Dangerous Secrets (Montana Men #6)(19)

"I scare you. That's why you keep backing away from me," he countered.

"You annoy me," she argued right back.

"If you'd stop running from me, I could show you that I'm not a big, bad boogie man."

She didn't believe him. Not for a second. "You don't scare me," she lied again. She was getting pretty good at that. Unfortunately, the look in his eyes told her that he didn't believe her. Not for a second.

"Prove it," he said softly but with a force to his voice that dared her to follow through.

She shivered as he leaned forward, resting his hands on the railing behind her. That meant that she had to lean back further or her body would be flush with his. Not good, she thought frantically. 

"I can't prove something that doesn't exist," she argued right back.

"Your fear exists. I just have to understand why and counter the problem."

She shook her head, trying to concentrate. "That's specious reasoning and you know it."

He lifted his hand, drawing a line from her chin down to her chest where her denim shirt was open. "Specious reasoning implies that I have no evidence of my argument. That my claim is fallacious."

She swallowed, focusing more on his finger. She blinked, trying to think. "Your claim is that I'm afraid of you. There's no evidence of that."

His smile was slow and devastating, making every muscle in her body tighten with anticipation. "By your own claim, you've been avoiding me for the past few days. Also, every time I'm around you, I can feel your body trembling. Now," he paused and looked down, his finger shifting the material of her shirt farther away, and her breath caught as he released another button, giving that rough finger a bit more space to explore, "why would you feel the need to avoid me and yet, tremble every time I'm close if you're not afraid of me? Or," he paused, his finger sliding slightly underneath the lace of her bra, "maybe you're afraid of yourself, of what happens when I'm close by. Touching you."

Halley tried very hard to be still, but her body betrayed her. When that curious finger slipped inside her bra, she shuddered! She wanted more, but wasn't sure how to ask.

"Please," she whispered.

Mike was still watching her breast, rubbing his finger back and forth, going a tiny bit deeper with each pass. "Please what, Halley?" he asked softly. He was focused on that finger, on exploring the creamy perfection of her breast. When his finger moved lower, releasing yet another button, then another, he could feel her heart pounding in her chest. He saw the rapid rise and fall of her chest and could sense the barely restrained anticipation inside of her.

"You can touch me if you'd like," he suggested softly, pushing the denim further back. He loved the way she felt underneath his fingers as well as the soft, flowery scent of her. He loved the way her nipple was already puckering and he released another button so that he could push the material out of the way. He wanted to see her, to feel her, and hold her. When the material was pushed aside, he could see her breast through the lace, her nipple was dark and pink and ready for him. But he slowed down.

"Talk to me Halley. What frightens you?"

She shuddered, closing her eyes as her body ached, needing to feel his fingers touching her nipple. It was like an ache, a need so deep and desperate that she couldn't stop the sounds of desperation coming from her throat.

When he still teased her, his finger strolling along the sensitive skin that she'd had no idea was so responsive, but wasn't doing what she needed him to do!

"Mike!" she gasped when he came so close, but not close enough.

"What do you need?" he asked, but knew exactly what she wanted.

She wouldn't say the words. She couldn't! So instead, she grabbed his finger and placed it there, right there on her nipple.

Oh, he was good! That deep chuckle was followed by his finger rubbing against that peak, her head falling backwards as desire hit her hard and fast. "Mike!" she gasped when his thumb and forefinger pinched her nipple.

Mike couldn't take it any longer. Lifting her up into his arms, his mouth latched onto that nipple as he carried her into her house. He didn't stop until he'd slammed the door with his heel, then proceeded to her bedroom.

Laying her gently on the bed, he looked down at her as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto the floor. A moment later, he was leaning over her, his hands braced over her head as he lowered himself down, taking that nipple into his mouth again. He felt her body writhe against his ministrations, only making him crazier.