Buch lesen: «Strangers In The Night»

1

JOSIE SINCLAIR HELD HER BREATH as she opened the apartment door, wincing at the slight squeal of the hinges. After slipping inside, she didn’t breathe again until she’d closed the door behind her, locking it once more. Then she pocketed the key, debating the risk of switching on a light. She didn’t want to do anything that might alert Adam to her presence.

Not until she was ready for him.

A full moon shone through the high-rise window, illuminating a shadowy path into the living room. A sudden hiss permeated the deep silence and Josie’s hand flew to her chest. But it was only Horatio, her boyfriend’s temperamental Siamese. She bent down to pet the cat, her heart still racing in her chest. Her reaction had more to do with nerves than fear. She’d never done anything like this before.

Horatio seemed to sense her anxiety, jerking away from her and bounding underneath the sofa. As she rose to her feet, Josie reached into her bag and pulled out the list she’d made on the flight from Tempe. Lists always made her feel in control and she began to calm down as she found a pen in her bag to check off the first item.

1. Go to Adam’s apartment.

He’d given her a key weeks ago, but she hadn’t worked up the nerve to use it until tonight. Doubts had assailed her on the long drive from the Denver airport, but she’d stuck one of her motivational tapes into the car’s cassette player and now she was ready for action. Almost. Her gaze moved to the second item on the list.

2. Undress.

With trembling fingers, she untied the silk scarf around her neck, then dropped it into the small bag she’d brought with her from the airport. The fluttering fabric enticed Horatio, who leaped out from under the sofa and pounced on it immediately, batting at the scarf with his paws.

She tried to take the scarf away from him, but his claws snagged the delicate fabric and she knew it was a lost cause. Ignoring the cat and his new toy, Josie kicked off her shoes before shedding her slacks and blouse. She tucked them all neatly into the bag, then pulled out a sheer red negligee, holding it up in front of her.

The transparent fabric and baby-doll design left little to the imagination, but the saleswoman at the boutique in Tempe had assured her that any man would find it irresistible.

Maybe she shouldn’t wear anything at all.

Josie discarded that idea almost as soon as it entered her head. She wasn’t that motivated. Her body was far from perfect, with her average bust and full hips. That was one of the reasons she wanted to surprise Adam in the dark. The negligee wouldn’t provide much cover, but it was definitely better than nothing.

After slipping off her cotton bra, she dropped the negligee over her head. The hem whispered against the top of her thighs and a shiver rippled over her bare skin. Feeling overexposed, Josie took a deep breath and picked up the pen, slashing a line through the second item.

She had left Denver a week ago, after Adam had told her he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. She’d needed time to think about it, to debate all the pros and cons in her head before making a final decision. Josie had learned the hard way that acting strictly on emotion usually led to disaster.

Now bored with the scarf, Horatio leaped into a chair to watch her as she glanced at Item Three on her list.

3. Perfume.

The tiny but expensive perfume bottle she’d purchased in Tempe lay at the bottom of the bag, padded with several layers of bubble wrap to keep it from breaking. According to her research, this particular perfume was the most popular brand on the market. Josie dabbed the fragrance behind her ears, then touched her pulse points as the subtle aroma of jasmine filled the air.

The cat sneezed once, then jumped off the chair and disappeared into the kitchen. She just hoped the perfume didn’t have the same effect on Adam.

They’d been dating for three months, which was almost a record for her. Most men didn’t stick around for more than one date, once she made it clear that she wouldn’t be hopping into bed with them anytime soon. Passion too often made people irrational and she wasn’t about to let herself fall into that trap. A trap that had destroyed her family.

She mentally shook herself, not allowing the past to interfere with the present. Her decision to sleep with Adam was based on logic as well as emotion. She liked him and he seemed to possess the qualities she was looking for in a man. Stability, common sense and a good work ethic. If it turned out they were physically compatible, she could start thinking about a future with him.

But first things first. After checking off Item Three, her gaze moved down the list to Item Four.

4. Protection.

No doubt Adam had his own supply of condoms, but she wasn’t about to take any chances. She’d stopped at a drugstore just outside the airport and had spent twenty minutes comparing the different brands before finally making her purchase.

Retrieving the shopping bag from the side compartment of her bag, she hesitated, wondering if carrying the entire box of two dozen condoms into his bedroom might be too intimidating. She took out one and tucked the flat foil package into the waistband of her new red-lace panties, then dropped the box back into the bag.

Only one item remained. She took a deep breath, quickly scanning the list to see if there was something else she might have forgotten. Now that the moment was at hand, more doubts began to assail her. What if Adam didn’t like surprises? What if he wasn’t in a romantic mood? What if she didn’t please him? Or he didn’t please her?

There were so many variables that she couldn’t control. But her only alternative was to walk away and she’d done that too often in the past. At twenty-seven, she was ready for something more in her life than her career. She’d worked hard to put herself through college, graduating with honors before going on to earn her Master’s degree in Library Science. Now she intended to put that same focused effort into her personal life.

Squaring her shoulders, she moved toward the bedroom, her bare feet padding silently on the thick carpet. When she opened the bedroom door, soft moonlight spilled from the living room into the darkness beyond, allowing her to just barely make out the shape of her boyfriend beneath the covers in the double bed.

Her mouth dry, Josie closed the door behind her, though her hand still gripped the brass knob. A deep, velvety darkness enveloped the room, calming her a little. She released the door knob, then moved blindly in the direction of the bed, led by the sound of Adam’s soft, somnolent breathing.

When her toes bumped into the footboard, Josie knew she’d reached her destination. A small groan of pain escaped her, followed by the sound of Adam stirring on the bed. She froze, hoping she was as invisible to him in the darkness as he was to her.

Because something told her that if he awoke and switched on the light before she was ready, she’d never go through with the last and most important item on her list.

5. Seduce Adam.

ADAM DELANEY DREAMED of India, the scent of jasmine drifting in the summer air as his raft bobbed along the Alaknanda River. The majestic Himalayas stretched toward the cobalt-blue sky as he floated down the river, a woman’s soft breath caressing his cheek.

The raft bobbed again and awareness invaded his sleep, arousing him enough to realize he wasn’t lying on a river raft, but in his own bed. The mattress dipped with the weight of a body moving beside him. Even as full consciousness nagged at him, he kept his eyes closed, wanting to lose himself in the dream.

It had been too long since he’d been to India. The kaleidoscope of people and cultures and scenery always enticed him back. Just like his dream girl was enticing him now, touching his body with the barest of caresses.

Only it wasn’t a dream.

Adam opened his eyes as slender fingers trailed over his shoulder and down the length of his arm. Total darkness blanketed the room. He turned over to face the woman beside him, the bedsprings creaking as her scantily clad body rolled against his own. She gasped at the contact and his groin instantly tightened at the feel of her lush curves and the creamy smoothness of her skin.

He heard an audible swallow, then she whispered, “Surprise, Adam.”

It was a hell of a surprise—in more ways than one. Who was she? He didn’t recall bringing a woman home with him last night. Adam had met several women at the bar earlier that evening, but he couldn’t remember all of their names. In truth, he couldn’t remember much of anything. Just another sign that he’d been drinking too much lately.

But he was completely sober now, his mind and his body both fully awake. He opened his mouth to ask the woman her name when she suddenly kissed him full on the lips, catapulting her body on top of him. Her breasts pressed against his chest with nothing but a thin layer of silky fabric between them. He groaned at the sensation, the feel of skin and silk against his hard frame chasing everything else from his mind.

Her kiss tasted sweet and innocent and slightly desperate, her mouth moving awkwardly over his lips. He gently cupped her cheeks with his hands, his thumbs lightly brushing the corners of her mouth until she finally relaxed against him, her body settling into his. Then he deepened the kiss, his tongue venturing into the satin depths of her mouth.

At that moment, Adam knew he’d never kissed this woman before. If he had, he’d damn well remember her name. But desire trumped curiosity, leading Adam to act now and ask questions later. Deprived of the sense of sight, his other senses kicked into high gear. He touched her. Tasted her. Inhaled her unique scent, a blend of sweet jasmine and willing woman that he found even more intoxicating than alcohol.

He gently rolled her onto her back, still kissing her as he took his time exploring uncharted territory. His tongue stroked over and around hers, while his hands mapped out the lush terrain of her body. His fingers gently traversed the slope of her breasts to their taut peaks. He lingered there awhile, caressing her nipples though the thin fabric of the negligee until low, hungry moans sounded deep in her throat.

Her arms tightened around his neck as she rolled onto her side, still kissing him as her fingers pressed into his unshaven jaw. Then her hands moved lower, tentatively exploring the breadth of his chest. Her fingertips danced across his skin, their featherlight touch driving him crazy. They moved even lower, skimming his ribs and belly and teasing the elastic waistband of his boxer shorts, but never quite reaching the part of him that he wanted her to touch the most.

Aching for her, Adam curved his hands over her lush, round bottom. Then he squeezed her tightly against him, relishing the friction of her against his heavy groin. He didn’t even know her name, but at this moment he wanted her more than he could ever remember wanting any woman. He needed her. Now. Right now.

His hands slipped beneath her negligee to tangle with her panties, his body throbbing with urgency. He ripped them away, the delicate lace tearing with little effort on his part.

“Wait, I…” she gasped, fumbling for her torn panties on the mattress.

A groan bubbled in his throat and he prayed that she hadn’t changed her mind. Or worse, that this really was a dream and she’d suddenly vanish into the mist. Instead, she pressed something into his palm.

“I brought this,” she whispered.

He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the familiar shape of the foil package. He smiled into the darkness. His dream girl had come prepared.

Adam shed his boxer shorts, then sat up on the edge of the bed. As he ripped the package open, he felt her body tense behind him. A moment later, he turned back to her, pressing tender kisses against her mouth and throat. She breathed a soft sigh against his ear, relaxing now as his lips moved lower. She moaned, leaning back against the feather pillows, her fingers threading through his hair.

His lips slid over her collarbone to the bodice of the negligee, where his tongue teased her nipple through the sheer fabric. When the tiny peak pebbled beneath his tongue, he lifted his head just far enough to pull the negligee off of her, then he bent down to tenderly suck the other nipple into his mouth.

“Please,” she implored, her body arching under him.

“Hmm,” he murmured under his breath, sharing her need but taking his time anyway, savoring this feast of the senses. Her wanton pleas in his ears. Her skin hot and dewy against his hands. The scent of jasmine in his nostrils. The unique taste of her heated kisses. Now what he wanted most was to see her when she came apart in his arms.

Adam shifted to turn on the bedside lamp, but she rolled on top of him before he got the chance. She straddled his hips with her thighs, her hair brushing his chest as she bent down to kiss him. First his mouth, then his chin, then she flicked her tongue over one flat nipple. She shackled his wrists with her hands, raising his arms above his head.

Adam forced himself to relinquish all control, letting her set the pace. Hell, he’d let her do anything as long as she didn’t stop touching him. He didn’t know if it was making love to an anonymous woman in the dark, or the woman herself, but he was on fire for her.

She drove him to the brink with her hands and her mouth, inflaming every inch of him until Adam couldn’t take it anymore. He grasped her hips, positioning her above him, then thrust into her with one long, hard stroke. A low grunt of satisfaction ripped from his chest.

“Yes,” she breathed on a whispered sigh, taking him deeper.

He closed his eyes, almost dizzy with wanting her. He couldn’t remember her name or the last time he’d felt this way—if he’d ever felt this way. Then he couldn’t remember his own name when she began to move on him.

His dream girl morphed into a wild woman, now rocking against him with an abandon that shattered his control. He matched her primitive rhythm, stroke for delicious stroke, both of them hurtling toward the precipice, helpless to stop or even slow down.

“Adam,” she gasped, grabbing on to his shoulders, her fingers digging into his flesh.

She was so close. He braced her hips with his hands, pressing himself even deeper inside of her. The movement made her breath catch in her throat. Then her head lolled back and she shouted his name into the night. He followed her, free-falling into the abyss with a hoarse cry of satisfaction.

When he came to himself again, he found her cuddled against his chest. Adam wrapped his arms around her, neither one of them saying a word. In that moment, he felt as if their souls were as connected as their bodies.

A ridiculous reaction, since he didn’t even remember her name. No doubt he’d come to his senses in the morning, he thought, his eyelids drifting shut.

But for now, he’d just enjoy the dream.

JOSIE WOKE UP SMILING.

She lay wrapped in Adam’s arms, her back pressing against his chest and his chin resting on top of her head. Muted sunlight shone through the bedroom drapes, casting golden shadows over the bed as morning dawned in Denver. Her smile widened as she burrowed even closer against his warm, naked body. Last night had been more wonderful than she’d ever imagined. Adam was the perfect lover. Tender. Giving. Sensational.

A blush warmed her all the way down to her toes when she thought of all the things he’d done to her. He’d taken the time to arouse her in ways she hadn’t thought possible. Then Josie remembered everything she’d done to him and her blush deepened. She’d never acted that way with a man before. Never let herself go like that. But at least she had her answer—they were definitely compatible.

Their night together made her feel closer to Adam than ever before. Close enough to tell him everything about her life. To share her most painful secret. But how did she find the right words?

I sent my father to prison.

The last thing she wanted to do was bring her past into their relationship. But Adam deserved to know the truth. How her mother had left her husband for another man, taking twelve-year-old Josie with her. How her father, Glenn Sinclair, had snapped at the double loss and done something extreme. Something Josie still didn’t completely understand.

Glenn had picked up his daughter for a weekend visit shortly after the bitter divorce, asking her to go with him on a grand adventure. She’d agreed, ready to do anything to see her father smile again. Not realizing her mother would be frantic when she didn’t return at the designated time. Not knowing a little girl couldn’t fix a broken heart.

They’d spent the next month and a half traveling from state to state, never staying in one place for long. Her father had continued to call their life on the road a grand adventure, but Josie had missed her mother—something she couldn’t tell her father without making him cry.

Josie had come to believe her father needed her more than her mother did, but she couldn’t help calling home late one night, just to hear her mother’s voice again, and to assure her mother that she was all right.

The authorities had traced the call and tracked them down in Missouri. They were transported back to Colorado, where, to her horror, her father was sentenced to one year in prison on child abduction charges. Their grand adventure had turned into a grand disaster.

Josie closed her eyes and swallowed a sigh, knowing she couldn’t keep evading her boyfriend’s questions about her family. The sooner she told him the truth, the sooner they could move on with their own lives. Last night had shown her they were meant to be together. That she could trust him.

Adam stirred behind her and Josie felt a funny little quiver deep in her belly at the thought of making love to him again. She couldn’t wait. Judging by the growing arousal pressed against her backside, neither could he.

She turned around to kiss him…and saw a stranger staring back at her!

Josie screamed in horror, scrambling out of the bed and dragging the black satin sheet with her. She clutched it to her chest, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. “Who are you?”

The man arched a dark brow as he sat up on one elbow. “I was about to ask you the same question.”

He didn’t seem to mind the fact that he was completely naked. Powerful muscles flexed in his broad shoulders and she couldn’t help but notice the deep tan lines at his waist and thighs, not to mention his impressive erection. She jerked her gaze up again, heat flooding her face.

This couldn’t be happening to her. She’d planned everything so carefully—taken every precaution. But something had gone terribly wrong. This man was not Adam. Her boyfriend had blond hair and light-blue eyes. This stranger was dark everywhere, with thick brown hair and keen brown eyes that seemed to penetrate the sheet in front of her.

Tender areas of her body reminded her just what this man had done to her last night—what they’d done together. She met his gaze and knew he was thinking the same thing. She gulped hard and retreated farther from the bed, until her back hit the wall.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, concern and confusion furrowing his brow.

She sucked in a deep breath. “There’s been a horrible mistake.”

He blinked at her words, then sat up and turned his back to her before she could read his expression. Leaning down to snatch his navy-blue boxer shorts off the floor, he said, “It’s a little late for regrets now, isn’t it?”

Regrets? He couldn’t begin to know how much she regretted what happened between them last night. How would she ever explain it to her boyfriend? He’d never believe her. Especially when the two men were so physically different.

It had been too dark to see those differences last night, though she should have been able to feel some of them. The wide breadth of his chest and shoulders. The taut ripples of muscle across his belly. But in her own defense, she’d never seen her boyfriend without his clothes on before and she certainly hadn’t expected to find another man in his bed!

Which brought up another question. Where was her boyfriend? “Do you mind telling me what you’re doing here?”

He looked at her like she was crazy. “I live here.”

“Adam Delaney lives here,” she countered, wrapping the sheet around her. Josie recognized the heavy oak bedroom furniture and the African art on the walls and the colorful Persian rug on the beige carpet. Everything was familiar—except him.

“I am Adam Delaney.” He met her gaze. “Don’t you remember calling out my name last night?”

She was in no mood to reminisce. “You are not Adam. Not my Adam, anyway. I think I know my own boyfriend.”

He frowned as he pulled on his boxer shorts, then rose to his feet. The man had a good three inches on her boyfriend and at least thirty pounds. How could she have let this happen? Adam would never believe her. Not in a million years.

“Look, lady,” he said, “I don’t know what your problem is, but I am Adam Delaney. This is my apartment. My bed.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Do I have to show you my identification?” he asked, walking over to the dresser. He retrieved his wallet and pulled out his driver’s license, along with his passport.

His name was there in black and white. Along with his other vital statistics. She stared at his picture, wondering if she was in the midst of some crazy nightmare. Then she spun on her heel and escaped into the living room. Feeling a little dizzy, she plucked her slacks and blouse out of her bag.

He followed her. “Now tell me who you are and how you got into my apartment.”

She tucked the sheet under her chin to cover herself and hastily pulled on her clothes. She had no intention of giving this stranger her name or any other information. He already knew her much too well.

“Something’s not right,” she said, more to herself than to him. “I know this apartment. I know Horatio. I know Adam Delaney—and you’re not him.”

“You can call my mother if you’d like,” he said wryly, leaning against the doorway. “She’ll tell you that’s been my name since the day I was born thirty years ago. She’ll also tell you that I’ve been on a photo shoot in South America for the past four months. I just got back yesterday.”

He had to be lying. Had he done something to her Adam? Hurt him? She finished dressing, then let the satin sheet fall to the floor. Her blouse was buttoned wrong, but she was too upset to care.

He advanced on her. “I think we should start over.”

Her gaze dropped to the sizable bulge in his boxer shorts. What exactly did he mean by start over? Josie didn’t intend to stick around long enough to find out. Whirling, she scooped up her overnight bag with one hand and ran toward the apartment door.

“Hey, wait a minute,” he called after her.

She heard heavy footsteps behind her and almost tripped over the cat. But she reached the front door before he did, slamming it behind her, then she raced for the elevator at the end of the long hallway.

Luckily, the elevator doors slid open as soon as she pressed the button. She stumbled inside, then turned around in time to see him step out of his doorway and into the empty hallway. He still wore his boxer shorts and a befuddled expression on his ruggedly handsome face.

But she was the one who was confused. He claimed to be Adam Delaney. Her Adam Delaney. It just didn’t make sense.

She jabbed several buttons on the elevator panel, not caring where she ended up as long as he didn’t follow her. She wanted to get as far away from this man as possible. To forget last night had ever happened.

But when their gazes locked in the moment before the elevator doors closed, she knew forgetting him wouldn’t be easy. Not when his touch was still branded on her skin and their lovemaking was still burned into her memory.

So she’d just have to settle for never seeing him again.