Heat Waves Read online

  "You and I both know that a voice can be very deceiving," she told Carly, having met a few of her regular listeners at public relations events. "And a guy with a voice as incredible as Ian's has to have been shortchanged in the looks department. He can't possibly have it all."

  "You're probably right," Carly agreed with a quick, flashing grin. "But it's a nice fantasy, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't shatter the illusion in my mind."

  Erica swiped the back of her hand across her warm, damp forehead and quirked a brow her friend's way. "Hey, you've got your own real-life hottie, so don't be fantasizing about my callers."

  Carly batted her lashes in return, her expression all too knowing. "My, aren't we a tad possessive about Mr. Sexy Voice."

  "I'm just looking out for Dan's welfare." Dan was the station's manager, a real gentlemanly prince among men, and Carly's main squeeze. The two of them had been skirting their attraction for months and finally hooked up when Erica had asked Dan to join them for a Sunday evening out at a popular nightclub. Carly and Dan had danced the evening away and had been seeing each other exclusively ever since.

  A carefree shrug lifted Carly's shoulder. "Well, if Dan doesn't want me lusting after other sexy male voices, he needs to put out the goods, if you get my drift."

  Erica slipped her headset on, her fingers inches away from pressing the button that would put her back on the air. "You haven't slept together yet?" She couldn't contain her surprise.

  "No. He said he didn't want to go too fast, and wanted to take things slow and easy. He's got way more control than I do," she said in obvious frustration, which was quickly replaced with an unraveling, fanciful sigh. "On the other hand, the foreplay has been incredible and I'm most definitely more relaxed these days, if you know what I mean."

  Light laughter bubbled out of Erica. Oh, yeah, she knew exactly what Carly was alluding to – orgasms aplenty, no doubt in varied and innovative ways. "I'm truly envious." Erica had been the recipient of too many unmemorable wham-bam-thank-you-ma'ams in her sexual past. While she had nothing against quickie sex, she'd often wished she could find a man with slow hands instead of quick gropes that left her wanting. One of those rare breed of males who appreciated the gradual buildup of a hot seduction.

  Someone like Ian…

  She rejected the tantalizing thought as quickly as it formed, content with him being a safe, undemanding fantasy. She had her own personal illusions she didn't want to shatter. "Enjoy Dan's attention and all that sexual tension leading up to the big night, and be glad that you don't have to rely on battery-operated devices to take the edge off of your physical needs."

  "Point taken, but just for the record, I've decided to turn the tables on lover boy until he's begging me for release for a change." Carly pressed a few buttons on her console and held up her hand, fingers splayed, for Erica to see. "Five seconds to airtime and Mr. Sexy Voice. Like every one else who's been listening to your show for the past few weeks, I'm dying to hear his take on tonight's topic."

  Erica was equally curious to discover what turned Ian on about a woman, and silently admitted that she'd been anticipating his call and the fun, playful, sensually charged repartee that usually ensued from their conversation. Her heart beat a little faster as she watched Carly count down the seconds on her fingers until her fisted hand indicated Erica's cue to begin her show.

  "This is Erica McCree and you're listening to Heat Waves on WTLK," she announced into her microphone as the last bit of jazz faded into the background. "We've heard some fascinating comments on what men find irresistible about women. I know tonight's discussion has certainly enlightened me, but there's more to come so let's get back to business. If you listen to Heat Waves on a regular basis, then you already know my next caller, who's become something of a special guest on my show."

  She pressed the button for line three, putting her fantasy man on the air. "Hello, Ian. How are you tonight?"

  "Hot," he said huskily.

  She laughed as he echoed her current sentiment while she sat in her warm, stuffy booth. "Aren't we all? Is it the heat wave that has you so hot, or something else?" she dared.

  "The heat and humidity started it, but I'm in an air-conditioned room so I can't say that my rise in temperature is all weather-related."

  She didn't miss the insinuation behind his words, or the frisson of immediate awareness that shot through her. "Sounds like maybe a cold shower might be in order."

  "Umm, already tried that." A mischievous note laced his low, mellow baritone. "It was only a temporary relief."

  Oh, he was very bad. And very, very good. "I'm glad the heat didn't keep you from calling. Inquiring minds want to know … what's the first thing that you notice about a woman, and what holds your attention beyond that first glance?"

  "Intelligence and a sense of humor gets my initial attention," he said thoughtfully. "I've discovered lately that laughter is a great tension-reliever."

  "So is good sex." As soon as the words left Erica's mouth and traveled miles across the airwaves, she dropped her head into her hands and shook it – hard. She wouldn't know good sex if it snuck up behind her and bit her on the butt, not that her listening audience needed to know that. And she hadn't slept with a guy in so long she could almost requalify as a virgin. Amazing the flaws and inexperience she could conceal being sequestered away in a private booth with only a microphone to link her to the outside world.

  "I like the way you think." She heard a lazy grin in his voice, felt the vibrations curl through her belly. "Hey, we might have just discovered the ultimate relaxation technique. Can you imagine what laughter and sex together could do for a person's stress level?"

  All she could imagine at the moment was sex with him and subduing her own spiraling need and deep ache, and knew she had a long, restless night ahead of her. "How about we save that topic for another show?"

  "Fair enough. Let's see…" he continued, his voice a low rumble of sound that found and touched all those secret places within her. "I'm also attracted to a woman's mouth. Soft, glossy lips made for long, slow, deep kisses, and sexy smiles that make me feel like I'm the only one she desires…"

  Unconsciously, her straight teeth tugged on her bottom lip, and she tasted the remnants of the pale-pink, cotton-candy-flavored gloss she wore. Sweet. Slick. Silky. Liquid heat settled low as her mind conjured images of him nibbling off the sugared taste, his tongue sliding across her parted lips, then delving into the heated depths of her mouth in an all-consuming, electrifying kiss. To her mortification, a small noise, much like a moan, escaped her throat before she could stop it.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  Her face flushed to the tips of her ears. One glance at Carly in the booth next to hers and her friend's comical expression and she knew that way too many people had been privy to that very telltale sound.

  "Hot night, dry throat." The excuse was a paltry one, but served its purpose, and she followed it up with a long gulp of her water.

  "I also like silky, thick hair," he continued, leaving her embarrassing slip behind, thank goodness. "There's something incredibly erotic about having a woman's hair wrapped around my hands and being able to hold her where I want her."

  More images flooded her brain. Of him coaxing her down the length of his body until her lips brushed silken steel and he urged her strokes to a slow, seductive rhythm. Of being pinned beneath a hard, muscular body, the fingers tangling in her hair holding her head back as he ravished her neck and gradually moved lower to take the straining tip of her breast into the heated depths of his mouth…

  A shudder coursed through Erica and her too sensitive nipples tightened and rasped against her tank top. She swallowed in an attempt to regulate her breathing, which had become quick and shallow.

  "But it's chemistry that will keep me coming back night after night," he added, pulling her from her indulgent musings.

  Was that why he called in night after night? Did he feel the sizzle between them, too? The thought was a head
y, thrilling one. "Chemistry is always a good reason to keep things going, but how do you keep the initial spark from fizzling?"

  "Being spontaneous helps. Not knowing what to expect, yet going with the flow and enjoying whatever happens will keep things between a couple fresh and exciting. Do you like spontaneity, Erica?"

  His too-easy shift in topic startled her and made her skin prickle with renewed awareness. "I wouldn't be a talk-show host if I didn't," she replied smoothly, and quickly turned the questioning back to him, before he had a chance to put her in the spotlight. "Let's get down to the nitty-gritty of things, Ian. What is it about a woman that keeps you happy in the bedroom?"

  While he thought about his answer, her gaze shifted to the phone lines. Only one line blinked, which was amazing in itself since the station had been inundated with calls before Ian's appearance. She'd noticed a nightly decline in calls when she was on the air with Ian, as if the city of Chicago was just as riveted by this man as she was.

  "I like a woman who's comfortable enough with her body and sensuality that she's willing to try new and different things."

  Erica's lashes fluttered closed, another huge mistake on her part, she realized as a silhouette of a naked couple making love out in the open in carnal, wanton ways flashed behind her eyelids. She quickly snapped her eyes back open before she got caught up in the fantasy, and wondered how far Ian was willing to go to try a little spice and variety. "Are you an exhibitionist, Ian?"

  He chuckled. "I don't think so. I think it would be fun and a bit forbidden making love in risky places and being a little adventurous, but actually getting caught isn't something that excites me."

  Catching a movement from Carly's studio, Erica glanced that way and found her friend fanning herself with her hand and mouthing the words hot stuff. She smiled, shook her head and turned back to her microphone and Ian. "What else turns you on?"

  "A woman who isn't afraid to tell me what she likes and what feels good." He paused for a moment. "I like being a part of a woman's pleasure, and it really turns me on when I hear that she's enjoying herself and what I'm doing to her."

  Erica shifted in her seat and crossed one leg over the other. The insides of her thighs were damp from the heat, or maybe something else she refused to think about. "So, you like a vocal lover?"

  "Soft moans are nice, so is an occasional 'that feels good' or other sexy talk. It lets me know that I'm doing something right and my partner is having a good time, too."

  Erica sifted through her own previous sexual encounters, trying to remember if she was a moaner, or not. She couldn't recall any memorable experiences and was doubtful that she'd been on the receiving end of anything worthwhile or rapturous enough to moan about.

  "So, Erica, what catches your eye with a man?"

  The bold turnabout startled her, but she managed to hold tight to her composure. "That wasn't tonight's question."

  "Turnabout is fair play." His lazy tone was teasing, but underscored with a private challenge Erica recognized. "I'm sure your listeners are just as curious as I am to hear what catches your interest with a man."

  As was Carly, judging by her friend's wideeyed, attentive stare through the glass partition. While Erica hadn't anticipated being on the receiving end of tonight's question, Ian had effectively and brazenly cornered her. To maintain her integrity with her listeners who trusted her with their secrets, she knew she ought to share hers in return.

  "I'm attracted to a man's eyes," she said, her voice lowering to a husky pitch. "Not necessarily the color, but the way he looks at me, like I'm the only woman in the room, even if there are a dozen other women around. It makes me feel feminine and sexy and very, very confident."

  "And confidence is very good," he murmured, echoing a previous caller's preference.

  "It has its advantages, and keeps a man guessing." Absently, she touched the erratic pulse at the base of her throat and found her skin moist and hot to the touch. Desire sharpened her senses, making her crave a more masculine caress.

  "What turns you on, Erica?"

  "A slow seduction," she said, feeling hypnotized by their conversation, as if she were speaking to him alone. "I like a man who'll take the time to learn what sends me over the edge. Mentally and physically."

  "Which, in my estimation, equates to mind sex and foreplay, and lots of it." Humor deepened his voice. "You like fun sex."

  It's what she imagined she liked. "As opposed to serious sex?" A grin quirked the corner of her mouth.

  "You want to have a good time in the bedroom," he clarified. "And like me, you're open to diversity and new experiences."

  Bingo. Which left the field wide open for her since her sexual encounters were so limited.

  He knew her too well, without really knowing her at all. It was as though he'd spent the past month learning everything about her … intimate details he'd coaxed from her while seducing her imagination with provocative, arousing banter.

  She was aroused now … hot and aching and wishing for release from all the tension stringing her nerves tight.

  Her computer screen flashed the countdown to a commercial break, saving her from having to find a witty comeback when her mind was completely numb and free of any clever rejoinders

  She inhaled deeply and released it slowly and quietly. "As always, Ian, your opinion on tonight's topic has been duly noted by many. This is Erica McCree and thank you for keeping the dial tuned to WTLK," she said to her listeners. "I'll be back with more of your calls right after these messages."

  The phone lines lit up again and thrummed to life putting Carly to work screening calls for the next segment. Off the air, Erica said to her fantasy man, "Thanks for calling, Ian."

  "It was my pleasure."

  The word pleasure held a dozen different connotations, each one an erotic promise that filled her with an intense longing.

  "Same time tomorrow night?" he asked.

  She grinned to herself, hating to end their brief time together when she knew she'd be going home in a few hours to a very quiet, empty apartment – with her battery-operated device as company instead of a flesh-and-blood male.

  Instead of Ian.

  "Yeah, same time tomorrow night," she agreed, already looking forward to the call.

  ~ 2 ~

  "LAST NIGHT’S SHOW WAS great."

  The shy, quiet voice grabbed Erica's attention. Smiling, she glanced up from braiding Tori's hair and met the other woman's gaze in the mirror in front of them. Unable to help herself, Erica inwardly winced at the painful-looking bruise coloring the left side of Tori's cheek and the cut splitting her bottom lip. And those were only the injuries that were visible. No doubt, Tori's heart and soul were just as broken.

  Tori Williams was a battered wife, and one of the many women who sought refuge at the Camenson Women's Shelter three blocks from the radio station. Erica had been visiting the shelter for the past eight months volunteering her time a few days a week in whatever capacity her help was needed. Emotional support and a listening ear seemed to be the biggest necessity. So was just being a friend to the women who craved the kind of understanding only another female could offer.

  Erica had never been abused or battered, but when she was thirteen she'd witnessed a volatile relationship first hand between her mother and a boyfriend. After months of enduring verbal and physical degradation that had escalated to more menacing threats, her mother had finally sought refuge at a women's Shelter with her two daughters because they'd had no other place to go.

  Unfortunately, that violent relationship hadn't stopped Sharon McCree's behavior of hooking up with men who were bad for her and took advantage of her insecurities. But the terrifying situation had changed Erica from a naive little girl to a young woman who found herself very cautious when it came to men. The incident had shaken her and cemented her belief that completely relying on a man left a woman too defenseless, vulnerable and needy. She'd seen the pattern with her mother, who was working on marriage number five in her ongoi
ng quest to be supported financially, regardless of the emotional cost to herself or her daughters. Erica's older sister, Daphne, had followed in their mother's footsteps and had married a wealthy older man who placed certain restrictions on his young wife – unrealistic restrictions, in Erica's opinion. Erica could never understand how her sister accepted a loveless, childless marriage. It was a matter of security, Daphne had told her. But to Erica, security came at too high a price – a loss of independence and self-reliance.

  Erica had been there once and the experience remained a strong reminder of how important it was for her to be true to herself and make her own way in life. After dating Paul for six months, she'd found herself entangled in a one-sided, dominating relationship that had nearly stripped her of her independence and confidence. Luckily she'd ended things with Paul and moved on after he'd delivered his ultimatum, but Erica now knew how easy emotions and insecurities could get in the way of straight-thinking. Now she preferred being single and self-sufficient. Personally as well as professionally, she alone was in charge of the direction of her future.

  Unfortunately some women, such as Tori, didn't realize they had the choice and fortitude to make their futures better and brighter, instead of enduring a controlling marriage. This was the young woman's third stay in the women's shelter in the past six months, which led Erica to believe it might not be her last. Not if she didn't find the fortitude to divorce her abusive husband. And Tori didn't have only herself to consider. She needed to think about the welfare of her five-year-old daughter, Janet, as well.

  With an inward sigh, Erica redirected her thoughts back to the present and Tori's comment. "What were you doing up that late?" she chastised lightly as she continued to weave the young woman's brunette hair in a tight braid. "You should have been in bed getting a good night's rest."

  Her shoulder lifted in a small shrug. "I couldn't sleep." The angst in Tori's hazel eyes spoke of nightmares that no doubt plagued her. "Besides, it was much more fun listening to you and Ian talk about what's attractive in the opposite sex."