"More than you know." He lowered his mouth to hers, tenderly taking her face between his hands and slowly pressing his lips to hers. She parted her mouth allowing him access to her tongue. Tightening his grip on her hair, he kissed her long and deep. The more he took, the more she gave. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing into his mouth as she pushed her body into his.
"I could kiss you all night." He pulled away despite the hunger building inside him. "We have to stop though."
"You don't mean that." She ran her tongue along his bottom lip. "Kiss me again."
"After your little stunt this evening, I drank way more than I ever have at a work function." He stole a quick kiss. "You cloud my judgment and make me say and do things I normally wouldn't."
"So, you didn't want to kiss me?"
"Hell yes, I wanted to kiss you." He moved the back of his hand across her cheek. "I want to do so much more than kiss you."
"You can do anything you want." She swallowed hard, making him wonder how ready she was for what he wanted.
"You don't have to dangle yourself in front of me, Tessa." He continued to stroke her soft, ivory skin. "You don't need to make me jealous. I see you all on my own. That's why I've been keeping my distance."
"There's no distance between us now." She initiated another kiss. This one deeper and longer than the first. Sliding his hands down her sides, he gripped her hips trying to control the urge to thrust his fully erect cock into her. The sounds of the caterers loading their trucks with party supplies pulled him from his arousal-induced state.
"We have to stop." He looked over his shoulder. "We're not alone."
"We could go inside."
"There's staff inside too," he reminded her as he guided her to sit next to him.
She opted for his lap, draping her arms over his shoulders.
"You're driving me insane."
"You like it." She smiled. "I know I do."
He liked it more than he should. He couldn't stop looking at her thighs and the way her legs parted slightly, offering him what was between them. "I do like it but we need some moderation," he said. "I've become quite taken with you and I don't want to do anything to hurt you."
"I'm a big girl, Chase. You don't have to worry about me."
"I do worry about you." He twisted his fingers around her long locks because he couldn't resist touching her. "You're impulsive and carefree. Those are great qualities, but they make me uneasy." She would give herself to him with only the slightest suggestion. He could lose himself in her in a matter of minutes. Living in the same house, having total access to one another physically anytime they wanted could have explosive consequences. Self-restraint would be the only way for any of this to work.
"Impulsive can be good." She leaned in to his face. "Like now." She kissed him, wasting no time thrusting her tongue forward, seeking out his.
"Tessa." He broke the kiss with a breathless voice. "That's enough for tonight." He needed to stop or he'd have her in his bed. As much as he desired her, he needed control. "You need to go inside. I have to settle up with the catering company."
"I could wait for you in your room."
"No." He gently kissed her lips. "I have to meet with a client at a building site tomorrow morning. When I get home we'll talk about whatever this is."
"I know what it is." She slipped off his lap. "I'll let you think things over, but you're not doing anything wrong. I'm legal." She headed back toward the house without trying to persuade him any further.
Legal wasn't the problem. It was the moral part that had him conflicted. His friend asked him to look after his daughter. To help and care for her. How could he take advantage of the situation? And why did the daughter have to be so damn alluring?
He watched as she sauntered across the lawn and into the house. Now that he'd had her lips against his, he knew he would never be able to control his urges. She'd let loose a beast that he'd tried to keep buried whenever she was around her.
There was no turning back now.
Chapter Six
Chase tossed his keys on his desk as he waited for his laptop to load. He needed to email the specs to the builder before they could move forward. It had been a long, stressful day. It didn't help that he was still nursing a headache from his over indulgence of alcohol the night before. This new client was busting his balls. And then there was the matter of the sexy woman he shared his home with. Tessa had been front and center in his thoughts all day.
He'd called her out on her rash behavior last night but he'd done the exact same thing. After witnessing her little stunt with Tanner, he'd become territorial and possessive. She provoked the impulses he swore he'd keep under control. As forward as she appeared to be, he still viewed her as an innocent. She wasn't used to him or his lifestyle, and money and status could change people. He'd seen and done things she couldn't possibly understand. The women he'd been with would do what he wanted and be what he wanted in the bedroom, but it was because they were after his money. Tessa was a different breed. She wasn't after his money or his status. But he could imagine her voice moaning his name …
He hadn't figured her out yet. Instinct screamed to stay away from her but everything about her called to him. She'd piqued his interest and his curiosity, and now that he'd had a taste, he craved more.
"Oh, you're back."
Her voice yanked him out of his depraved thoughts as he looked up to find her standing in the doorway of his office. Her hair was blown out all sleek and shiny and draped over her shoulders and down her back. About half of him wanted to grab it up in his hands and kiss her. Her flawless face wasn't overdone, just her signature pink lip gloss and some light mascara that accented her already long eyelashes. She didn't need anything else. Fresh, natural, and fucking hot as hell...
He was so taken with her face that he hadn't noticed her tiny black shorts and gray tank top. How could he have missed that? There she was, tempting him again. This was why he couldn't go with instinct. Not with her nipples straining against the thin cotton material practically screaming, No bra!
"I just got in." He cleared his throat – mostly certain he hadn't moaned out loud – trying not to stare at her perfect breasts. "This client is … " Hard to concentrate on when you're around. "A little more demanding than I thought. Have you eaten?"
"Yes, some leftovers from the party. That's what we'll be having for the next week." She moved into the room, stopping at the side of his desk.
"We can get something else for dinner if you'd like." He busied himself logging into his computer. "I just need to work on a few things."
"You said we could talk when you got home."
"I know, sweetheart, but I have to get this information to the..." He stopped when she walked behind the desk and sat on the edge just in front of him, spreading her legs. "What are you doing?"
"I missed you." She placed her hands on his chest, running them across his shirt. "I can't stop thinking about last night."
He closed his eyes when she moved her hands underneath the buttons and started unfastening them.
"The way you kissed me … " She smoothed her palms up his stomach and to his shoulders, his muscles tightening under her soft touch. "No one has ever wanted me that way before."
"I find that hard to believe." His whole body was in overdrive, but the most awakened parts were below his belt. "You're a stunning woman. I've seen the way men look at you."
"I don't care about other men," she whispered into his ear, eliciting a chill that traveled down his spine and landed straight in his balls. "You're the only one that matters."
"Why are you doing this to me?" He tilted her chin, staring into her eyes. "Don't you know I'm weak? I'm just a man who can't resist you."
"You're not just anything. And why are you trying to resist me?" She traced her fingertips down his chest. "Just give in already."
"Giving in isn't the problem." Kissing her jaw, he stepped between her legs. "I'm afraid you won't be able to handle me."
"Why?" She leaned her head back, allowing him access to her throat. "Because I'm young and impressionable?"