Hypnotic Seduction (The Seduction Series) (37 page)

“Inadequate?” she supplied.

Nodding, he looked at the floor and sighed. “Honey, our wedding was getting closer, and I was scared. And Gina—it was all about sex with her. But it wasn’t enough.”

“It never is.” But Hannah now knew a marriage couldn’t thrive without passion, either.

“If you’ll give me another chance, we could get professional help or whatever you think we need. I love you, Hannah. I’ll do anything to make it work between us. If you think you can forgive me, I’ll even love you
down south
with my mouth once in a while.”

Her throat ached at the sincere remorse in Kevin’s pleading voice. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind he loved her. His offer to perform oral sex simply to please her, despite his previous distaste for the act, proved he might have learned how to compromise. It was possible he’d make a decent husband and father after all.

Kevin was a good-looking CPA with a successful accounting firm, and she had a lot in common with him. If they got back together, she could simply turn the clock back a few months.

In spite of the temptation to reconcile with him, she was smart enough to recognize that Kevin, as nice as he might be, was basically a selfish person. Working for Jordan and her therapy had changed her and made her realize her worth. She deserved to marry a generous man who loved and wanted her as much as she did him and who wouldn’t begrudge extending himself to please her.

“I do forgive you,
Kev
. I felt just as deficient. I know a lot of our problems were my fault. I was so insecure and uptight. But as for us getting back together—that won’t work.”

He took both of her hands and squeezed them. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t love you anymore.” She wasn’t sure she ever really had. Otherwise, wouldn’t she have experienced the kind of intense chemistry she felt with Jordan?

“You’ve fallen for someone else, haven’t you? That Jordan guy you thought was at the door.”

She smiled and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Look, I know I screwed up. If you could just give me a second chance, I’m sure I can make you forget about him.”

Right. He should only know the kind of competition he was up against. “I seriously doubt that.”

“He made you come, didn’t he?”

“You really don’t want me to answer that.”

“Did he go down on you? Or did he get you off with his dick? I bet he’s bigger than me, isn’t he?”

Why was everything always about
guys’
penises? “My decision has nothing to do with Jordan satisfying me. In fact, my relationship with him is going nowhere fast. I simply don’t think I could ever trust or love you again.”

Kevin stared at her silently for several seconds before he finally shrugged. “Hey, I had my chance. It’s my own damn fault for not realizing how good I had it.” He heaved a resigned sigh. “So, tell me all about lover boy.”

“It would take all night to explain my situation, and I’m exhausted.” Plus she knew he couldn’t handle hearing everything about Jordan. “Besides, it’s all one-sided.”

“Maybe I should talk to the fool and tell him what a good thing he’s passing up.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” If Kevin felt inadequate before, comparing himself to a dynamic man like Jordan Calder would make him feel absolutely worthless.

~*~

Who was that
guy
? And what would possess her to answer the door wearing a skimpy little scrap like she had on? Jordan peeked from behind the tree in front of Hannah’s apartment and watched the shadows flitting across her living room shades.

The fair-haired stranger was way too good-looking. She obviously knew the fellow. Although, she hadn’t seemed too sure about letting him in. Maybe the
guy
was the fourth date. The jerk had exactly ten minutes to leave before Jordan interrupted their little
tête-à-tête
. He held his wrist in the dim light spilling from the window and streetlight and watched the minute hand on his Omega crawl around its jeweled face with the speed of a snail.

Five more to go.

As he crept toward the porch, the windows went dark, and his stomach clenched.

No. He’d promised himself he’d trust Hannah. She would never go to bed with another man as long as she was in love with him. There had to be another explanation. He waited a few more minutes, trying desperately to think of one, but images of Hannah tangled in the sheets with pretty boy insisted on flashing through Jordan’s head.

Damn it. He stomped up the steps. There was only one way to stop the visions. He restrained himself and knocked lightly, praying she wouldn’t disappoint the faith he was trying so hard to have in her. Maybe her electricity went out.

Two seconds later, the door flew open, and the blond fellow appeared from behind it, wearing just a pair of boxer shorts.

Oh, God, no. He was not going to jump to conclusions. There was a logical explanation. “Where’s Hannah?”

“Shhh!” The man held his finger to his lips. “You must be Jordan.”

“That’s right.” He shouldered his way into the apartment. If anyone was sharing her bed tonight, it was going to be him.

“Hannah’s asleep.”

A relieved breath whooshed out of Jordan at the sight of a rumpled sheet and pillow spread out on the sofa. “So who the hell are you?”

“Kevin Jackson.”

Jordan shook the man’s extended hand. “The amoeba?”

“Huh?” Kevin’s handsome features twisted like a pretzel.

“You know—too low to be categorized as more than a single-celled organism.”

Light dawned in Kevin’s gaze, and he laughed softly. “Yeah, I guess that would be me. Hannah’s a pistol, isn’t she?” He glanced down at his bare chest and hairy legs. “I suppose you’re wondering why I’m sleeping here.”

“You could say that.”

Kevin explained about having car trouble and his unsuccessful reconciliation plans. “Hannah offered to let me sack out on her sofa, so I could wait until daylight to deal with having my car towed. I didn’t have a very good night.”

“I’d say not.”

“You know, if you let her get away, you’re an even bigger ass than I am.”

“Believe me, I don’t intend to.”

Kevin snorted. “That’s not the way I hear it.”

“That’s only because she doesn’t believe how crazy I am about her. Anyway—” Jordan creased his forehead. “Why are you trying to help me if you love her so damn much?”

“Because I do. She deserves to be happy.”

Jordan tossed his keys to Kevin. “You can take my car home. I’ll come by your house tomorrow morning and pick it up. ”

“Gee, thanks.”

While Hannah’s ex-fiancé pulled on his clothes, Jordan wrote down the
guy’s
address and phone number. Kevin swung open the apartment door and peered out to the darkness. “So which car’s yours?”

“The silver Lamborghini.”

“
Lamborgh
—” Kevin did a double take at Jordan. “You’re
shittin
’ me, right?”

“No, it’s right there.” He pointed to the sports car parked across the street.

“You’re
gonna
trust me with a car worth over a two hundred grand?”

“It’s insured. And besides,”—Jordan patted the shirt pocket he’d stuffed Kevin’s address in and said in a bad
Godfather
imitation—“I know where you live.”

~*~

A broad palm cupped Hannah’s breast, drawing her back against a hard male body and molding her fanny against the comforting heat. Razor stubble rasped across the tender skin on her neck while soft lips nibbled her ear. Whimpering, she arched her back and thrust her breast into the caressing hand.

“I don’t want to lose you, Hannah,” a deep voice whispered.

She had never had such a vivid dream before. She turned and wrapped her legs around the hard male body and stiffened. Her eyelids popped open as if they were spring-loaded. There really was a man in her bed.

She never should’ve let him stay. “Kevin, I told you, I—”

“I sent Kevin home,” Jordan’s deep baritone rumbled in her ear.

“Jordan! You have a lot of nerve—”

He smothered her tirade with a deep, lingering kiss that stole her breath. His tongue danced in her mouth, and every inch of her vibrated.

Unable to resist pressing closer, Hannah’s limbs inexorably wound tighter around him. His talented hands played her tingling body like a virtuoso, his fingers plucking her nipples and strumming her slick center to coax a symphony of sighs and moans from her.

“
Please
.” She gasped, finally summoning up the willpower to push him away. She sat up, snapped on the lamp, and squinted at him from the sudden glare. “How dare you crawl into my bed uninvited and molest me?”

The stunned, wounded look on his face made her wish she could stuff her words back down her throat.

“You really believe I’d force you?” he rasped in a bewildered whisper, looking as if he might be sick at any moment. “You told me love is all about trust. If you honestly care for me, how can you think I would ever hurt you?”

To insinuate his tender lovemaking was remotely similar to what Eric had done to her on the beach had been the ultimate in prime, Grade-
A bitchiness
.

Heck, while she’d been at it, why hadn’t she simply plunged the knife all the way in and asked if he planned to share her with Kevin, too? That couldn’t hurt Jordan any worse than equating him with his ex-fiancée, Marcy.

“Please forgive me. I swear I wasn’t suggesting you’d do anything like that.”

“Then what
were
you trying to say?”

“Just that seducing me while I’m asleep isn’t playing fair.”

“Whoa, Hannah. My only intention was to hold you. If you can be honest, you’ll admit I didn’t really start playing until you woke up and wrapped yourself around me. How am I supposed to take it when you start wiggling against me like you had an aphrodisiac as a nightcap? When you do that, the only thing I can think about is getting inside you—the sooner the better.”

Dear Lord, he was right about her. She was shameless. Ever since he’d held her the first time in Calder’s parking lot, she’d been a slave to his touch, unable to spread her legs far or fast enough for him.

She covered her face with her hand. “Oh, jeez, I’m disgusting.” One smile from him and her hormones started pumping like Old Faithful. It was so bad, she’d begun buying panty liners by the
gross
and carrying an extra pair of underpants in her purse so she could change during the day if he got her too excited. “I’m as bad as every other horny woman in your life.”

“No, you aren’t.” His low voiced rasped, thick with passion. “And if you’re disgusting, I am, too. I’m addicted to you, sweetheart. All I think about anymore is being inside you.” He stifled her response with his mouth and murmured into her lips, “I know you don’t want me just because I make you come. Please, let me make love to you.”

Oh, yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!

What was she thinking? She was supposed to be ending her affair with him.

For some reason, she just couldn’t force the word
no
past her lips. She simply moaned softly. He took her silence for acquiescence and slipped his fingers into the damp crotch of her panties. His spicy scent made every muscle in her turn to mush.

What the heck. She wanted him too much. Sometimes a woman had to swallow her pride and take what she wanted—needed—and the consequences
be
damned. She could fight with him tomorrow after she enjoyed one last glorious night in his arms.

While her traitorous body arched and writhed against his taut muscles, he stripped off her baby doll top and matching bikini bottoms. She smoothed her palm down his knotted abdomen and stroked his hard length.

“No, baby.” He groaned. “I have other plans for you tonight.” His mouth blazed a tender trail over her, kissing and nipping every sensitive inch of flesh, setting her on fire. Finally, the tip of his tongue found her throbbing bud and fluttered repeatedly like the wings of a hummingbird while it sipped nectar from a flower. His enjoyment in pleasuring her with his mouth made her heart ache.

She closed her eyes, reveling in the way he lapped at her and squeezed her nipples. Her legs shamelessly drifted even further apart. With every lick, he pushed her higher and higher, shoving her over one ecstatic peak....and then another....and yet another—allowing her only seconds to catch her breath in between. She moaned and squealed, trying to wiggle away, but he held her hips in a vise and continued to flick his torturous tongue, driving her insane with pleasure.

“Oh, Jordan, no!” She panted, gripping the headboard, straining toward another mind-boggling climax. “Please, I’m too tired.” Her pounding heart seized right along with her other muscles while he rubbed her center with his finger—faster and faster, momentarily reviving her energy until she shattered like a piece of fragile hand-blown glass. Her most powerful orgasm yet wracked her body and left her sobbing. “Oh, yes!” she shrieked, “Lord, help me, yes!”

A fist pounded on the opposite side of her wall and a woman’s gravelly voice hollered, “Give her a rest, why don’t you!”

“
Ohmigosh
! Mrs. Newton can hear us.” As Hannah’s body shivered and convulsed yet again, she clamped her hands over her mouth.

“You mean she can hear
you
.” Jordon chuckled. “Forget about her, love. She’s just a jealous, shriveled up old woman.”

“
Pleeease
.” She gripped his rigid erection, coaxing him to cease his exhausting foreplay and finally thrust himself inside her. “If all you can think about is being inside me, do it, already, damn you!”

“No, sweetheart.” Shoving her hand away, he crawled further up on the narrow bed and gathered her into the crook of his shoulder. “Tonight’s all for you.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and stroked her back. “Sleep now. If you want, I’ll make love to you a little later.”

Hannah snuggled into him, vibrantly aware of his hot erection throbbing against her hip. His chest rose and fell like the bellows on an accordion playing an energetic polka.

Brushing her lips over his coarse jaw, she cupped his desire-laden weight in her palm. He groaned and buried his face in her hair, whispering,
“
Go to sleep.”