Page 20

G rayson returned to the bed, to the woman who was shyly smiling at him. “You’re beautiful.” She really was, both inside and out.

“Thank you.”

He liked that she didn’t try to blow off his compliment by denying it. A week ago, she would have. He put his hand on her knee. “Do you want to be in control?”

“What do you mean?”

“You get to say how this goes, what we do here tonight.” He didn’t know what her sex life had been like with Pressley, but he guessed the man hadn’t much cared what she wanted or liked. He was going to show her that what pleased her mattered.

“So, if I tell you to do something, you will?”

“Tonight, here in your bedroom, yes.” A grin appeared on her face, and he was a little worried about the mischief in her eyes.

“Take off your jeans.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He stood, removed his wallet and set it on the night table. Deciding to give her a show, he slowly lowered the zipper. Just as slowly, he pushed the jeans down over his hips all while keeping his eyes locked on hers. Damn if she didn’t lick her lips after he kicked his jeans aside and stood there in his boxer briefs…his very tented ones.

“Now the rest,” she said, her voice now a little husky.

He’d half expected the little mouse who’d first walked into The Phoenix Three to make an appearance, that she would revert to being shy and not sure of herself and what was about to happen between them. He was happy to be wrong.

When he stood in all his naked glory, she licked her lips again as she stared at his erection. While her gaze traveled over him, he stayed silent, waiting for her next command. He couldn’t remember being as hot for a woman as he was her, and his endurance was closing in on being nonexistent.

“I don’t know what to do now,” she said, lifting her eyes to his.

“What do you want to do?” he gritted out. She really needed to stop teasing her tongue over her bottom lip if she didn’t want him to fall on her like a starving man seeing a delicious meal for the first time. A bit dramatic there, Montana. Maybe so, but it was her fault he felt like a barbarian wanting to ravish the beautiful woman in front of him. She hadn’t even taken her clothes off yet, and he was ready to blow.

“I’m royally screwed,” he muttered. He hadn’t been looking for the one , and maybe she wasn’t that, but by the way his heart was pounding against his chest, he wasn’t sure of anything where she was concerned.

“Sorry. What?”

He wasn’t going to repeat what he hadn’t meant to say out loud, so he said instead, “Tell me what you want, Harlow.”

“I want to touch you.”

Every single part of him liked that idea. His feet reacted first by taking him to her. He sat on the bed near her legs. “I’m yours to touch.” She happily smiled, and he wanted to say a prayer of thanks to whoever brought her to him. He was pretty sure he wanted to keep her.

She tucked her feet under her legs, leaned forward and pressed her hands against his chest. “You’re harder than I thought you’d be.”

He snorted. “You have no idea, kitten.”

“Why do you call me that?”

“When I first met you, you reminded me of a shy kitten that was unsure of her place in the world.” He wasn’t about to tell her he’d actually thought of her as a shy mouse. “Then you grew into yourself, and my kitten got claws.”

“Your kitten?”

He hadn’t meant to claim her…yet. “Only if you want to be.”

“That would mean you’re my what?”

“I’ll be whatever you want me to be.” He could happily fall into those sea blue eyes looking at him with desire in them and never care about finding his way back. “Why do you still have clothes on?”

She laughed, and it was such a beautiful sound. “Because you haven’t taken them off.”

“We need to rectify that. Right now.” She lifted her arms, and he pulled her top up and over her head. He blew out a breath. She didn’t have a clue what she was doing to him.

Her skin was soft and warm under his fingertips as he traced the curve of her breast. He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, and when she opened up to him, he deepened the kiss. He slid his hand down to her waist, his fingers trailing along the edge of her shorts.

With their mouths still fused together, he deftly unbuttoned her shorts and slid the zipper down. He broke away so he could remove them. “Up.” She lifted enough for him to tug them down, revealing white bikini panties. “Killing me,” he murmured.

“Aren’t you going to take off my panties?” she said when he stretched out next to her.

“Not yet. I’m not done looking at you in them.” From her soft smile, that pleased her.

He lifted onto his elbow, leaned over her and brushed his lips over hers. From there, he trailed kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. She moaned and arched her back when he twirled his tongue around a nipple. He inwardly smiled when she clutched his hair, urging him on. He moved to her other breast, and while he lavished attention on that one, he slid his hand down her stomach to her sex.

Even though he was dying to be inside her, he locked his need down. Her pleasure came first. He eased his hand under her panties and a finger inside her. The scent of her arousal was in the air, and he inhaled her essence deep into his lungs. Sweetest smell in the world.

He’d barely touched her wet heat when her body tensed, and he knew she was on the edge of falling. “Let go,” he whispered, then took her mouth again as a shudder tsunamied through her body. She was so damn responsive.

“Grayson! Oh God,” she said through gasps to catch her breath.

When her eyes—amazement in them—latched onto his, he wanted to promise her that he’d dedicate his life to hearing her rasp those words every night for the rest of her life. He wanted her in his life. He wanted to sleep next to her every night. He craved her in ways he’d never craved anyone before. He hadn’t been looking to fall in love. Wasn’t sure that was where he was headed, but he’d never felt this way before.

He stayed with her until early morning, once making love to her hard and fast, later making love to her slow and easy. Slept for a few hours with his body curled around hers. Made love again. Wondered if he really was falling in love with her. Decided to think about it later.

In the early morning, he slipped out of her bed, and after dressing, he cleaned up the kitchen from the dinner they didn’t eat. He left a note on the counter in front of the coffeepot, and while it was still dark, he left the way he’d arrived.