let them slide down her legs.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Dawson breathed.

Other men had told Kate she was beautiful, but coming from Dawson, the compliment warmed her to the tips of her toes. She moved to take off her shoes, but then remembered his earlier command and decided to leave them on. There was something very naughty about wearing nothing but a pair of high heels during sex.

She stepped out of her panties and was just about to walk over to the bed when she remembered the condom in her purse.

Dawson must have seen her hesitate. “There’s a condom in the bedside table.”

Kate opened the drawer to find a box of condoms sitting there. Obviously, he came prepared. As she tore off one of the foil packets, Rachel’s earlier comment came back to her and she found herself wondering if Dawson was ever a boy scout. She’d have to remember to ask him, she thought as she handed the packet to him.

She’d never really paid much attention when a guy put on a condom, but watching Dawson roll one on was an erotic experience all its own. When he was done, he pushed himself back on the bed and gave her a sexy look.

Eager to finally have him inside her, Kate climbed on the bed and straddled his legs. Gazing into his eyes, she rubbed the slit of her pussy against the head of his cock for one, long teasing moment before slowly and deliberately lowering herself onto him. He was hot and hard, and she gasped as his length filled her. It was as if he was made for the sole purpose of pleasuring her.

Dawson put his hands on her hips. “Ride me.”

Kate didn’t need to be told twice. Placing her hands on his chest, she began to slowly move up and down on his cock. Each time she came down on him, she rolled her hips, squeezing him tightly with her pussy.

“Damn, that feels incredible,” he rasped. “Don’t stop.”

She smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Keenly aware of him watching her through half-closed eyes, Kate lifted her hands and cupped her breasts as she continued to move. Her nipples hardened even more at her touch and she gave them a firm little pinch between her fingers.

Beneath her, Dawson shifted his hands to grip her ass and slowly began to thrust his hips in time with hers. The move drove his cock deeper and deeper inside every time he pumped, and she let out a little moan. God, that felt amazing. It was like he was finding places inside her she never even knew existed. Then again, considering how big he was, it was entirely possible he was touching her in places she’d never been touched before.

She leaned forward to kiss him, her mouth closing over his hungrily. His tongue met hers halfway, claiming it for his own, and she sighed with pleasure.

With a groan, Dawson tightened his hold on her ass and rolled them both over so that he was now the one on top. Kate blinked up at him in surprise, breathless from their kiss.

“That was a neat move,” she said.

He chuckled. “I’ve got plenty of them.”

She smiled. “I bet you do.”

But the words came out muffled as Dawson bent his head to kiss her again. Kate reached up to loop her arms around his neck, her fingers finding their way into his thick hair as she wrapped her legs around him to pull him in even deeper. As soon as she did, he began to move inside her. She undulated beneath him, automatically lifting her hips to meet his.

“Harder,” she begged. “Fuck me harder!”

At her words, Dawson buried his face in her neck and pumped into her harder.

“Oh yeah,” she moaned. “Just like that.”

Every thrust pushed her closer and closer to orgasm, and she tightened her fingers in his hair as she felt herself nearing the edge. When she finally went over the precipice, the pleasure that coursed through her was so intense she screamed loud enough for the whole hotel to hear.

Despite how vocal she was, though, she still heard Dawson ’s hoarse groans in her ear as he found his own release. Knowing he was coming just as hard as she was made it that much better.

Kate was still floating down to earth when Dawson rolled over onto his back a few moments later, taking her with him. She snuggled into the curve of his arm and rested her head on his chest. Why the heck hadn’t she ever had sex like that before? Maybe because she’d never let herself be so uninhibited. She had certainly never dropped to her knees and given a guy she just met a blowjob or asked a guy to fuck her harder, that was for sure. Well, maybe she should have been doing those things all along because that was the most mind-blowing sex she’d ever had in her life.

She lifted her head to gaze at him. “That was amazing.”

His mouth twitched. “The weekend’s just getting started. You haven’t seen anything yet.”