Images and memories flooded her, specifically the feel and taste of him deep in her mouth. Holy hickory, why did she do that? Because he was goddamn irresistible. The only thing she regretted was having to deal with the rejection that was sure to come. Maybe…maybe if she acted as though it was no big deal then it would be less humiliating. She could do that, she wasn’t a child, she was a woman. Damn did she ever feel like one at the moment.
But showing weakness wasn’t an option. She had to be strong and not vulnerable. She slipped up bad when she opened her body to need and…lust. Time to put on her big girl panties. As soon as she found her literal ones. Lordy.
She sat up, holding the pillow to her chest and looked around for her clothes, avoiding his domineering presence on the end of the bed. On his knees yet sitting, legs open wide as you please, hands draped casually between them. Watching her. If she made the mistake of looking, she’d never stop and God only knew what she’d do to him. Yes to him, she needed to do things to him. Hell, he needed her to do things to him, and that alone was shockingly the more difficult thing to refuse. She was behaving like a slut. She could never let him think she did these things on a regular basis or he’d surely use her. Shit. Hadn’t she just done it and now she was acting like it was nothing special? No big deal, do it all the time?
She’d just clear that up right here and now. “What happened here today? Consider it a once in a life time. I owed you.” Dammit, now she sounded like a little nasty prostitute. “But don’t think that’s how I’m accustomed to paying for things, I assure you it isn’t.”
He snorted and she glanced at him. He’d turned and sat at the edge of the bed, his beautiful back to her, head shaking. What was his problem? Surely he wasn’t angry. Probably glad.
He glanced back and she got stuck in that bright sexy gaze of his. “Baby…” the word was loaded with hunger as the heat in his eyes burned her straight through the pillow, “…I would so gladly suffer eternal demotion…” he raised his gaze back to hers. “… for just one more taste of your divine secrets.” He followed the heart stopping statement with a sexy lick of his lips.
Sam’s pulse boomed in her ears as she fought to think and speak at the same time. “Fine then,” she heard herself say. “I have errands to run. And since you’re looking so damn good, you can come help me, I’ll need some muscle.”
She closed her eyes briefly at realizing what she’d just said. She spied her clothes on the floor a few feet away and tweezered them with her toes and dragged them to her. Thankfully he turned back around and she quickly pulled her t-shirt back on, then her panties and jeans and finally her boots.
“Get ready and I’ll be back by to pick you up.”
He stood and turned. “I’m ready now.”
She looked at him, immediately sorry she had. Her body was trembling as it was and now she was forced to appear unaffected by his glorious nakedness. What an immaculate body he had. Ridiculous is what it was.
She jerked her gaze down when he began walking toward her. Oh shit oh shit. She was stuck to the floor thinking she should run right about now. But that would mean she was affected and she didn’t want him thinking that. With that in mind, she raised her head and met his gaze.
Hello. Deer in headlights.
The man stopped inches from her, put his thumb under her chin, tilted her head and brushed his lips over hers with a sexy satisfaction. And all she could do was stand there like mush on a stick of bones, quivering with desire.
“Are you ready?”
** ** **
Jessie shook her head with mild exasperation. Her second meeting with the Pope's assistant was dragging on forever. She might not mind so much, if the young and handsome priest, Father Vincenzo, wasn't so straightforward about prolonging the conversation.
Dorn had informed her of Lucian's reaction during the first meeting, and warned her to be careful with the second. Things might have been simpler if Lucian would just let her go alone, or with Sally, but he'd insisted on accompanying her to the suite the Vatican had taken at the Imperial Hotel.
She stifled a sigh as Father Vincenzo smiled. "Signorina, might I again offer refreshment? It perplexes me to speak with you of such matters as you refrain from partaking of my hospitality." He leaned forward, his chair already uncomfortably close, until his knees pressed against hers.
Wonderful. Just what she needed. A philandering priest in a position with the power to either bless her request for Papal Audience, or halt that part of the mission in its tracks. "Father, isn't it customary to refer to a married woman as signora?" Hopefully the gentle reminder would take care of the issue.