Joline forgot that she was standing in front of Toby and that he’d just asked her out on an official date. She even forgot that she was in the shop, that the other customers would be turning around, watching as Rais kissed her.
And she kissed him back! That was the thing about Rais. One could not be passive around him! He was the fire and she was the straw. No man had ever lit her up like this. She wasn’t aware of her hands grabbing onto his suit jacket or the way his arm pulled her higher up on his body, pressing her against his hard muscles as he kissed her until she was whimpering with need.
Rais almost swore under his breath when he realized that he was once again kissing this woman in an inopportune place. He’d told himself to not touch her until he’d gotten her alone because every time they touched, it was instantaneous fire, white hot and out of control.
But he’d walked in, determined to be kind and gentle, or as kind and gentle as he could. He had been planning to show her his gentle side. Okay, so he’d never been gentle in his life and he suspected that he didn’t have a gentle side. And “kind” was a four letter word in his world. He was the kind of man who was used to the women coming to him, experienced women who knew what they wanted and were more than willing to tell him about their desires.
Joline had been a startling change. Her obvious innocence was more alluring than any woman he’d ever been with. And the way she kissed him back, those sexy sound she made when he tasted her, made him want to rip her clothes off and make love to her in the most thorough way possible.
He understood that this passion scared her. He also understood that he, simply because he was a man, scared her for some reason. So he’d walked into her store, determined to take things slowly, to help her become more comfortable around him.
But then he’d walked in on her smiling towards another man. A man who was about to ask her out! That was something he simply wasn’t going to allow. No, this woman was his woman. Her body already understood that at a very basic level, but so far, the woman, possibly the business woman, was refusing to accept that reality.
So he’d done the only thing that a man of his temperament could do. He showed both Joline and the ass standing there stammering out a request that she was his woman and he was staking his claim.
Damn, she felt great! He should have arrived sooner but he’d been caught up with business issues. He’d cleared his calendar for the next few days, determined to figure this woman out.
He didn’t relent on the kiss until he heard the other man curse and walk out, tripping over his briefcase as he did so.
Rais would have laughed, but Joline chose that moment to press herself more fully against him and he just about lost his renowned control.
Lifting his head, he looked down at her kiss-swollen lips and the eyes that were now glazed over with desire. He had to resist the urge to lift her up into his arms and carry her out to his limousine where he could have a modicum of privacy to explore her mouth and her body a bit more thoroughly.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to tamp down that crazy desire. It was extremely difficult, especially with Joline feeling so perfect and soft in his arms.
“You look beautiful, Joline,” he grumbled.
Joline’s eyes opened with his words and she smiled slightly. Rais was slightly irritated that her lips still trembled. But then again, her whole body was trembling. He wasn’t sure if it was because of their kiss or because she was still nervous about his presence in her life. Surely she couldn’t fight this chemistry between them after that kiss, could she?
Hell yes, he thought, almost chuckling at how stubborn she was. “Have you thought about my offer?” he asked, pulling back a bit more, but not taking his hands off of her tiny waist.
Joline looked up at Rais, still trying to get her mind to start working. “Offer?” she parroted. She couldn’t remember any offer. Well, to be perfectly honest, she couldn’t remember her name at the moment.
“Your London store. I offered you the storefront in the building I own. Better rent, better location, better landlord,” he teased.
Joline stepped out of his arms and pushed her hair back out of her eyes. Store. Landlord. Building. London. The world and the details of her work were coming back to her. Slowly.
“Um…yes. The store.” He’d sent her a thick envelope filled with the details of a retail storefront located in one of the prime shopping districts in London. She’d already found several locations, was working with a realtor in London who was trying to narrow down the choices for her. But the storefront Rais was offering was in an even better location, had significantly more space and at a ridiculously low price.