Her reaction to him wasn’t what she’d expected, either.
Mallory had a plan to bring this man to his knees. She’d get him out of her system then leave him before he even knew what had hit him. But right now, with the water crashing on her back, the steam caressing her body until she felt every inch of her naked skin so achy beneath his strong fingers, her plan seemed less about satisfying vengeance than desire.
“Join me.” She whispered the words against his open mouth, surprised by the husky intensity of her voice. Running her tongue over his lower lip, she chased the words with a bold stroke that reestablished some of her control.
But Jake didn’t break their kiss, either. He nibbled his way along her upper lip, his hot velvet mouth nipping greedily, sending the most exquisite tingles shooting through her, and making a total lie out of her control.
“I thought you had some place to be shortly.”
“I lied.”
To her surprise, he chuckled, a burst of warm sound against her mouth. He broke their kiss and she eased up on his tie, letting him lift his head. But she didn’t relinquish her grip entirely. She liked knowing she could drag his mouth back down to hers when she chose.
“Why?”
“So I could get naked in front of you.”
She wanted to put a dent in his composure, but he only inclined his tawny head in acknowledgment and slipped his wire-rimmed glasses from his nose. She watched as he snapped the arms into place and dropped them into his jacket pocket, seemingly unconcerned with the condition of his clothes, which showed the effects of her exploration in a big way.
Then he met her gaze, and she was surprised to find that staring into his brown eyes without the shield of clear plastic lenses and wire frames was an entirely different experience.
He had warm steady eyes, the rich brown shade an extension of his tawny hair and tanned skin, a color that added to her impression that he glowed golden from the inside out.
He eyed her, as though carefully considering her offer. His calm deliberation threw her. He shouldn’t be so in control after the hot kiss they’d shared. He should be a little raw around the edges right now.
Like she was.
Mallory had no doubt he wanted her. One glimpse at the erection spoiling the tailored line of his slacks proved that beyond question, but he was far too in control of himself for her liking.
“You’re testing me,” he said.
She felt foolishly fluttery beneath his gaze. And standing here naked before his fully clothed self, she felt very much like an errant child who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
“Does that bother you, Jake?” she injected a level of calm she wasn’t feeling into her voice. “I want to see what you’re made of.”
“You want to see how far you can push me.”
“Are you hoping to call my bluff?”
He shook his head, sending thick tawny hair across his brow. “No.”
“No?”
“I don’t think you’re bluffing.”
Before she realized what he was about, his hand surrounded her breast, lightly abrading her skin with callused fingertips. Her nipple puckered and her breath hitched, an audible gasp that echoed above the running water and made him smile.
Pressing his advantage, he squeezed her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. A ribbon of heat shot straight to that sensitive place between her thighs. She sucked in another gulp of air that made his smile grow even wider.
“I’m not the only one here discovering my limits, am I?” he asked, his voice as sultry and sure as deep silk.
She didn’t answer, was too busy breathing through that grasping pulse between her thighs. But she found that she liked the way he wasn’t mowed down by her invitation. She might be standing here naked, and he might want her, but Jake Trinity was still thinking on his feet, questioning her motives, not willing to jump in until he satisfied his curiosity.
She found that rather…stimulating.
“Am I, Mallory?”
He pinched her nipple again, making her grow wet in a way that had nothing to do with the eight shower jets behind her.
“No.” She sounded just the tiniest bit resentful and that seemed to amuse him, too.
“Do you always mix business with pleasure?”
“No,” she replied honestly. “Only when it suits me.”
“And I suit you?”
She laughed, an attempt to regain her equilibrium. “I’m surprised you have to ask me that question. I kissed you ten years ago, remember?”
“I thought you were trying to stall me, or distract me.”
“I was.” She took another deep breath against the way he was thumbing her nipple, raising her body temperature with each idle stroke. “But I’d never have come up with the idea if I hadn’t found you attractive.”
“So which was it, stall or distract?”
Each lazy stroke made that need sizzle low in her belly and her knees grow a little weaker. “Both.”
“You succeeded.”
She also liked that he admitted it openly. No pretenses. No delicate male ego needing to be propped up with lies. “Am I distracting you now?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Am I stalling you?” he asked.
“Yes, but I don’t understand why. You want me.”
He inclined his head in a gesture she found almost regal in its certainty. “I do.”
“Then why resist?”
“I’m not. I just haven’t decided to take you up on your offer yet. I want to understand what you hope to accomplish.”
With her fingers wrapped around his tie, she forced him to lower his head until she could whisper in his ear. “Orgasm.”
The effect of that word was visible. His expensive suit didn’t conceal the way his chest rose and fell with a ragged breath, didn’t hide the shudder that rocked his body and brought to mind an image of a big cat purring.
She wanted to press against him, feel the contrast of fine silk and hard muscle against her naked skin. She wanted to feel the vibration when his breath rumbled deep in his chest. She wanted to become intimately acquainted with the erection that kept drawing her gaze, fascinating her with its sheer proportions.
She wanted this man a little too much.
