parted and her eyes went glossy, the pale green mesmerizing. “Is that a proposition?”
“Bet your sweet little ass it is.”
“Surely you can do better than that.”
Both his brows went up.
She narrowed her gaze. “You’ll do better or I’m taking my sweet little ass home. Alone.”
Ah, but he did love it when she got all sassy.
He leaned in, touched his lips to hers. He cupped the side of her neck, sliding his fingers around the slim column to delve into her hair. He pulled her close, molding his body to hers as he took full possession of her mouth.
Heat slicked through his veins like rapidly flowing lava. He wanted her. To the point of desperation.
When he finally pulled away, they both breathed heavily and her eyes took on a sleepy, drugged look.
“How about I take you home with me and we make love all night long?” he murmured.
She licked those delectably swollen lips. “Now that’s better.”
Her husky voice shot straight to his gut and he realized he was a short fuse away from taking her right here in his friend’s kitchen and damn anyone who saw.
“You get the food,” he said in a strained voice. “I’ll get the wine.”
Two
Cameron pulled Pippa out the back door and the brisk chill of the winter air blew over her ears. She tugged her hand from Cameron’s long enough to pull her coat tighter around her, but he quickly reclaimed her wrist, hauling her ever closer to his car.
He stopped abruptly when they got to a midnight-black Escalade. He turned with a frown, still holding tightly to her hand.
“How did you arrive? Did you drive?”
Drive? She didn’t even own a car. Nor did she have a license, which was problematic given that she needed a delivery van to cater events.
She shook her head. “Ashley sent a car for me.”
He paused, arching one eyebrow. “And how did you get all that stuff here from New York?”
She flushed, feeling as though he were judging her and her abilities.
“I shopped here. Had the wine delivered. Ashley has an excellent kitchen.” Pippa should know since she was the one who’d stocked it from floor to ceiling. Ashley was clueless when it came to cooking, but Pippa was working to rectify that.
Cameron opened the passenger door to the Escalade and all but pushed her inside. “Good enough. It works out perfectly. I’ll have a car drive you back to the city in the morning.”
With that, he shut the door, leaving her a little disgruntled at how eager he seemed to be to get rid of her before they even had sex.
He stalked around the front, yanked open his door and climbed in, keying the ignition before he’d even settled onto the seat.
Then again, her feminine pride was stroked just a bit over how desperate he acted to get her to his house so the sexing could commence.
She knew he didn’t live far. Ashley had commented on the fact that they were now neighbors with Devon’s purchase of the new house.
Cameron tore down the driveway, his hands tight around the steering wheel as he navigated onto the paved lane. He drove about a quarter mile before turning into a gated drive. The gate swung open and Cameron accelerated up the winding path to the house.
Pippa couldn’t make much out about it in the dark. There weren’t any lights on. The mansion loomed in the shadows. It looked unwelcoming. She wondered if it was a hulking monstrosity built from stone like a medieval dwelling. She’d heard Devon tease Cameron about his “cave” and now she was curious.
Just before they got to the house, lights began to flicker on. Pippa realized that Cameron was turning them on remotely from the SUV. She leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse but was prevented as Cam pulled into the garage.
Determined that she wasn’t going to succumb to nerves or be caught at any disadvantage, she slid out of the passenger’s side and walked around to meet him by the door. He ushered her inside, one hand pressed to the small of her back.
They walked into a sprawling kitchen that made her drool with envy. It was nirvana to someone like her, who’d rather be hard at work over a stove than anywhere else. It was like a showroom, so immaculate that she wondered if anyone ever used it.
He didn’t pause or allow her to, either. He pressed ahead, running a gauntlet through a huge living room to the wooden staircase that opened into the foyer where the front entrance was. Tugging her behind him, he mounted the steps. She nearly had to run to keep up.
By the time they made it into the spacious master bedroom, she was slightly winded. But before she could think to catch up, he yanked her to him, molding her body against his. His lips found hers in a ravenous kiss that muddled her senses.
“You are so damn beautiful,” he muttered as his mouth skimmed down her jaw to her ear. “You drive me crazy. Across the room. If I even know you’re near.”
She smiled a tiny smile of satisfaction. What woman wouldn’t love to hear this?
He set her apart from him, his hands almost rough on her shoulders. He stood breathing hard, his fingers curled into her flesh.
“We need to discuss a few things before we get carried away.”
Though his words came out calm, his eyes blazed with a wildness that made her shiver. He wanted her. There was no question. She’d never been quite so devoured by something so simple as a man’s gaze.
“There are things you should know. Things I need to make clear so there is no misunderstanding.”
Her curiosity piqued, she lifted an eyebrow and gently shook away his hands. She eased onto the edge of the bed and then crossed one leg primly over her knee.
“Do go on. I’m listening.”
He frowned a moment, as if he couldn’t quite ascertain whether she was teasing him. Okay, she totally was, but what could be so important that he’d put a screeching halt to some pretty hot foreplay? Not that they’d really gotten that far into anything yet, but the way he kissed made her feel like they were already having sex.
He wiped a hand over his mouth, cupping his chin for a brief moment before he pinned her once more with that glittering gaze.
“I don’t do commitment. I need you to understand that if we go to bed together, this is a one-night stand. I won’t call you in a few days. I won’t call you, period. I’ll expect you to leave in the morning. I’ll provide a car for your transport back into the city.”
She blinked and then she laughed. It was clear it was the very last thing he’d expected her to do. Had he maybe expected her to stomp out of his bedroom in a huff?
Still
