Bliss by Opal Carew

washed through her.

    “When did you two meet?” J.M. asked.

    “I’m just across the hall from Kara. We met on our way to registration. This is who I had dinner with the first night.”

    He smiled at Kara. “So we almost ran into each other again last night.”

    “Did Kara tell you what she does for a living?” Grace’s eyes met Kara’s and she gave her a wink. “She’s a sex columnist.”

    “Has she happened to tell you her opinion of Tantra?” J.M. asked.

    His hand stroked lightly across her shoulder, sending tremors through her.

    “Well, I got the idea she’s not really into it. I told her at dinner last night that I thought you could change her mind.”

    He smiled. “I think I’m starting to make some headway on that.”

    Kara’s shoulders slumped. She wasn’t sure what to say. She finished her drink and pushed away the empty glass. J.M. slid the full one in front of her.

    “Kara, did you tell Jeremy your concerns about your column? He might have some ideas for you.”

    J.M. turned to her. “What concerns?”

    “It’s nothing, really.”

    “She’s afraid her editor thinks her column is getting stale. She could use some fresh ideas.”

    Kara shrugged and took a sip of her drink.

    “A sex column.” J.M. swirled his drink, considering. “There are a lot of interesting topics, but you’re looking for something a little different. Something fresh.”

    She took another drink. Her head felt a little fuzzy. She wasn’t used to drinking much. “I’ve done orgasms and dating techniques, how to know if a guy is into you—stuff like that. I’m doing an article on flirting.”

    “Really?”

    At his amused expression, she pursed her lips and took another sip.

    “One of the workshops is about women’s sexual fantasies. Have you done anything like that?” Grace asked.

    “You mean being rescued by a knight in shining armor—that sort of thing?” Kara asked.

    “I was thinking more about bondage, sex in an elevator . . . threesomes,” Grace responded.

    Kara felt her cheeks flush. “I . . . uh . . . wouldn’t really know about that kind of thing.”

    “Now, I could definitely help you with that,” J.M. said.

    “You want to have sex in an elevator?” she blurted before her brain censor could kick in.

    “Well, of course. But I was thinking I could help you identify various types of fantasies. I’ve researched women’s fantasies as part of what I do. I had a friend who used hypnotism to discover what her deepest fantasies were, and to bring them to life. She’d always had a problem coming to orgasm and it helped her immensely. Doing a column about fantasies could be very helpful and informative for your readers.”

    “So . . . you’re offering to hypnotize me?”

    “I could do that. Or . . . maybe I could arrange something a little more interesting.”

    After the party, J.M. walked Kara and Grace to their floor. Intense awareness of J.M. rippled through her as she’d stood beside him in the elevator and now as they walked down the hall. They stopped in front of Kara’s door.

    “Well, I’m heading off to bed. Good night.” Grace unlocked her door and went inside.

    Kara glanced at J.M., ready to tell him she needed to get some sleep, that she’d see him the next morning, but he rested his hands on her shoulders and gazed at her with simmering chocolate brown eyes. Heat emanated from his hands, washing through her, turning her insides to mush. An incredible yearning jolted through her. She stepped closer, rested her hand on his cheek, and kissed him. His arms came around her and he tugged her tight to his body. Their lips joined in a blaze of passion.

    Their lips parted and she gazed into his eyes.

    “Come in,” she murmured breathlessly.

    She reached into her small purse and pulled out her key card. As soon as they were inside the room, he shoved the door closed and tugged her into his arms again, then plundered her mouth with sure strokes of