One Night of Trouble(25)

He was. But he had the good sense to keep three feet of distance between them as they squared off in the hall.

“What the hell!” Brett blurted out. “I told you the arrangement was off.”

His lips twitched. “I decided to call your bluff.”

“It wasn’t a bluff. I meant every frickin’ word.”

“I know I left you hurting, but if it helps, I was hurting just as bad.” He ruefully glanced at his crotch.

Brett’s traitorous eyes lowered, and her breath hitched when she noticed his unmistakable hard-on.

“Good. You deserve to hurt.” Irritation bubbled inside her, along with indignation over what he’d done last night. Depriving her of an orgasm like that. Asshole. “I can’t believe you just stopped,” she muttered.

“I told you why I did.”

“Mmm-hmmm. Your bullshit anticipation excuse.”

“It wasn’t an excuse.” He took a step toward her. “The anticipation is half the fun, baby. The hunger…that burning ache of wanting something so badly but not being able to take it…”

The air in the hallway got hotter. Thickened with awareness.

AJ inched closer, slow and purposeful, effectively backing her into the wall. Her butt bumped into solid drywall. She had nowhere to go.

She found herself staring at his mouth. The sensual curve of it, the surprisingly full bottom lip. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop from acting on the impulse to kiss him.

“Did you make yourself come last night?” he murmured.

“Yes.” She shot him a haughty look. “Many times.”

“Liar.” He lifted his finger to her face and traced the seam of her lips. “You wouldn’t be this tense if you had.”

Brett gritted her teeth. “I’m tense because you crashed our barbecue. I told you I didn’t want you to come.”

“Bullshit. You do want me to come.” The silky note in his voice told her he wasn’t talking about the barbecue. “I want you to come, too.” His eyes grew heavy-lidded. “I wanted to feel your orgasm squeezing my cock last night.”

“But you stopped,” she reminded him in accusation.

“I stopped,” he agreed.

His hand drifted down to the waistband of her jeans.

Brett’s heart skipped a beat. “What are you doing?” she squeaked.

AJ didn’t answer. He popped open the button and pulled the zipper down, then slipped his hand inside. Her sex instantly clenched beneath his warm palm. She involuntarily rubbed against it, and God, it felt so good she almost keeled over.

Her body was hypersensitive from the lack of relief she’d given it yesterday, her clit swollen to the point of pain. She knew AJ could feel how damp her panties were, but she was too turned on to care.

He stroked her gently, the heel of his hand teasing her clit and unleashing a flurry of shivers. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she melted into his skillful touch.

“And I’m going to stop now, too.”

Brett’s eyes flew open. “What?”

“I’m going to take you to the edge again. And then yank you right back.”

God, she was already close. Just a tiny bit more pressure and she’d come apart, so hard she’d probably see stars.

But the pressure didn’t come. AJ withheld it from her, continuing to brush her clit with featherlight caresses.

“And after lunch?” he went on. “I’ll find another reason to get you alone, and I’ll do it again.” He drew a teasing circle around her clit. “By the time this day is over, you’re going to want me so bad you won’t be able to breathe. You won’t be able to walk without feeling that burn between your legs.”

“Neither will you.” Smirking, she cupped his impressive package over his jeans and squeezed hard.

A tormented sound escaped his lips. “Oh, I’ll be feeling the same burn, baby. I’m going to be aching for you.”

“Then why?” she demanded in frustration. “Why are you torturing us?”

“Anticipation,” he said again. “Think about how good it will be when we finally let go. Like a slow burning fuse, getting hotter and hotter…and then”—he brought his mouth to her neck and nipped at her feverish flesh— “when it explodes…”

“Bang,” she whispered.

“Oh yeah. Bang,” he echoed, low and seductive. “You’re gonna come so hard tonight, Brett. So hard you’ll scream.”

He lightly pinched her clit, and her entire body jerked.

In the blink of an eye, his hand disappeared.

“Now let’s go back outside.” He smiled. “My food is getting cold.”