Pass Interference (17 page)

Yes, but he wasn’t about to admit it. He set his things on the desk and turned, nearly bumping into her. There was that scent of wildflowers again, sending his hormones into overdrive. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets to hide the fact they were tightly clenched.

“We need to get something straight, Tyler.” He cleared his throat. “We need to set boundaries.”

She gave him a look of curiosity. “Boundaries?”

He edged past her and took two steps away.

“We’re not playing games,” he told her. “I’m here for a specific purpose. I’m not one of your boy toys so just cut it out.”

“Cut what out?” She gave him a wide-eyed, innocent look.

“You know exactly what I mean. This is strictly a business relationship and it’s going to stay that way, despite your little show out there today.” Even if he
did
have to tie his dick in a knot.

“Fine.” She whirled and headed for the kitchen. “What do you like on your pizza?”

Rafe took as much time as he could fiddling around in the den. He half expected Tyler to sidle through the door and get playful with him. He should probably keep an ice pack in his boxer briefs if he didn’t want to embarrass himself. How was he going to make her understand that this was just a business arrangement and they needed to keep their distance? Tyler was too used to getting what she wanted.

He was happy that she hadn’t received any more calls since the last one, but people like this didn’t keep to a regular schedule. They liked to keep their prey off-kilter, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe it wouldn’t be a call or text. Maybe another incident like the tires.

Maybe—

The ringing of the doorbell interrupted his mental wanderings.

“Pizza’s here,” Tyler called from the hallway.

Rafe hustled out of the den and gently moved her aside before she could open the door.

“I’ll get it. I don’t want you answering the door.”

Her eyes widened. “You don’t think—”

He shrugged. “Not necessarily, but let’s not take any chances.”

She waited while he paid for the pizza and reset the alarm then followed him into the kitchen. They were seated at the table, eating, when she brought the subject up again.

“I can’t believe whoever this is would come right up to my door.”

“He snuck into your driveway the other night, didn’t he?”

Tyler picked a piece of pepperoni from her slice and popped it into her mouth. It was obvious to him she was trying to downplay this as much as possible. Much easier to handle that way. “You really think he’d try something, knowing you’re here?”

“He made that phone call earlier,” he reminded her. “I’m sure he’s pissed off because he didn’t know which of us answered the phone.”

“Would that be enough for him to just say screw it and turn to someone else?”

He shook his head. “This is personal, Tyler. I think we can both agree on that. I hate to tell you, but he’s probably biding his time, regrouping. If he was angry because he saw me arrive earlier, he’s got to be even more pissed with my car in your driveway.”

“Maybe we should put it in the garage,” she suggested. “There’s room.”

“No, I don’t think he’ll sneak into your driveway again. He might have tried if you were here alone, but he knows you have company. That ups the risk factor.”

The tension in the room was palpable as they ate the pizza and watched the movie. The room fairly vibrated with waves of pure sexual energy. Jesus, just watching her chew the pizza somehow became an erotic experience for him. In the great room, watching the movie, he had all he could do not to leap across the room and rip off her clothes. He was acutely conscious of every single movement of her body. When she sprawled on the couch, her already very short shorts rode up so high he could almost see her cunt. When she shifted her position and sat cross-legged, she positioned herself so that he could see all the way up the inside of her thighs to where that skimpy material barely covered her.

The aura of sex was so thick in the room he expected he could reach out and touch it. Periodically he shifted position in the armchair where he sat to ease the pressure of his throbbing cock. He wondered if all this was her way of dealing with the situation, putting on her public personality, or if she actually felt something for him. Not that he could do anything about it. He had to keep telling himself that.

By the time the movie was over, his balls ached so badly it gave him a headache. He couldn’t recall a time a woman had affected him this strongly. He’d be taking an icy-cold shower before he went to bed. Or maybe using his good right hand to take the edge off this intense reaction of his body.

Rafe followed Tyler into the kitchen as she carried her nearly empty drink glass and dumped the remnants in the sink. He was right behind her, so when she turned she was right up against his body. The rounded swell of her breasts and the taut buds of her nipples were visible beneath the soft T-shirt she wore. And she smelled so damn good.

Tyler locked her gaze with his, searching in his eyes for—something. He had no idea what. But there was that vulnerability again, mixed with something that sure looked like sexual hunger and desire.
Move
, he told himself, and wondered where the red Danger sign was that should be blinking. But she was right there, warm, sweet-smelling woman with her full lips and her silky hair and her nipples that just begged for his mouth. When she stood up on tiptoes, wound her arms around his neck, and lifted her face to his, he was totally sunk. Lost. Every rule he lived by out the door and down the road.

I am so going to hell for this.

The kiss started out so gently, just a bare brush of lips, a gliding of surface against surface. He skimmed his tongue over her lips before using the tip to trace the outline of her mouth. When he gently nudged her to open, she did so willingly, and he slid into her heat. He tasted pizza and soft drinks and very spicy woman, a heady combination. He pressed her back against the counter, banding one arm around her while his free hand gripped her ponytail and held her head in place.

Her tongue met his, doing a dance with it that began so gently but soon escalated into a hungry mating. He fed from her mouth like a ravenous beast, pressing his lips against hers so hard he was afraid he’d bruise her. He angled her head first one way, then another, never breaking the kiss, and she met him with a hunger that matched his own. He only lifted his head slightly when he ran out of breath.

He opened his mouth to protest what they were doing, reaching for a shred of sanity, but Tyler touched his mouth with the tips of her fingers.

“Whatever you’re going to say, don’t. Just…don’t, Rafe. Okay?”

“You mean don’t tell you this is a bad, bad idea?”

Which was exactly what he should say. Except when he felt the firmness of her breasts against his chest and the softness of her mound where his painfully demanding cock pressed into it, rational thought escaped his mind. Sliding one hand down her spine to her ass, he cupped one cheek and squeezed it. Oh, sweet Jesus! What he wanted to do with that delectable ass.

He took her mouth in another frenzy of a kiss, licking and sucking and tasting, rubbing his tongue against hers again. They were both panting when he lifted his head.

“We’re not doing this—”

“I said don’t say anything,” she reminded him, pressing her hand against his mouth.

“—in the kitchen,” he finished. “If I’m going to hell, I’m doing it in a bed.”

He lifted her in his arms and strode to the stairs, Tyler’s body warm and soft against his, her slender fingers stroking his nape in a way that lit up every nerve ending. Damn it, he was a man, not a monk. If he was going to hell, he was going to enjoy the trip. In the upstairs hallway, he stopped a moment, trying to decide which room to use.

“Mine,” Tyler said, reading his mind.

Tyler’s bedroom was slightly larger than the one Rafe was using, but he wasn’t interested in square footage or anything else right now. His only focus was getting to the bed—a wide expanse of orange-and-gold comforter that looked thick enough to wallow in—getting them both undressed, and sliding into her body. He had to stop for a moment and take a deep breath to slow himself down. He was so aroused that he wanted only to rip off her clothes and feel her wet heat around him. Standing Tyler on her feet, he yanked the comforter back and pushed the pillows up toward the headboard. Then he went to work unwrapping his present.

Easing the T-shirt up and over her head, he tossed it to the side. No bra, just as he expected. Thank you, God. Stepping back, he took a moment to enjoy the sight of her round, plump breasts with their dark rosy nipples. Needing to touch them, he reached out and cupped them in his palms, squeezing gently. He rubbed his thumbs over the pebbled tips, reveling in the feel of them. Tyler stood motionless with her hands at her sides and sucked in a breath at his touch. The pulse at the hollow of her throat pounded against the thin layer of skin covering it like a jackhammer. Rafe couldn’t resist. He lowered his head, placed his mouth over the delicate flesh, and sucked.

Every hair on his body felt as if it had been singed. God, she tasted even better than she looked or smelled. She had a unique flavor all her own, one that woke up every one of his taste buds. He couldn’t wait to slide his tongue into her warm pussy and drink from her elixir.

Her nipple hardened even more as he wrapped his tongue around it and sucked it into his mouth. She clutched his biceps, digging her fingers into the hard muscle as he dragged his teeth lightly across the beaded tip. He tweaked her other nipple with thumb and forefinger, rolling it and pinching it lightly. A tiny moan vibrated from her throat as she arched herself into his touch.

When he had given both nipples equal time, he trailed kisses up through the valley of her breasts and the slender column of her neck. With his tongue he drew a path beneath her jawline and over to the soft flesh beneath one ear. He treated himself to a light nip before sliding his mouth to the other side and giving that lobe equal attention. Her skin was so soft and smooth, like polished satin, he was sure he could spend hours just licking every inch of it.

Tyler’s breath was a soft breeze on his neck as she reached down and tugged the hem of his shirt from his jeans, pulling it up to expose his chest. She lifted it high enough that he could press his naked skin against her breasts and—holy shit!—the sensation was incredible. Her breasts were soft and firm at the same time, the hard points of her nipples branding his chest.

He stepped back for a moment to yank his shirt off the rest of the way and toss it to the side. Banding his arms around Tyler’s lush body, he pulled her hard against him as if trying to imprint her body on his. He took a good look at her face and was startled not to see the hard-ass Tyler who gave the world the finger. This was a Tyler with everything stripped away, with that same vulnerability he’d spotted earlier. With a need in her eyes so strong it nearly brought him to his knees. His heart stuttered and his breath for a moment was trapped in his throat.

What the hell had he gotten himself into here?

Well, it was too late to second-guess himself now. The barriers were down and someone would have to shoot him to get him to stop.

The two layers of clothing still between them did nothing to diminish the impact the outline of his engorged cock made against her mound. His eyes locked with hers, he lifted her hands to his mouth and sucked lightly on each finger, dusting each tip with his tongue. That pulse beating so hard at the hollow of her throat increased its tempo. He pressed a firm kiss to the indentation, feeling the beat of the blood rushing through her veins against his lips.

Impatient now to see the rest of her, he undid the zipper at the back of her shorts and pushed them slowly down her toned legs. She balanced herself with her hands on his shoulders as she stepped out of the material and kicked them to the side. The insubstantial bit of lace that remained barely covered her pussy, tempting him and making his mouth water. His eyes widened as he saw the smooth skin on either side of the little triangle. Waxed. Holy fucking shit. His greatest fantasy come to life.

Unable to help himself, he knelt before her, placed his mouth right over her mound, and trailed the tip of his tongue the length of her slit, fabric and all. He wanted to lick his lips at the flavor of her exotic taste, sweet and spicy at the same time. He did it again, gripping her hips with his hands to hold her in place. Her skin was so warm and soft beneath his touch he couldn’t wait to run his palms over every inch of it.

He felt her tremble as he licked his way from top to bottom of her slit again, using the barely there fabric to rub the nerve endings in the tender flesh. When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he used his teeth to peel away the tiny triangle. Then with his thumbs, he opened the lips of her cunt and treated himself to a feast. She was hot and liquid, drenched with her own honey, and he lapped like a man who hadn’t had a drink in forever. He followed the hot line between her cunt lips up and down, up and down before taking her clit gently between his teeth.

Tyler dug her fingers into his shoulders, bracing herself to hold her balance. She was trembling from head to toe and the little sexy moans she made told him she was close to orgasm. He tugged and nipped her clit with his teeth, alternating that with swipes of his tongue. The way she pushed her hips at him was her silent indication that she wanted more from him. That she wanted him inside her, but he wasn’t ready for that yet. He would give her layer upon layer of pleasure before he slipped anything inside her. They couldn’t do this again, so he would make this one time memorable for both of them.

He worked her with his tongue and teeth again and again, excited by her little cries of, “Please, please, please.” And then, shifting his hands to grip her hips tightly once more, he bit down more intensely on her clit and jolted her into a climax. She tried to squeeze her thighs together, to apply pressure to the spasms in her inner walls, but Rafe held her in place. As she shook and quavered, rocking back and forth and moaning one steady sound of pleasure, he continued to torment her clit until the last shudder subsided.