Impulsive (Reach out to Me) Read online

  “Maybe, once you get settled in, we could take a long bike ride together,” Kara said. “The riverside bike trail is beautiful.”

  “I’d love to,” he answered. “Actually, my bike was one of the first things I made sure to unpack.”

  “Then we should do it this weekend,” Kara said. “The weather is supposed to be sunny and warm. It’ll be a great day for a ride.”

  “When do you want to meet?” he asked eagerly.

  “Oh I don’t know,” she answered casually, taking a spoonful of her tomato soup. “Let’s just wing it. You’ve got my number.”

  “Sure,” Thomas agreed, even though he hated winging it.

  He was the sort of man who wanted plans set in stone. He’d always been more comfortable knowing exactly what he was doing and when. Kara didn’t seem like that kind of woman though so he planned to do his best to be spontaneous.

  “Want to go for a walk?” she asked a few minutes later when her soup was gone and his sandwich had disappeared.

  “You won’t be cold?” he asked as he eyed her outfit. She looked beautiful, but the light cotton dress she wore only reached her knees and the sleeves were very short. “There’ll be a breeze of the water and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said with a wave of her hand. “It’ll be fun and I can show you some more of the town.”

  “If you’re sure,” he said worriedly.

  “I am,” she said firmly. “Don’t be a worrywart. I’m a big girl.”

  Thomas paid the check over Kara’s objections to at least let her pay for her own food and they stepped out into the night. The night was a bit brisk but the breeze was the warm caress of spring, so he was able to stop worrying about her being cold and enjoy the walk.

  “This is a pretty, little town,” he commented with a glance at the river sparking under the moonlight.

  “It is,” Kara agreed. “You’re seeing it at a great time, too. Michelle’s fiancée, Hayes, is an arborist and he does most of the landscaping in the town. It’s all just starting to bloom.”

  “He does lovely work,” Thomas agreed as he watched Kara stop and bend over to smell one of the pink and white roses climbing the white lattice work of an antique shop. “Lovely,” he couldn’t help repeating as she closed her eyes in bliss.

  “You should see our yard,” Kara said with a smile.

  “You live with your friend then?” He didn’t know why, but he hadn’t assumed that they lived together when she’d told him to pick her up there.

  “It was supposed to be temporary,” she answered with a sheepish grin. “But that was a year ago.”

  “At least you don’t have to live alone.” Thomas wished he could take the words back the minute they’d left his mouth; he knew he’d sounded more than a little pathetic.

  Kara nodded seriously though. “That’s true. I really hate living alone. I haven’t actually done it very much. I lived with my parents as a child, of course, and then I had a roommate in college. I did have my own apartment for about a year after I graduated, but then I moved in with my ex. When that didn’t work out, Michelle was sweet enough to take me in on extremely short notice.”

  “That was kind of her,” Thomas answered as he wondered what she would do if he took her hand.

  “She’s the sweetest person I know,” Kara replied quickly. “Especially now that she’s getting married.”

  “Getting engaged made her sweeter?” Thomas teased.

  “No,” Kara said with a laugh. “I mean it’s especially nice of her to let me live there while she’s getting married. Hayes is going to be living with her because she lives in a family home that she’d never even consider leaving. He’s not exactly emotionally tied to his apartment so the decision was easy for both of them. Honestly,” she dove into something she hadn’t spoken out loud to anyone. “I feel kind of in the way there now. They haven’t said anything, but I know that they didn’t plan to start a marriage with her best friend hanging around. I’ve been looking into finding my own place, but I’m not sure my savings are up to par.”

  “I don’t want to be pushy,” he said. “But I’d be happy to help you organize your finances. It’s what I do after all.”

  “Thanks, but I know what the problem is,” she said with a rueful smile. “It’s clothes. And it’s also shoes. And it’s also really pretty shades of lipstick.”

  “If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall,” Thomas said.

  “Who said that?” she asked in amusement.

  “There’s actually some debate over who said it first,” he answered. “Some people say Ben Franklin, but I’m not sure. Since I’m an accountant, it’s always been one of my personal favorite phrases. Speaking of money, have you considered the possibility of getting another roommate? Then you wouldn’t be alone and you’d have someone to split the bills when you move out,” he said logically.

  “I’ve thought about it. Finding my own place I mean, not the roommate thing. I don’t have fond memories of having a college roommate.”

  “Why not?”

  “She couldn’t stand me,” Kara said bluntly. “She said I was too noisy, too talkative, that I stayed out too late, slept too late in the mornings, wasn’t neat…the list went on and on.”

  Thomas stopped walking and stared at her in shock.

  “That’s crazy! You’re a wonderful person!” he blurted out before he thought better of it.

  She felt a blush rise to her cheeks and she laughed softly.

  “Thank you, Thomas.”

  She wasn’t sure how to feel. He really seemed to believe that she was a wonderful person. She hadn’t missed how his gaze had swept over her as they walked. She hadn’t missed the heat it sent through her body to feel his eyes on her either. What was wrong with her? She reminded herself once more that he was emphatically not her type, but she couldn’t help wondering what it might feel like to press her lips to his.

  It had been so long since she’d been with anyone. That had to be what it was. It was nothing more than sexual frustration and it wouldn’t be fair to drag him into that. Nice guys didn’t usually go for the friends with benefits situation and she wasn’t sure she was really cut out for it herself, anyway.

  When he said her name softly, huskily, she realized she’d been staring at him while she thought. She prayed that she hadn’t been thinking out loud about the whole friends with benefits thing.

  “I’m sorry Thomas!” she said, completely embarrassed. “I was just—“

  Her words were cut off by his lips and she was amazed by how much she liked the feel of his mouth on hers. She parted her lips under his and allowed him to tease her tongue as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his hair. The kiss took on depth until it was like they were breathing for each other. Kara couldn’t stand the thought of pulling back. She needed Thomas with a desperation that was almost frightening. He seemed to feel the same way as he pulled her against his deceptively muscular frame more and more urgently.

  “Kara,” he murmured against her mouth.

  “Yes?” she breathed, still not willing to pull back.

  “I was going to ask you to my apartment for coffee, but I don’t want you to think that—“

  “Let’s go,” she said quickly, cutting him off.

  Chapter Seven

  They jumped into his car and he drove to his apartment as quickly as he could. Kara still had to help him with directions, which wasn’t easy in her flustered, aroused state. She would never have expected Thomas to make such a sudden move, but she couldn’t deny the effect it had on her. She also didn’t bother to deny any longer how very attractive she found him.

  She rested her hand high up on his thigh and watched him swallow hard. He wanted her. His good guy exterior wasn’t through and through; otherwise he’d never be taking her back to his place so soon. Maybe there was hope for this after all. All she had to do was change him a bit. Surely she could rou
gh up those smooth edges. In no time at all he’d be Kara-approved, she was sure of it.

  He pulled the car into a parking space at his apartment building and stepped around to open her door for her. She expected it this time, so she didn’t make a fool of herself. They went up the steps and he unlocked the door of a neat, third floor apartment.

  “Would you like a drink?” he asked as he closed the door behind them.

  “I’d prefer to pick up where we left off,” Kara purred as she leaned back against the door and put her arms around his neck again.

  His head lowered immediately, and his tongue danced with hers eagerly as his body pressed hers firmly to the door. After a few mind-spinning kisses Thomas pulled back, leaving her dying to grab him and yank him back again.

  “What are you doing?” she gasped out as she tried to resist the urge to just strip him right there.

  “I…we really haven’t known each other very long,” he said as he caught his breath. “I don’t want you to think that I’m taking advantage of you or anything horrible like that.”

  “I don’t think you’re taking advantage of me,” Kara assured him with a throaty laugh as her hands moved under his light jacket. “But I will be very disappointed if you don’t give me what I need right now.”

  “I want nothing more than to give you what you need,” he admitted.

  His mouth dipped to her neck and his teeth grazed lightly over her quickening pulse. Kara moaned and let her head fall back against the door as pleasure swept through her body and pulsed between her legs. She tightened her fingers in his dark hair to encourage him to keep it up.

  “You taste so good,” he murmured, the low vibrato of his voice sending delicious shivers down her spine. “Kara, I’ve wanted you from the minute I saw you.”

  “Really?” she gasped out as she tried to get as much of her body against him as she possibly could while she let his jacket fall to the floor.

  “How could I not?” he asked as his fingers caught the hem of the dress she’d worn and he tugged upward to pull the light cotton fabric over her head. “You’re so beautiful.”

  He certainly seemed to think so; he simply gazed at her for what seemed like an endless beat of time. Her breasts, a perfect handful in a white lacy bra, seemed to catch his attention the most. She caught her breath when he grazed the tip of his finger over one, already stiffened, nipple. She arched herself into his hands, wanting more of his touch. No, that wasn’t right. She needed more of his touch. To oblige her, his hands cupped both her breasts as he lowered his lips to her tender skin.

  She felt his tongue tease her breasts at the edges of her bra and moaned in anticipation as he unhooked the front clasp and let her creamy breasts spill into his hands. He wedged one thigh between her legs as she began unbuttoning his shirt while he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth.

  She gasped when his tongue flicked against her skin and she couldn’t stop herself from rocking her hips on his thigh. She heard a groan break from deep in his chest and he took her mouth with his again as she undulated her body frantically against his.

  “Tell me what you need Kara,” he whispered roughly. “I’ll give you anything you want.”

  She’d never heard that before. Her needs had always been secondary.

  “I want your hands on me,” she begged, too aroused to feel even a little shy, not that she was ever really shy in the bedroom. Or in the living room either, apparently.

  Thomas trailed his fingers down her quivering stomach and dipped his hand into the matching white lace panties she wore. When he found her already wet he was unable to stifle a groan. He circled her clit with his thumb as he pushed one finger deep into her wet heat. She moaned in pleasure and pushed her body down onto him so he carefully slid in another finger. Her hips began to work again, making her small, perky breasts bounce just slightly. He began thrusting his fingers deep into her to spread her wetness around so that she would be prepared before he made love to her. After a few moments though, he forgot about the ultimate goal of taking her to bed and just enjoyed the fact that he was making her feel so good that she couldn’t help but cry out against his neck.

  “Thomas, yes! Just like that,” she gasped as she felt her body begin to tremble.

  It had been a long time since someone had touched her this way. Actually, she wasn’t sure anyone had ever touched her exactly this way. His fingers seemed to find sensitive places no one else had ever located. She was on the verge of an orgasm right there against the door. With another few thrusts of his fingers she was no longer on the verge. She was there and she couldn’t stop herself from moaning loudly as her body bucked against him.

  He didn’t really give her time to relax from that climax before his mouth and fingers were coaxing close to the brink again.

  “No,” she gasped out loud. “I want you.”

  He must have understood perfectly that she meant she wanted him inside her because he picked her up and carried her down the hall and into his bedroom. She wrapped her legs tightly around him and gasped when she felt his arousal pressing against her core.

  He put her gently on the bed and she tugged his zipper down quickly so that she could have his thick manhood in her hands. He groaned when she circled her finger around the head of it, slicking the moisture that had gathered there down his shaft. He cupped the back of her neck and took her mouth with his as she began to stroke.

  “God yes, Kara,” he groaned as her soft palm slid down his length. He yanked her panties down; he couldn’t wait any longer to have her naked underneath him. “Just a second,” he whispered when she tried to pull him between her legs.

  She watched as he reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a condom. Kara took it from his hand, quickly unwrapped it and rolled it down over his shaft. It was nice to be with someone responsible enough to remember things like that. She was on the pill as well, but a person couldn’t be too careful.

  He slid his hands down her back, cupping her ass as he pushed into her warmth with an appreciative groan. She gasped as he filled her to capacity.

  “Thomas,” she moaned as his thrusts began to stoke the fire that had been burning since that first kiss on the street. She dug her nails into his broad shoulders as he moved faster. “Yes! Just like that!” she pleaded.

  “Is this what you need?” he asked as he drove deep into her tight heat.

  “Yes!” she arched her hips up and felt the tension grow in his lean, muscular frame. “You don’t know how much I’ve needed this.”

  He propped his weight onto his elbows so that he could cup her face in his hands and kiss her sweet lips as her body writhed under him. He loved how she wasn’t at all shy about the way she moved. She was wicked and determined to have her pleasure and he wanted to do nothing but enjoy every minute of it.

  “You’re so beautiful like this,” he murmured, “when you’re desperate for me. I never imagined any woman could feel as good as you do right now.”

  His lips roamed over all of her body that he could reach while he moved inside her and when his teeth closed gently over her right nipple she could feel all the little tendrils of sensation coalescing into another body-wracking orgasm. His sweat slicked skin slid across hers and she could tell he was only holding back for her sake.

  “Thomas,” she whispered as she tugged his hair gently. “Come with me.”

  “Anything you want,” he answered as he pressed his face into the tender skin at the base of her throat.

  They came together, both bodies tightening and groaning at the perfect pleasure of the sensations they gave each other. When he moved as if he was going to roll over, she tightened her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. She wanted to keep him inside her.

  “Not yet,” she murmured.

  He kissed her neck in response and they lay there, catching their breath and just enjoying the afterglow being together. When he finally rolled over onto his back he pulled her close and she snuggled in to rest her head on
his chest. She traced her fingers over the defined muscle in his chest and followed the trail of dark hair down to his navel. He laughed and brushed her hand away when she got to the bottom of his stomach.

  “Ticklish,” he explained a little shyly and she grinned up at him.

  “Oh really?” she asked mischievously as she trailed her fingers over his abdomen.

  He laughed and ran his fingers over her stomach as well. When she gasped with laughter he kissed her again.

  “You’re so much fun to be with, Kara,” he said a few minutes after the tickle fight had concluded with her curled up practically on top of him.

  “You’re a pretty fun guy yourself,” Kara said. “In the spirit of further fun, why don’t we get together tomorrow and check out that new dance club?”