Down and Dirty(32)

“Why cancel the jump? You’ve been dying to do it, so do it.”

“I was supposed to go with a girl from work, but something came up and she can’t make it. The thing is, it’s a two-person rig, so if I went alone I’d be paired with a stranger. Just won’t be as much fun.”

“I’ll go with you.”

She stared at him dubiously. “It doesn’t really seem like your thing.”

“I spend a lot of time in risky conditions for work, so it’s not something I’d necessarily go out of my way to do for pleasure, but I’d do it to support a friend if she didn’t want to go alone.” She hadn’t said no yet, but she was about to. “I can tell you’re looking for a reason to say no, but I’m not sure why. Friends help each other. Unless you’re afraid?”

“Afraid? Not a chance. I’ve gone skydiving, parasailing, hang gliding, swimming with sharks.” She ticked each one off on her fingers. “I’m not scared to bungee-jump.”

“I didn’t say you were. I was thinking maybe you were afraid of bungee jumping…with me.” He stepped closer. Close enough to see her pupils dilate and the pulse pound in her throat.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The column of her neck worked as she swallowed, and any thoughts of letting her off easy crashed and burned. He closed the remaining distance between them, pressing forward until her back was against the wall.

“You tell me.”





Chapter Seven

What was the question again?

Hell if she could remember. His mouth was so close, his big body crowding her, frazzling her already-frayed nerves.

“I don’t want you to kiss me,” she heard herself murmur, even as she stretched onto her tiptoes to get closer to his lips.

“That isn’t what I asked you,” he said, tracing the line of her cheekbone with his finger. “I asked why you’re afraid of me.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“You are. And I want to know why.” His lips followed the path his finger created, brushing along her skin like a whisper.

“I—I just don’t want to get involved with someone who—” She gasped when his warm breath caressed her earlobe.

“Someone who?”

She shouldn’t answer. It would only make things worse if he knew, but the words were out before she could stop them. “Someone who makes me feel like this.”

The groan seemed torn from his throat, and he bent low, wrapping his strong arms around her. The instant his mouth touched hers, the dam broke. Everything she’d been feeling rushed forward like a tidal wave. She twined her arms around his neck and plastered herself against him, reveling in the feel of his tightly bunched muscles. His tongue stroked hers in a primal rhythm that made her stomach clench with need. His mouth was magic, and the memory of him between her thighs was almost too much to bear.

She slid a restless hand into his hair and tugged, desperate for more. His palms drifted lower, cupping her ass and lifting her clear off the ground. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his hips, crying out against his mouth when the hard, thick length of him pressed against the spot already so primed for his touch. It was sublime, and she fluttered her hips against his in a wordless plea for more. He sucked gently on her bottom lip, then rolled his pelvis, wringing a moan from her when his erection rocked against her clit harder this time. He drew back and repeated the motion, again and again, fanning the flames higher and hotter, almost out of control.

He pulled his mouth from hers to press soft kisses along her jaw, down her neck. “God, you are so fucking sexy,” he murmured, gripping her ass tighter, using his hold to grind her against his rock-hard cock in a way that had the blood pounding in her ears. She was one firm touch, one clever finger away from a mind-blowing orgasm.

“Hold on tight,” he growled.

She did, gripping his thick shoulders with all her might and locking her legs tighter around his waist.

“Good girl.” He pulled away from the wall, and she whimpered at the loss of pressure between her legs. She quieted a second later when he sat her on the dining room table, urging her to lean back on her hands. “I just need to see you this time.” His voice was all grit and need, and she quivered, powerless to deny him. He traced the skin on her stomach reverently, then slowly lifted her sweater higher.

“Beautiful,” he muttered, tracing the scalloped edge of her strapless black bra. With a flick of his fingers he released the closure, and it fell to the side.

The chilly air hit her, and her nipples tightened even more, but it was the heat in his eyes that had her whole body quivering.