Breathless In Love (The Maverick Billionaires #1)(14)

Her mouth dropped open before she could stop it. “You mean a Birdcage Maserati? The one he’s been dying for?”

“That’s the one.”

“But you said they don’t make kits like that.”

He shrugged. “I found someone who can pull it all together for me.”

He made it sound so easy, but she knew it couldn’t be. “That must cost a fortune. I can’t let you spend that kind of money on my brother.”

“I don’t waste my money,” he told her, “but I do like knowing I have it to spend on things that are important to me. The fact that this kit car is important to Jeremy, too, makes it worth even more. I wanted to talk to you about it before I mentioned it to him, though.”

Harper knew how thrilled Jeremy was with this new friendship. Will was his first real male friend, not someone Harper had brought home. They didn’t just talk about cars, but sometimes veered off into other guy things, like sports and action movies. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d heard her brother invoke Will’s name over the last few days.

“Look, that’s very nice of you, but—” She put her mug down, stepped back, and forced herself to forget that she was talking to a powerful billionaire who was so sexy he made her knees weak. She needed to be totally honest right now. “My brother really likes you. And when you get tired of him, he’s going to be hurt.”

Will’s expression was unreadable as he repeated, “When I get tired of him?”

“Talking to him on Skype. Buying a car to work on together. That’s the kind of thing a father does. Or a brother. But you’re neither of those things. And I know there must be a thousand other important things that you could be doing instead of hanging out with him. So since I don’t understand your intentions, how can I not worry that he’ll end up hurt?”

Will set down the tiger mug and held her gaze. “First of all, when Jeremy wrote to me, his enthusiasm came through loud and clear on the page. His attitude is refreshing and like I said, I like him.” He moved in on her, one step, then two. “So where Jeremy is concerned, I don’t have any intentions except to build a car I believe he’d enjoy helping me with.” One more step, and he had her backed up against the breakfast bar.

“But with you?” He gently cupped her jaw, stroking it with his thumb, which left a trail of sparks in its wake. “I have a hell of a lot of intentions for you, Harper. So many you wouldn’t believe it. So many I’ve been going crazy giving you that time you said you needed after our first date.”

Her heart stuttered and stopped, then beat as wildly as it had speeding along in his car with the top down. As crazily as it had the moment she’d grabbed his shirt and dragged his mouth down to hers.

“I intend to touch you.” He slid his hand lower to bracket her throat loosely, his fingers a light caress that turned her skin hot. “I intend to make you moan with pleasure.”

She leaned back, gripping the counter behind her. Her legs seemed so weak that she was barely able to stay upright as he bent his head until his lips were only a breath away.

“I intend to kiss you so slowly, so thoroughly, that you’ll be begging me to never, ever stop.”

Didn’t he know every inch of her already burned for him, inside and out? He was a master of the slow, agonizing caress, and everything inside seemed to be melting, every part of her burning up.

She felt the moistness of his breath along the shell of her ear. He inhaled slowly, scenting her, his chest rising, but he didn’t press against her, didn’t let her feel the rest of his body, which somehow made it all the more sensual and erotic.

“And I intend for you to have your taste of me, too.” Those wicked hands of his skimmed down her sides, barely touching but laying down fiery tracks of heat nonetheless. “As much of me as you want, Harper. As much of me as you need.”

She almost whimpered, almost said yes.

Yes, please.

She had to hold onto the breakfast bar behind her for dear life...otherwise she was in danger of leaping on him and begging for everything he promised.

She wanted him now. Needed him now. Was crazy for him now. And all she had to do was take—put her hands on him and take.

But right then, he stepped back, giving her room to breathe again.

Barely.

“Now you know my intentions for both of you.” His voice was low, intense. He backed up two more steps, then added, “As for Jeremy, I’m guessing he might learn some new skills. It could be good for him to have a man around. I should have the first shipment of parts a week from Saturday.”

When he put it that way, she felt churlish for saying no. Especially when she knew he was right, that working on the kit car together could be good for Jeremy. Her brother had blossomed around Will, even if it was only chatting on Skype in the evenings. Did she have the right to deny him this opportunity? She wanted to watch out for him, but she didn’t mean to stifle him, too.

Harper took a deep breath, one that didn’t give her nearly enough oxygen to make up for all that Will’s hot words had just stolen from her. “Okay, I’ll let you work with Jeremy on the car. I know he’ll be ecstatic when you tell him. But as for you and me...” She licked her lips and, despite the desperate need racing through her, forced herself to tell him, “I know I might have given you some mixed signals the other night—” And again today when I all but dared you to kiss me. “—and I regret doing that, but I still can’t date you.”

“Can’t?” He raised an eyebrow, the dark heat still in his eyes. “Or won’t?”

She raised an eyebrow right back at him, even though she wasn’t doing a good job tamping down the heat glowing inside her. “Is there a difference?”

“Can’t means you’re already with another guy and aren’t available to date me. Won’t means you still don’t trust me enough to let me take you out again.”

“We had a nice dinner, and you’ve been very sweet to my brother, but I don’t know you, Will. All I know are your intentions.” Very wicked ones, at that. Deliciously wicked, some might say.

“I’m not asking you to decide about us today, but I am asking you to give me another chance before you make up your mind about whether to shut me down or not.”

He held her gaze for another long moment, letting her see his desire—and something more. Something she couldn’t quite define, but that touched her all the same. Maybe because it mirrored the longing for him she couldn’t figure out how to stop feeling.

“I like you, Harper. I like how straightforward you are. I like how smart you are. I like how you care so deeply for your brother.”

She was nearly speechless from all the wonderful things he’d just said about her. Had any other man ever noticed—or appreciated—so much about her? Or thrown her quite so far off her game all at the same time?

“And I sure as hell like kissing you and holding you in my arms.” With that, he pushed away from the kitchen counter and said, “I’d like to tell Jeremy about the Maserati kit when he calls tonight, if that’s all right with you.”

Even if she knew that she needed to say no on her own account, she couldn’t say no for her brother. “That’s fine with me.”

“And will you be able to bring him over the Saturday after next to start the work?”

“Yes.”

But she honestly wasn’t sure whether she was saying yes for Jeremy.

Or for herself.

* * *

Will punched the gas and veered around a slow car in the fast lane as he headed away from Harper’s house and to his office. The Lamborghini shot ahead, and the burst of speed was a rush.

But it wasn’t anywhere close to the rush he’d felt with Harper.

She’d had every right to call him on his intentions with Jeremy. But he still wasn’t sure she understood that the cost of the Maserati kit was nothing compared to what Will would get out of it. Jeremy made him feel like he had a second chance to make up for the worst of the things he’d done when he was a kid.

And Harper simply made him feel.

He’d been charmed by the animal mugs, and her endearingly messy house, so in contrast with the professional façade she wore. On the surface, she was polite and polished, but after seeing her at home, he now believed more than ever that there was a wild—and delightfully unruly—woman inside of her dying to break out.

She was so strong as she’d peppered him with her questions—and so sexy that he’d been this close to pushing for everything he wanted, right there in her kitchen. But he’d only let himself push a little bit. Only let himself tease her with words and brief touches until they were both panting with need.

Sweet Lord, had she ever been heaven against him. The leggings had revealed every gorgeous contour of her legs, while the sweater had made him desperate to uncover the rest of her sweetness. Even the striped toe socks had kicked his heart into high gear. She’d smelled delicious, like fruity shampoo and shower gel and lotion, and without makeup, her skin had been peaches-and-cream smooth.

In the end, though it had nearly killed him to push away from her and walk out of that kitchen knowing he wouldn’t see her again for nearly a week and half, the big tease had been perfect. Because they’d been riding the edge together. Soon, he’d push them both over.