Seconds tickedby.
She glanced into his eyes and saw a calculating expression. Was he deliberately provoking her? Hoping she’d run a mile? Oh, it was tempting, but if she was really going to change, and take charge of her life, she had to rise to hischallenge.
She took a deep breath and leaned forward, assailed by the all-male scent of him, warm and musky, with a hint of the mints he’d filched from her crystal candy dish. Bracing herself against his chest, she felt hard muscles and the steady thud of a heartbeat under herpalms.
She licked dry lips and gazed into his face for a moment. His eyes were fiercely focused on her mouth. The very air crackled between them and suddenly she didn’t care if she did everything wrong, shehadto kisshim.
She pressed her lips against his, and almost moaned at the heat that arced through her body at that slight touch. She let her tongue trail slowly along his bottom lip, and felt him shudder.Had she done that?Her own power intoxicated her and made her bold enough to do it again. And again. Finally, she worked up the courage to slip her tongue between his lips, and something inside her exploded as she dipped into that hot, wet mouth. It was as though all the rules of her life ceased to matter. She crushed them with her lips, flouted them with her greedytongue.
Like a starving woman at a banquet table, she wanted to taste and devour everything before her. Her lips left his and began kissing his jaw, his neck, where a steady pulse thrummed—pretty fast for a guy in such goodshape.
Her fingers tugged at his navy polo shirt, clawing at it until she’d released it from his jeans and could run her fingers over his warm, taut flesh. As her hands ascended, the smoothness gave way to rough hair. Mmm. She needed to see it, and that gave her the courage to yank his shirt over hishead.
He let her coo and touch and kiss his chest for a few minutes, then complained, “Seems to me you’re having all the fun here. How ‘bout we both bare ourchests?”
A bucket of cold water couldn’t have doused her libido faster. “Oh.” She glanced down at her chest. “It’s really not all thatexciting.”
His voice teased. “Looks pretty good fromhere.”
“That’s a marvel of modern engineering and underwire. Uncomfortable,too.”
“Then, as a humanitarian gesture, I think we should release you. I can’t enjoy myself knowing you’reuncomfortable.”
“It’s just so bright in here,” shewhispered.
“Why don’t we adjourn to the bedroom?” He kissed the back of her exposed neck, and even that simple little caress shivered along all her sex-starved nerveendings.
“No. Really, Ican’t—”
“Hey, I’m the one being seduced. Don’t I get a say? I’d feel a lot more comfortable in a bed.” He shot her a sideways glance. “With the lightsoff.”
Relief scudded through her. “Youwould?”
“Absolutely.”
She didn’t really believe him. But there was a telltale bulge in his pants that suggested something was going right in her sex life for a change. “Okay.”
“Get ready in the bathroom. I’ll meet you in thebedroom.”
She nodded agreement and slipped into her en suite bathroom. What exactly had he meant by “get ready?” She was on the Pill, but she’d still expect him to use acondom.
She brushed her teeth. Then flossed. She popped two vitamin B stress tabs to calm her nerves. Was she supposed to get undressed? It would save all that embarrassing fumbling later. Ooh, but what if it wasn’t dark when she left the bathroom? She slipped out of her dress and the fancy stockings, leaving just her bra and panties on, then took a deep breath, switched off the bathroom light and opened thedoor.
He hadn’t been kidding about liking things dark. Her bedroom was pitch-black. Eerily so. The curtains were drawn, the door closed. She couldn’t see athing.
She knew he was there, though. She could feel him. Sense him through her pores; taste him in the air around her. “Jake?”
From out of the darkness a hand brushed her naked belly, and she sucked in her breath,startled.
He stroked her belly, her side, traced her breasts through the lacy bra, then unhooked it and let it fall. Everything inside her came alert, each nerve ending vying for his attention. She felt each separate pad of each separate finger as he stroked and caressed her exposedbreasts.
Only his fingertips touched her. Nothing else. Not his mouth. Especially not his mouth. And she wanted his mouth on hers so badly she could taste it. Each time she took a step toward where she thought he was, she met empty air. When she raised her arms, he put them back at hersides.
“I thought I was seducing you,” shegroaned.
“You did.” His voice was a husky whisper. “Youdo.”
Those clever fingers stripped her of her bra and panties, and she barely noticed. Taking her by the hand, he led her to the bed, placing her on herback.
