TALL DARK AND HUNGRY Page 0,86

his legs shaking, and his heart racing, and his body ready to explode with pleasure, she didn't have a clue what she was doing. She was just following her instincts.

The woman had damned fine instincts.

"All of it," Bastien said at last. "All of it is perfect." Except for the stopping part, he thought, but didn't say it. She was only stopping out of concern for his well-being and pleasure. And her consideration and caring were sweet. Really. And he was sure he'd ap¬preciate it. Later. Right now, he just wanted her to--

"Ahhhh." He sighed as she took him into her mouth again. Then he held his breath, terrified the sound would make her stop once more. Fortunately, it didn't. She continued to slide her lips the length of his erection, her tongue swishing across him like a cat's tail. Bastien decided not to take chances, how¬ever. He snatched up a pillow from the bed and slammed it over his mouth.

He would not make a sound now, Bastien assured himself as he sank his teeth into the pillow. He might smother to death, but he would do so silently and with a smile on his face.

Maybe. Bastien tore the pillow aside and lifted his head to peer at her with exasperation. She had stopped again and was sitting up, her head turned to¬ward the door.

"Did you hear that?" she asked with a frown.

"No." He didn't mention he'd had the pillow over his head, making hearing as difficult as speaking.

"I thought I heard someone call out," she ex¬plained, turning back to him.

"There's no one here but us," Bastien reminded her, with what he considered the patience of a saint.

His gaze dropped to his erection. It was standing straight and tall and proud, hoping for her attention. It was also red and maybe a little angry that he wasn't getting it, at least not without constant starts and stops. Perhaps this was Terri's technique, he thought: Bring him to the brink, then stop; do it again, then stop. If so, it was brilliant. She was driving him crazy.

"Terri?" he said almost pleadingly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She smiled at him and lowered her head again. Bastien saw her red lips part as her mouth opened, then... Terri froze again, her jaws snapped closed inches above his erection and she sat up. "Surely you heard that?"

He had, of course. Someone was calling his name. A woman. And as there were very few people with keys to this penthouse, Bastien knew who it must be. He would kill her.

"It's probably my mother," he said, dropping his head back on the bed with disgust.

"Your mother?" There was no mistaking the hor¬ror in Terri's voice.

Bastien raised his head to see her scrambling off the bed. He watched with regret as she climbed into her jeans, noting with interest that, in her hurry, she wasn't bothering with panties. Hmmm, he thought, then his pants slammed into his face. Terri had tossed them at him.

"Get dressed, Bastien," she hissed. "We can't let her find us like this."

Sighing, he gave up any hope of Terri finishing what she'd started and sat up on the bed. But he didn't start getting dressed right away. Instead, he watched as she fumbled with her bra. Her breasts were jiggling as she worked with the lacy material. He liked watching her jiggle.

"Terri?"

They both stilled. The voice was drawing nearer. It was also plain it wasn't his mother. Perhaps that was a good thing, Bastien thought idly; it would be a shame to kill a woman who had survived some seven-hundred-plus years.

"It's Kate!" Terri cried, but didn't seem much re¬lieved. But then, Bastien supposed it wouldn't matter who was coming toward the bedroom, Terri would panic anyway. Being caught in such a compromising position might not be the scandalous thing it was in his youth, but it could still be terribly embarrassing.

"I thought you said we had the place to our¬selves!" she hissed accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me they were returning?"

"It completely slipped my mind in all the chaos of

the last couple of days," Bastien admitted, shifting

wearily to get out of the bed. His erection had done a quick disappearing act.

"Bastien?" Kate's voice was clear as a bell now; she was nearly to the room. They were nearly to the room, he corrected as Lucern could be heard saying, "They've probably gone out for the day."

Bastien stilled, his mind working. Maybe if they hid in the closet or something, Kate and Lucern would think they weren't