First Moon (The Ternion Order Book 1) Read online

This time, Kyle wasn’t afraid to reveal his job. This woman made him uncomfortable; he’d never felt so much like prey. If his work scared her off, he’d breathe a sigh of relief.

  In a matter-of-fact tone, he replied, “I’m a software developer for Northern Peaks Sports Equipment.”

  “Good for you,” she said with a dip of her head. “That’s a great job, particularly for this area. I have an ex who did programming.” She moved her forearm so it was alongside his, the warmth of her bare skin soaking right through his sleeve. “You must be intelligent and have good concentration skills.”

  Kyle glanced at her to see if she was teasing him, but her expression was friendly and open. So much for chasing her off that way.

  Kyle raised an eyebrow. “My concentration skills were fine until about five minutes ago.”

  Clarissa responded with a throaty and intensely personal laugh that made Kyle’s breath catch. Once again, he had the sensation that he was in the crosshairs. What he didn’t understand was how this woman could possibly be interested in him.

  Kyle tipped up his glass and finished his drink. He decided it was time to cut this short. He was about to say that he needed to return to his friends when her hand closed around his forearm. He automatically turned his head and met her eyes again. Damn.

  “Would you like to dance with me, Kyle?”

  Well, he had come to dance, and he could do worse for a partner. At least he’d have someone nice to look at on the dance floor. “Okay,” he answered, but his doubts came through in his voice.

  She arched one thin eyebrow. “Are you sure? Is something wrong?”

  “It’s your eyes. They’re beautiful … but so distracting.”

  She smiled at the compliment and leaned toward him, placing her face less than a foot from his. “I have a confession,” she whispered. “This is not my natural eye color.”

  Up close, Kyle could see the contact lenses floating over her irises. “Colored lenses?”

  Clarissa nodded and took his hand in hers. She led him around the tables and onto the dance floor, passing Greg and Deb’s booth on the way. Kyle looked over at his friends as he went by and gave them a thin-lipped smile and a shrug. Greg was grinning broadly, but Deb was frowning at Clarissa.

  What’s her problem? Kyle wondered.

  Kyle wasn’t a great dancer, but he had a decent sense of rhythm and could adapt his moves to complement his partner’s. Sherry had been a country-music fan and had taught him a couple of western dance steps, but Kyle’s preference was classic rock.

  The song was “Mister Blue Sky” by the Electric Light Orchestra, a bouncy tune that celebrated sunny days, something that anyone who lived in the Northwest for any length of time could appreciate.

  But Clarissa’s fluid movement and brief touches turned even that song into something inviting and sexy. Kyle wasn’t sure what to do with his feet and hands, but managed to keep moving somehow. Her eyes left his only when she raised her arms and swayed in a full circle, showing him every inch of her lean form. She sidled up to him frequently, pressing the length of her body against his. She fit well against his six-foot frame. Her strappy sandals had a modest heel that brought her height up to about five eight.

  By the time the song ended, Kyle was blushing and ready to head back to the booth. He smiled at her and was about to excuse himself when the DJ started a slow song. Clarissa stepped in close and put her arms on his shoulders, tilting her face up to his.

  Their lips were only inches apart. He could feel her warm breath on his chin, and her breasts pushed softly against his chest. When she started swaying to the music, he automatically put his arms around her waist and matched her motion, staring down at her. Those amazing eyes.

  Kyle lost track of time while they swayed around the dance floor, never once breaking eye contact. Clarissa looked good, smelled good, and felt good. Kyle’s doubts melted away as his desire for her grew.

  Near the end of the song, she rested her head on his shoulder and pressed herself even closer, moving her leg between his. Kyle’s breath caught and his heart rate jumped in response to the intimacy of their embrace.

  Kyle glanced over her shoulder at his friends, who had returned to their booth. Deb looked positively agitated, and even Greg had a puzzled expression. True, things were moving pretty fast, but wasn’t this why Greg had invited him to the bar tonight?

  Clarissa seemed to sense his wandering attention. She raised her head and asked, “Are you enjoying yourself, Kyle?”

  Kyle answered with a low chuckle. “Can’t you tell?”

  She smiled and rolled the front of her hip slowly against his groin. “Oh my. This is a good sign.”

  When the song ended, they both stopped moving and stood together. She backed up a half step, creating a narrow gap between them. Kyle took shallow breaths, trying to force himself to settle down, resisting the urge to crush her against him and feel her soft warmth again. Maybe later.

  A tap on his shoulder jolted Kyle from his thoughts. He turned to find Greg and Deb standing together. The DJ started a new song, and the four of them moved to the edge of the dance floor. They had to speak up to be heard over the music.

  Greg checked out Clarissa and looked distinctly uncomfortable about interrupting. Deb nudged him with her elbow, prompting him to speak. “We’re thinking of heading out. Do you want a ride home?”

  Kyle gave his friend a puzzled look. “Already? I thought you guys wanted to dance.”

  Greg looked at Deb before answering. “Uh, yeah, we did. And we have.”

  Kyle shook his head in confusion and looked at Deb, who was watching Clarissa and frowning. “Is something wrong, Deb?”

  Deb’s eyes darted to Kyle. “No. We were thinking about getting something to eat. I’m buying.”

  Deb was acting strangely, as if she didn’t approve of his dance partner. Why would she care?

  Kyle looked over at Clarissa. She wore an enigmatic smile and simply arched an eyebrow at him. Her warm hand was still in his, and he didn’t want to let go of her yet. “I think I’ll stay a while longer and take a cab home.”

  Deb’s eyes grew wider, and she opened her mouth as if she were about to object, but then she closed her lips into a compressed frown.

  Clarissa gave Kyle’s hand a squeeze and said, “I’ll make sure he gets home okay.”

  Deb narrowed her eyes. “Whose home?” Greg looked down at her with a puzzled expression, as surprised as Kyle at her rudeness.

  Clarissa kept a polite smile on her face as she glanced at Kyle.

  Kyle met Deb’s eyes and used his most reasonable tone. “I’m fine, Deb. We’re just dancing. You and Greg go get something to eat and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Deb blinked at him a couple of times and her concerned look faded. She put her hand on his arm. Her eyes seemed to want to stray toward Clarissa, but she kept bringing them back to his face. “Sorry, Kyle. It’s none of my business. Enjoy your evening.” Deb turned on her heel and strode toward the exit.

  Greg shrugged and raised his hands in exasperation. “Sorry about that. It was nice to meet you … Miss …”

  “Clarissa,” Kyle supplied. “And this is my friend Greg,” he said to her.

  By then Deb had reached the door and was holding it open, glaring over her shoulder at Greg.

  “Well, I’d better get going,” Greg said. He waved farewell as he stepped away and then hurried to follow Deb outside.

  Clarissa still wore the enigmatic half-smile when Kyle turned to face her. “I’m so sorry. I hope she didn’t upset you.”

  Clarissa gave a short laugh and rolled her eyes. “Believe me, I’m used to it. Other women often feel threatened when I’m around. I have very few female friends.”

  Kyle eyed her up and down appreciatively. “I think I understand why.”

  She chuckled low in her throat and let go of his hand so she could put her arms around his waist. She brought her face so close to his that their noses were practically touching. Kyle accep
ted the invitation and moved his head forward those last few tantalizing inches, touching his lips to hers.

  The kiss was tender at first, a soft brushing and pressing of tingling lips. But as Kyle inhaled her scent and pulled her close, the kiss became an urgent exchange of tongue and an exploration of fresh intimacy.

  After a moment, Kyle became aware that they were still standing at the edge of the dance floor in full view of everyone, and he reluctantly pulled back. A quick glance around the room told him that several people had witnessed the kiss, and their reactions ranged from bemused to surprised to disapproving. Kyle’s face grew hot, but he couldn’t suppress his smile.

  “Nice,” Clarissa said with a wicked smile of her own.

  They still held each other close, and the excitement from their kiss burned in Kyle’s chest. He took a deep breath to calm himself and let it out slowly through his nose.

  When the buzzing in his head had subsided, Kyle asked, “Uh, do you want another drink?”

  Clarissa rubbed her hand slowly across Kyle’s back, letting the tips of her fingers drift low into the curve near the bottom of his spine.

  With an innocent expression but a suggestive tone, she asked, “What do you want, Kyle?”

  Kyle blushed again at the cascade of images that entered his mind in answer to her question. Most women would have slapped him if he’d given voice to any of them, but he had a feeling she would take his fantasies as a compliment.

  The wicked smile returned to her face and she nodded knowingly. “That’s what I thought,” she said before giving him a light pat on the butt.

  She took his hand and led him to the exit. As they walked out of the Pickup Joint, Kyle looked over to where Greg had parked, but his friend’s truck was gone, thank goodness. Night had fallen, and the parking-lot lights had come on, shining down on the posed pickups as if they were paintings in a gallery.

  Feeling like a dog on a leash, Kyle let Clarissa guide him across the parking lot. She stopped at the passenger side of a low-slung black convertible Jaguar and opened the door for him. The musky smell of soft leather wafted out, inviting him into the rich interior. He hesitated, confused by the high sill and placement of the seat, then chose to put one foot into the car and lower himself onto the seat before swinging in his other leg. He eyed the rocker switches that were lined up side-by-side across the center of the dashboard and the five round gauges filling the space above them. She closed his door as soon as he was settled.

  She slid into the driver’s seat, sitting first and then swinging in both long legs. She dug into her purse and extracted her keys.

  “This is one fine automobile,” he said with reverence.

  She grinned and arched an eyebrow at him. “Just wait until she’s on the move.”

  Clarissa turned the key in the ignition and the motor started on the first turn, settling immediately into a low purr. She buckled her seat belt and Kyle followed her example. Kyle caught her watching him with a secret smile while he soaked up every detail of the Jag’s interior. She backed out of the parking spot and rolled through the lot toward the exit. As she swung the long front end onto the highway, Kyle sat back and enjoyed the powerful and smooth acceleration. The car reached for more road with every shift of her practiced hand, and in no time they were cruising at sixty miles an hour.

  Kyle glanced at Clarissa and shook his head. I was right. She is SO very out of my league.

  Chapter 3

  One-Night Stand

  By the time they reached her turn, Kyle had added owning a Jaguar Type E to his wish list. According to Clarissa, her baby was a 1969 Series 2. She said the automobile had a top speed of 150 miles per hour, but she’d never gone faster than 120.

  Awesome.

  The tires crunched on gravel as they turned off the highway onto a dirt road. None of the roads out here in the county had street lights, but the full moon was bright enough to turn the trees into silhouettes and to paint shadows onto the road. Clarissa slowed the car down to walking speed and was careful to dodge every rock and pothole.

  “Must be a pain to live on a dirt road when your car has such low ground clearance,” Kyle observed.

  Clarissa nodded, but didn’t take her eyes from the patch of road directly in front of the car. “That’s why she only comes out to play in summer.”

  During the drive, Kyle’s head cleared of the intoxication from the alcohol as well as her touch. The anticipation of a sexual interlude with such an amazing woman both excited and alarmed him. Did Clarissa see him as a one-night stand, or would she expect more from him?

  He decided he was over-thinking the situation, as he often did. She was the one who had seduced him on the dance floor and practically dragged him to her car. If she wanted to use him and then discard him, he could go along with that.

  Even if he didn’t know anything about her.

  “What are you thinking over there, Kyle?”

  He hoped she couldn’t see how her question made him blush. “Me? Nothing. Just enjoying the ride.”

  She glanced at him with a sly smile. “Don’t worry. I don’t bite. At least, not unless you want me to. Hang tight for another minute. We’re almost there.”

  “There” turned out to be a cute, single-level, ranch-style home nestled back in the trees with no view of neighboring houses. It had fake log siding with a covered screened-in porch next to the main entry.

  As she turned onto the driveway, Clarissa reached in front of Kyle and took a remote out of the glove compartment. She opened the door to a detached garage and parked the Jaguar inside. Kyle was strangely disappointed when she turned off the engine and silence descended.

  Kyle opened the long passenger door, careful not to let it bump the wall, and levered himself out of the seat. He joined Clarissa outside the garage and she closed the garage door. It rolled down, concealing the Jaguar like the curtain at the end of a show.

  “Thank you,” Kyle said. “I’ve never ridden in one of those before. It was quite an experience.”

  She took his hand and started walking toward the house. “Don’t thank me yet. The best is yet to come.”

  She’d had the foresight to leave the entryway light on, so she had no trouble finding the door key and letting them in. When she turned on the interior lights, they revealed a tidy, cozy little home. She had a taste for rustic log furniture—the type that was popular in northwest resorts. It was handmade and expensive. She kicked her shoes off onto a mat at the entryway, and Kyle followed her lead.

  “Have a seat on the couch, and I’ll make us a couple of drinks,” she said over her shoulder as she padded around a corner.

  Kyle did as instructed, sitting on the edge of the cushion while he looked around the room. The fireplace was a masterpiece of natural stone with a thick finished-timber mantle. An exquisitely carved wooden owl perched at one end of the mantle, staring balefully at Kyle. On the opposite end was an equally detailed carving of a wolf on the prowl. Red crystals glowed in the wolf’s eyes, giving it a demonic stare. The wolf’s eyes were so eerie that Kyle shifted his position on the couch until the light no longer reflected the glow toward him.

  Clarissa entered with a drink in each hand and caught the direction of his uncomfortable stare.

  She handed Kyle his drink. “Don’t mind the wolf. People seem to either love him or hate him.”

  “He’s beautiful. The eyes got to me.”

  She smiled and held up her glass in a toast. As his eyes met hers, she said, “They always do.”

  They clinked their glasses together and Kyle took a sip. She had poured him another highball, and it was pretty strong.

  Clarissa crossed her legs and let her dangling bare foot rest against Kyle’s calf while she considered him over her glass. Kyle took a gulp of his drink to hide his discomfort and tried to think of something to say.

  But she didn’t give him time. She set her glass on the coffee table decisively and then took his glass from him and set it next to hers. She sidled up to him
on the couch and draped one leg across his lap. Cupping the back of his head in her hand, she drew him to her and kissed him deeply.

  Kyle responded by putting his hand on her leg, caressing the length of her thigh. When her dress slid up and his hand met bare flesh, she broke their kiss with a short gasp. He let his hand wander farther up her thigh to rest on her hip.

  She let out a needy growl and moved up onto his lap with a leg on either side. She kissed him again, harder this time, and with an urgency that sent tingles down his spine. Kyle put his hands on her firm rear and pulled her closer. She moaned when he brought his hands around to cup her breasts, which were disappointingly cushioned by her bra.

  She eased away from him with a lustful smile, grinding her hips against his. “Let’s move this somewhere more comfortable.”

  Kyle didn’t want to let go of her as she slowly wriggled off his lap and stood up. She reached a hand toward him, and he let her lead him down the hall to the bedroom. The heady glow from their passionate moment on the couch made him feel like he was moving in some kind of dream. He still couldn’t quite believe it was happening.

  Her bedroom was furnished in the same style as the living room, with a log four-poster bed and rustic nightstands. She stopped next to the bed and turned her back to him, asking him to unzip her dress. He slid the zipper down, wondering how she’d managed to zip it up in the first place. It was one of many female mysteries.

  She let the dress slide to the floor and pool around her feet, giving him a nice view of her bare back and long legs that met at a petite butt. Black lace panties covered but didn’t do much to obscure her smooth, muscular rear. She stepped out of the dress, picked it up, and laid it on a chair in the corner of the room. Then she came back to stand in front of him wearing nothing but a black strapless bra and panties.

  Smiling at the hunger in Kyle’s eyes, she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. She caught it as it popped forward and fell away from her breasts. With a flip of her wrist, she tossed it toward the corner where it landed on top of her dress.