The loss of her parents certainly qualified on that front.
The proverbial “I’m sorry” sprang to his lips but he kept it to himself. Of all the things he should say, a pithy platitude wasn’t it. “That’s a long time.”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to let on you know a woman’s age?” A wry smile ghosted her mouth and the urge to lean forward and press his lips to hers gripped him with sharp claws. But again, he held back. Tamped down on the obvious and reached for her hand instead.
“It was more a reference to how young you were when you lost them. And, for what it’s worth, I find a few years on a woman gives her character.” He lifted her hand to his lips, unable to fully resist. “Makes her beauty more authentic somehow.”
Her hand flexed under his, but she didn’t pull it back. “I told you at lunch yesterday we weren’t going there, Jack.”
“Why not?”
“It’s messy and complicated, not to mention unprofessional. We’re working on a job.”
He kept his fingers locked around hers but resettled their joined hands on the small armrest between them. “A job that requires us to have each other’s backs.”
The lightest stain colored her cheeks and he couldn’t restrain the very real interest that tightened his stomach once more. He was interested in her—hell, he’d have to be long past dead not to be—and the time in her company only made it more urgent.
More necessary.
“I’m not going to be seduced by some simple words and those come-hither eyes of yours.”
Her comment left her open, and he prided himself on being a man who didn’t miss an opportunity. “What will you be seduced by?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“But I did.”
“Why do you keep pushing this?”
Why did he keep pressing the issue? And when, exactly, had that little devil planted itself on his shoulder, intent on ruffling her very smooth feathers?
Was it the moment he saw her fluster ever so slightly in her home office? Or was it the moment he stared down at her in the jewelry store, a diamond ring shining boldly off her left hand? Or was it the moment he pressed his lips to hers, the rich, ripe taste a succulent feast?
Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter any longer. He was captivated by her. And he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to do his level best to show her.
“Because I’m interested, Kensington.” He leaned into her, the small space making it a short trip. “Very interested.”
He brushed his mouth to hers, the small puff of air against his lips as she sighed the sweetest victory.
The rich Chianti she’d ordered was a bold match for the taste of her. Where he’d had the advantage of surprise while they’d stood at the jeweler’s the day before, here he had the luxury of time. The darkened interior of the airplane cabin cocooned them as one moment spun into the next.
Another soft sigh left her lips, the sound echoing in her throat in counterpoint to the increasing urgency of the kiss. Her hands gripped his shirt at the shoulders and he felt the flex of her fingers along the base of his neck.
And then she surrendered.
One last sigh—was that contentment or acceptance?—drifted from the back of her throat. She tilted her head to give him better access before pulling him closer. And the delicious play of her tongue over his had need coursing through his body in hard, pulsing waves.
He knew there was a woman underneath that calm, cool exterior very few saw. How enticing, then, that he’d be fortunate enough to get a glimpse.
His hands skimmed the width of her shoulder before dipping down her arm, then snaking over her waist. The firm muscles over her hip bone captivated him and he allowed his fingers to drift over the edge of her slacks. The heat of her skin branded him and the soft flesh sent another shock of need spiraling through his system.
With a last muffled protest from his conscience, he pulled back, breaking the erotic contact.
Those lush blue eyes were wide with shock and need, her large pupils a ready sign of her arousal. “Now do you see why we can’t do this?”
“That kiss only reinforced my point, darling.”
“Exactly.” She shifted and lay back against her seat. “We’ve got a job to do and we need to keep our heads in the game. Neither of us have worked this hard to throw it away on a few moments of fun.”
She bricked up her personal walls with swift efficiency, her emotions winking out like a light.
And we’re right back to that calm, cool exterior, he couldn’t help thinking before the urge to bait her got the better of him. “Hide behind your work all you want, Kensington. I’m quite good at multitasking when I put my mind to it. And I’ve got absolutely no problem juggling my personal life with my professional one.”
She sat back up at that, the sexual haze in her gaze vanishing as good old-fashioned ire rose up to take its place. “I’m not hiding behind anything.”
“You sure about that? Because I wasn’t just kissing myself.”
“Oh, for God’s sake—enough. We’re grown-ups. We can behave like rational, professional adults.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself, darling.”
“I don’t need to tell myself anything. I get along just fine.”
Jack wasn’t sure what it was—the subtle challenge or just this strange madness that gripped him every time he was in her presence—but he knew he couldn’t back down. He leaned forward on one elbow, his gaze unwavering on hers. “Know this. When we do make love—and believe me, we will—I’m going to strip away every bit of that prim, proper exterior to reveal the woman underneath.”
“This is a ridiculous conversation. Only I choose whom I share my bed with.” Her words were flat but the clear notes of irritation sparked underneath each syllable.
“Then you know damn well the next man you share it with is going to be me.”
Jack lay his head back on his seat, but just before he closed his eyes, he had the satisfaction of seeing her mouth screw up in a small, thin line. He was just petty enough—and aroused as hell—to feel a perverse sense of satisfaction.
Served her right.
Now they’d both spend the damn flight clamped in the shockingly uncomfortable jaws of arousal, the promise of explosive passion winking just out of reach.
* * *
Jack’s words echoed in her thoughts throughout the flight and on their cab ride from the airport. The statement that she’d share his bed as if it were a fait accompli. Or worse, as if she had no choice in the matter.
But
