More than a Mistress(15)

Then she turned to Travis.

He was lying as she'd left him, completely naked. His hands were clasped  under his head, his feet were crossed at the ankles. And, she was  disconcerted to see, he was still partly aroused.

Cover yourself, she wanted to scream-but she was afraid her voice would  tremble and give away the truth, that she knew how little it would take  to arouse him fully, to make him want her. All she had to do was go to  him, put her hand around him. Or her mouth. She hadn't done that, not  ever, but suddenly she wanted-she wanted...

She turned away, made what she knew would be a useless search for her slippers, then swung toward him again.

"I'm sure you'd like to shower," she said.

He didn't answer.

"I think I mentioned it earlier, didn't I? That there's another bathroom just down the hall?"

He didn't speak. He just kept looking at her.

"You'll find soaps, toothbrushes, towels-everything you need, in the drawers under the sink.

"How very thoughtful of you, Ms. Thorpe."

There was a warning edge to his voice but she didn't care.

All that mattered was getting him out of here.

"But then, I'm sure all your gentlemen guests tell you

that."

His meaning was clear. She considered correcting him and decided it  would serve no purpose except to feed his ego, but there was no way to  stop the color from creeping up under her skin. She lifted her chin,  just enough so he'd know she wasn't intimidated.

"I try to be accommodating, Mr. Baron, if that's what you mean."

He smiled lazily, sat up and rose to his feet. "Oh, yes, Ms. Thorpe," he  said. His soft drawl, she noticed, was gone. "You surely do. And you're  very good at it. At being-what did you call it? Accommodating."

She knew her color was intensifying, along with the desire to fly across  the room, slap his face and tell him-tell him what? That she'd never  done anything like this before? That she still didn't believe she'd done  it? He'd never believe her.                       
       
           



       

"Mr. Baron." Alex took a deep breath and tucked her hands into the  pockets of her robe. "Mr. Baron, it's been an-an enjoyable day...."

"But it's ended." His teeth flashed in a quick, mirthless grin. "Come  on, Ms. Thorpe, don't be shy. Or is it that you're trying to act the  part of the perfect hostess, and perfect hostesses never want to have to  tell a guest, straight out, that the party's over?"

"Mr. Baron. Really, it's just-it's just..." Her eyes fixed on his. "Do you think you could put some clothes on, please?"

Travis looked down at himself, then at her. "My oh my," he said,  eyebrows raised in a parody of amazement, the drawl creeping into his  voice again. "However did that happen, I wonder? That I'd be standin'  here in your bedroom, naked as a jaybird, while you stood over there all  dressed up in a robe-a robe coverin' a body which, until a couple of  minutes ago, was every bit as naked as mine?" His voice, and his eyes,  turned hard. "Or am I supposed to forget little details like that, Ms.  Thorpe?"

"You're making this unnecessarily difficult," Alex said calmly, even though her heart was thumping again.

His eyes narrowed. He looked at her for what seemed an eternity and then  he gave a sharp laugh, reached for his jeans and pulled them on.

"You're right," he said. He sat down on the edge of the bed and tugged on his boots. "And why in hell should it be?"

Alex swallowed dryly. The balance of power had just shifted but she  didn't know how, or why. She watched as Travis stood up, grabbed his  black T-shirt and put it on. He turned to the mirror over her dresser,  ran his hands through his hair as casually as if he were in his own  bedroom, then looked at her and smiled. She thought it was a smile,  anyway.

"Here we are, two grown-up people." Still smiling, he zipped his jeans,  tucked his thumbs into the belt loops and sauntered toward her. "Both of  us well over the age of consent. Isn't that right, Princess?"

She wanted to move back before he reached her. That smile worried her.  So did the way he was moving, like a big cat that knew it had finally  cornered its prey. But she'd had enough of being humiliated by Travis  Baron to last a lifetime. She was damned if she'd permit him to do it  again.

"Yes," she said coolly, keeping her eyes on his. "It's absolutely right. I'm glad you see it that way."

"Why, Princess, what other way could I see it?" He came to a stop only  inches away, close enough so she had to tip her head back to keep  meeting his cold green gaze. "I mean, let's just look at how things  stand." His smile tilted and the look in his eyes grew even more stony.  "It isn't as if I was payin' a social call, Alex. We both know that: You  bought me for a purpose-and I delivered."

She could feel herself beginning to tremble. Don't, she told herself  furiously, oh, don't let him see that he's starting to frighten you.

"I damn well did deliver, didn't I, Princess?" Travis's tone changed,  became as rock-hard as his eyes. "And now you're tired of playing with  the hired help."

"I have-I have a dinner appointment," Alex said, trying for some dignity.

"A dinner appointment." His teeth flashed in a cold smile. "Now, isn't that nice?"

"Yes. And-and my date's coming to pick me up soon. So you'd better-"

"Is that a threat, Princess?" The smile glittered again. He put one hand  on the wall beside her head and leaned toward her. "Let me give you  some advice, Ms. Thorpe." His voice was low and ominous. "Where I come  from, nobody's fool enough to buy a stud horse without first checkin'  his pedigree. "

"I want you out of my house this minute!"

"Playing this kind of game with a strange man could have turned out to  be the worst nightmare you ever had." His voice was silky with malice.  He shifted his weight and, despite her best intentions, she stumbled  back a step. "You don't know me, or what turns me on. I could have done  anything I wanted. Beaten you. Bruised you. Left you lying in a pool of  your own blood."

"You're trying to frighten me. And I don't like it."

"Oh, I think you do. I think maybe that's what turns you on." She  flinched as he encircled her throat with his hand. Her pulse was racing;  she felt it jerk beneath his thumb. "A little hint of danger. Knowin'  that the guy you lure into your bed might as easily finish you as-"

"Get out," Alex said furiously, "just get the hell out of my house!"

"I intend to. I wouldn't want to keep you from your date." His gaze  dropped to her mouth as he touched his thumb over her bottom lip and  slid it along the soft crescent. "But first, I'm making you a promise."                       
       
           



       

The words were softly spoken, touched not with malevolence but with  something Alex sensed was far more dangerous, something that made her  pulse quicken.

"Travis," she said quickly, "you don't understand-"

"I do, Princess. Oh, I do, believe me." His hand slid into her hair,  cupped her nape. Gently, inexorably, he tipped her face to his. "I just  want to be sure you understand, as well."

"Understand what?" she said in a shaky whisper.

"This," he said, and crushed her mouth beneath his.

Alex struggled against him. She told herself that, later, assured herself that she put up some kind of resistance...

It was just that it didn't last.

She moaned, caught the fabric of his shirt in her hands, opened her  mouth to his and gave herself up to the kiss. He swept his arms around  her and gathered her into his embrace, lifted her into the cradle of his  hips, rocked her against his hardness.

It was like being swept up in a firestorm. There was no time to think,  no wondering what was right and what was wrong. She was on fire and the  flames were burning too hot, too fast, to contain.

Travis's mouth clung to hers as he tore open her robe, dragged it off  her shoulders and let it puddle at her feet. He shaped her breasts with  his hands, then skimmed his palms down her hips and clasped her bottom.  Still kissing her, he lifted her to him again.

"Please," she said brokenly. "Oh, Travis, please..."

It was the way he'd taken her that morning, the way he'd almost taken  her last night... and yet, this would be different. For all the  swiftness of their desire, all the raw, primal urgency, Alex felt a  sweetness to it now. It made her tremble. She'd wanted Travis to teach  her what a woman could feel, but she felt more, in his arms. She  felt-she felt...

He put her from him so abruptly that she almost fell. Her eyes flew  open. She looked at him through the mist of her tears and saw a face  that might have been chiseled from granite.