Night Whispers - Leslie Kelly [69]
“Oh, Miss Logan, I’m so sorry!”
“No, don’t pick me up,” she ordered when he moved to lift her again.
Edgar took a quick step back, losing his balance. Kelsey reached out to grab his arm, and he clutched at her hand, pulling her with him. They both went down, Kelsey landing on her rear end right in the middle of the puddle.
Feeling cold water seep into the weave of her beige slacks, Kelsey closed her eyes. She didn’t know whether to burst into tears or shriek with laughter. Lifting her arms, she placed her elbows on her knees and dropped her head into her hands.
“Oh, please, don’t cry, Miss Logan. I’ll pay for your clothes to get clean.”
She heard the misery in Edgar’s voice, lifted her head and struggled to smile. The man looked utterly mortified.
“It’s all right, Edgar. Why don’t we just go now, okay?”
He insisted on helping her up. She climbed inside as he walked around to the driver’s side door, his wet black boots making a squeaking, sloshing sound she could hear from inside the truck. Kelsey felt a grin tickle her lips. When he got inside the truck, he hung his head sheepishly and wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“It’s really all right, Edgar. I know you’re just trying to help.”
He glanced up, gave her a faltering smile and nodded. Kelsey held in a laugh when she saw a soggy leaf fall from his shoulder onto his lap. Shifting in her wet seat, she made herself as comfortable as possible for the ride home.
MITCH GLANCED AT THE CLOCK and frowned. Kelsey was late. She usually arrived home at around two forty-five and it was already past three. He couldn’t help worrying. It was bad enough that her job was so provocative. The fact that she had to drive home alone in the middle of the night made it that much worse.
He saw headlights swing into the driveway and breathed a sigh of relief. He walked into the foyer just as Kelsey came in the front door.
“You’re late,” he said as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. “I was getting worried. Hey, your pants are wet!”
“I’m sorry,” she said breathlessly. “I had car trouble and had to get a ride home from someone. I slipped in a puddle. Klutz, huh?”
Mitch saw a car back out of the driveway and pull away up the street. “Who was that? Brian?”
“No, it was Edgar. I don’t think you’ve met him.”
“Edgar, hmm? Should I be jealous?”
Kelsey giggled. “Baby, you’d have no reason to be jealous if Leonardo DiCaprio drove me home. I am all yours.”
He kissed her neck, liking her words. She was all his.
“Prove it,” he challenged as he drew her into his living room.
“That sounds like an order,” she murmured as she let her jacket fall off her shoulders onto the floor.
“I’d never dream of ordering you to do anything you didn’t want to do,” he said as he began sliding the buttons of her blouse open, one by one. Then he cocked a sly grin. “I prefer to use gentle persuasion.”
He whispered a suggestion in her ear and heard her moan deep in her throat. She rolled her head to the side and let her blouse fall off her shoulders. Mitch followed the fine curve of her neck and shoulder with his tongue as he unzipped her slacks and let them slide, along with her underclothes, down her legs. He kissed a path down her body, pausing for a delectable moment or two to taste her breasts before dropping to his knees on the floor in front of her. He was glad he reached his arms behind her legs and held her thighs steady because when he began intimately caressing her with his mouth, her knees nearly buckled.
“Gentle persuasion works,” she muttered while she was still somewhat coherent.
Mitch barely heard her.
SOMETHING WOKE HIM EARLY the following morning. Mitch glanced at Kelsey, sleeping soundly beside him, then saw the clock. It was just past eight. Very early, considering they hadn’t gone to sleep until after four that morning. A languorous smile crossed his lips when he remembered how she’d kept him awake to try some gentle persuasion of her own after they’d moved to the bedroom. Lady Love’s mouth