She assumed he was yanking her chain and scoffed.“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious, Sloane.”
Her pulse tripped when she met his gaze and…damn.The cool detachment in his eyes had melted away, replaced with a simmering intensity that bordered on desire.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, his voice low and deliberate.He set the remote on the nightstand.“About the friend zone thing.”
She swallowed hard against the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.“What about it?”
“Well…” He dragged a hand through his close-cropped hair.“Tomorrow morning, Austin’s going to knock on that door, and this will all be over.You’ll go back to the cyber security team, and I’ll move on to my next assignment in personal protection.”
“Yeah.”When he put it that way, it made things seem so final.It turned their time together into just another assignment, which she supposed it was, but it didn’t sit well with her.
Navarre leaned toward her, and she caught a whiff of his scent, all clean, and fresh, and undeniably male.“We could…you know, just for tonight…suspend the parameters of the friend zone.”
Her breath caught I her throat.“Like a temporary ceasefire?”
He nodded slowly, his gaze never leaving hers.“I was thinking more along the lines of satisfying a craving that’s been building for far too long.”
It was a wonder he couldn’t hear the sound of her heart slamming against her rib cage.All the reasons they shouldn’t do this flashed through her mind.If she had a lick of sense, she’d turn him down flat.But every cell in her body wanted this—wanted him, even if it was only for tonight.
Anticipation raced through her veins.She licked her lips, and his eyes tracked the movement.“This is a bad idea.”
“I know.”He leaned closer.“The worst.”
“Totally unprofessional.”
“Good thing we’re not at the office.”
And then his mouth claimed hers, hot and seductive, the kiss loaded with so much passion it set her soul on fire.His fingers tunneled into her hair, holding her head in a dominating grip while he plundered her mouth like there was no tomorrow, and a familiar ache ignited within her and spread faster than lightning.
Head spinning, she reached for his robe, shoving the fabric off his broad shoulders so she could touch bare skin.Her fingers trailed from his shoulders to his chest, and she reveled in the feel of him, so warm and strong and vibrant.
Navarre reached down, tugged the sash free, yanked the robe from his body, and tossed it to the floor.
“Better?”he murmured against her mouth.
She glanced down and her heart nearly gave out at the sight of him.Sure, she’d seen most of him when he came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel, but Jacob Navarre in all his glory was truly a sight to behold.He was hotter than hell.And all hers for the night.She wanted everything this man had to offer, consequences be damned.
“Can I touch you?”she asked.
“God, yes.Wherever you want.”He kissed her again—longer, hotter, deeper—and her hands began to wander.
She reveled in the feel of hard muscles under warm, taut skin, all that power just waiting to be unleashed.Her hands drifted from his chest to his abs, tracing the ridges of each muscle as she went.Lower still, past his hips, and when her hand wrapped around his hard length, a groan rose from his throat.She marveled at the searing heat, at the feel of him pulse beneath her fingertips.With a stroke, he grew even harder, and she smiled at the knowledge that she did that to him.
Gently, he gripped her wrist and eased her hand away.“If you keep that up, it’ll be over before we get started.”
She laughed between kisses, while her hands resumed their explorations, mapping out each spot that made him hum, or growl, or groan—the man was vocal about what he liked.
He pulled his head back, breaking the kiss, his eyes heavy-lidded and glassy.“Your turn,” he said.“I want to see you, Sloane.All of you.”
Fingers clumsy, she unfastened the sash, and she sucked in a breath at the feel of cool air on her breasts.She slid her arms out of the sleeves, and Navarre tossed the robe to the floor with the other, leaving her completely exposed.And feeling a tiny bit awkward.It had been…well, let’s just say awhile, since she’d last gotten naked with a guy.Not to mention, she’d eaten a fair amount of junk food an hour or so ago, and—
“Christ, you’re fucking perfect.”The sheer reverence in Navarre’s voice melted a few of her insecurities, and when his hand palmed her breast, she forgot about them altogether.
He brushed his thumb over her hardened nipple, and she arched into his touch.Then he dipped his head, sucked the nipple into his mouth, and it felt so good she made a strangled sound.
Navarre’s gaze flicked up to hers.“You like that, eh?”
