Talking Dirty with the CEO(45)

Christie slid her arms around his neck. “Of course. You’ll be safe with me.”

But he knew he wouldn’t be.

He had the odd feeling he’d never be safe again.





Chapter Nine

Joseph opened his eyes and realized that the light shining through the curtains was actually sunlight. Irritated, he threw an arm over his face to block it out. Didn’t he have blackout curtains on his bedroom windows?

Then he remembered. He wasn’t in his bedroom. He was in Christie’s.

Where he’d spent a good portion of the day.

After getting home from the bike trails, they’d showered together. Which had then turned into an afternoon in bed together. Which had then turned into an exhausted sleep.

Sleep had always been somewhat problematic for him, so to fall asleep, in the middle of the day, in the arms of a woman, was something out of the ordinary.

The thought made the unease he’d been feeling earlier in the day deepen.

Restlessly he moved, sitting on the edge of the bed.

That little bubble of warmth was still trapped inside him. That weird emotion he’d felt out on the trails, watching her. The one he didn’t know what to do with. The one that made his chest feel tight. Like he couldn’t breathe.

Perhaps being with her for the whole weekend was a mistake. Perhaps he should go. Like now.

A pair of slim arms slid around his waist, a warm body pressing against his back.

Too late.

“Trying to escape?” Christie murmured against the back of his neck. “Is the prospect of being beaten by ten-year-olds too frightening for you?”

Ten-year-olds he could handle. One gorgeous, passionate, intriguing woman? Not so much.

He closed his eyes for a second. How could he leave now? While she had her arms around him? He was trapped.

Nice excuse.

Her hands spread out on his abdomen, stroking gently, and he could feel himself getting hard.

Of course it was an excuse. The truth was that he didn’t want to leave. And hell, a weekend was a weekend, right? It didn’t mean love and babies, for Christ’s sake.

“I thought you said you’d protect me?” He leaned back into her, feeling her hands sliding lower.

“Hmm, I’m not sure you need protection.” Her hands moved even lower. “You’re pretty well-armed already.” Cool fingers circled him. “I got the BFG 9000, oh yes…”

“I almost hate to ask.”

“You never played Doom? BFG stands for Big Fuc—”

The doorbell rang, shattering the moment.

Christie cursed in a very unladylike fashion. “Who the hell could that be?”

He laughed, turning his face to her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her. “I have no idea but I want to kill them.”

Her hand brushed down his back in a light caress. “I’d better get it.”

“No. I’ll go.” He pushed up and off the bed, reaching for his jeans. “That way if it’s someone you know, they’ll go away quicker once they see me.”

“Good point.” She rolled over onto her stomach and pointed a finger at him. “But don’t be long. I have plans.”

“Oh, believe me, so do I.”

Out in the hallway, Joseph pulled open Christie’s front door to find a courier standing on the other side of it. “Here,” the guy said, handing Joseph a very expensive-looking gilt-edged envelope. “Sign, please.”

Mildly curious, Joseph did so, then took the envelope back into the bedroom. “You can relax,” he began, “it was a courier—” And stopped dead.

Christie had arranged herself artfully on the pillows like a houri, a sultry expression on her face. “Hey, Love Machine,” she said throatily as he entered. “Is that a canoe in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?”

Gorgeous, ridiculous girl.

“This isn’t a canoe, honey,” he drawled. “This is a freaking ocean liner.”

Christie’s sultry expression broke into a grin, eyes lit up with laughter. “What is it with guys and size?” Then her gaze darted to the envelope in his hand. “A courier, you said?”

“Yeah.” He came over to the bed and sprawled beside her, holding out the envelope. “This came. It looks pretty important.”

She took it off him, her attention on the front where her name was written in a flowing, cursive script. Her expression changed, becoming pale and shuttered. Slowly he became aware that she’d tensed up, her posture hunched.

“No,” she said in a tight voice. “It’s not important.”

She made as if to throw it away but Joseph grabbed her by the wrist, frowning. What the hell was this about? All her earlier laughter and fun had drained away. Like a light had been turned off inside her.