For Lust or Money. Kate Hoffmann

his thumb. She wasn’t nervous at all now. This seemed so perfectly right, a fantasy come to life.

      A moment later, his lips closed over the taut peak and she furrowed her hands through his hair and moaned softly. And then he dropped to his knees in front of her, his tongue trailing across her belly.

      Everywhere he kissed, he left a damp imprint, a reminder that he’d tasted that part of her body and moved on. His hands smoothed over her backside, drawing her closer, and when he kissed her inner thigh, Kelly felt a shiver of desire wash across her skin.

      She knew what he wanted and she anticipated how it would feel. But when his tongue found the soft folds of her sex, a shudder of pleasure wracked her body. She gasped, her eyes flying open with the shock of sensation.

      Bracing her hands behind her on the door, Kelly arched into him as his tongue flicked at her clitoris. She’d never felt anything quite so wonderful, so achingly powerful. He controlled her with his mouth, meting out pleasure a tiny bit at a time until she was frantic for release.

      She didn’t want to give in. Instead, she wanted the desire to last forever, to be caught in this whirlwind of pleasure, this precarious balance between hunger and release. Her body belonged to him now, completely and irrevocably, and she wanted to surrender completely.

      He knew exactly what he was doing to her and he seemed to take delight in teasing her. Kelly groaned and grasped his hair, gently tugging him even closer. Her body felt boneless, as if any moment it might melt. She wanted him inside her, but she was afraid to want more, afraid that this desire would consume her completely. This was already too much.

      She felt the ache building inside her and suddenly, she couldn’t fight it any longer. She wanted to let go, to give Zach what he sought. She held her breath and let the pleasure build and then, as if the floodgates burst, she felt the orgasm wash over her. Her body jerked, then dissolved into delicious spasms.

      The power of it all took her breath away, made her dizzy. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she pulled his head back, suddenly too sensitive for his caress. When the last spasm subsided, Zach pressed his damp mouth to her belly, nuzzling against her.

      “Oh, my,” she breathed.

      He got to his feet and cupped her face in his hands, then touched his lips softly to hers. “I have to go,” he murmured. “I was due at the studio a half hour ago. But I’ll see you this afternoon. And tonight, we’ll pick up where we left off.”

      “All right,” Kelly repeated, breathlessly.

      Chuckling softly, he bent to pick up her towel and wrapped it back around her body. Then he led her to the bathroom. “Are you gonna be all right?”

      “I’m fine,” Kelly said.

      He nodded, then disappeared. A minute later, he was back at the door, only to find her standing in the same spot, the towel clutched in her hand. She couldn’t seem to move, even though she knew she ought to.

      “Angie’s waiting downstairs in the restaurant. You’d better get moving.” He stepped into the bathroom and gave her another quick kiss, then pointed at the mirror. “Dry your hair and then get dressed.”

      “Right,” Kelly said.

      She heard the room door close behind him and she sank down to sit on the edge of the tub. Pressing her hand to her chest, she forced herself to breathe normally. What was happening to her? Was it the heat? Or had she caught some kind of travel-induced dementia?

      She’d never in her life felt anything like this…so intense, so shattering. Whenever she came within three feet of Zach Haas, she found herself compelled to test the limits of her inhibition and she’d found herself stunned by her reaction to his touch. How could she be expected to resist him? He was like a fantasy come to life—a young, virile guy who could make her feel as if there were no end to her desire for him.

      She had one more night in Atlanta. The old Kelly Castelle might have spent the evening alone, locked in her hotel room, watching public television and reading the Tourist’s Guide to Atlanta. But the new Kelly was determined to entice Zach back into her bed and, this time, enjoy every pleasure that his flesh offered.

      But before that, she’d go to the studio and pretend she was in love with a younger man. She wondered if the cameras would see that it wasn’t such a far-fetched idea. Falling in love with Zach Haas would be as easy as falling off a log. But she couldn’t afford to do that, so she would settle for simple lust. For Kelly, that would have to be enough.