Temperature's Rising (21 page)

“Me? I’ve been teasing you?” Right now, teasing was out of the question! She wanted the real thing.

“Yes, every time you walk into the room. It’s time for a little payback.”

He made it sound like she would enjoy every second of his revenge.

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He gently pushed her onto her back, tugging her flimsy little nightgown over her head and pushing the covers to the foot of the bed. She lay exposed to his view, and she imagined he was getting an eyeful with the moonlight streaming into the room, making it almost seem like early morning rather than the middle of the night. The only thing she still wore was the thong, a tiny triangle of silky white material.

He ran his hand from her neck, between her breasts and across her abdomen. She arched toward him, wanting him to continue in the direction he’d started, but his hand veered to her hip and down her thigh and stayed there to lightly stroke. If she were a cat, she’d have purred.

“How did you tease me?” he asked. “When you look at me, your eyes tell me you want to have sex. Every movement of your body is an invitation to touch . . . to caress . . . to taste.”

“I . . . I . . .” She closed her eyes. She had done exactly that, but it wasn’t all her fault, and it hadn’t been inten-tional.

At least, she didn’t think so.

“And you haven’t been sending out signals? What about scooping me up and carrying me inside the house that first day? You weren’t in any hurry to put me down, either. And what about when you licked the chocolate off my finger?” For a moment she forgot what she’d been reminding him of as she remembered how he’d licked every bit of the chocolate and raspberry from her fingers. The way his mouth had sucked at her tender flesh. She bit her bottom lip. Just thinking about it made her damp. She mentally shook away the image . . . for the moment, and frowned at him. She wasn’t the only one doing the arousing. “You can’t tell me all that had to do with trying to run me off.”

“You’re right. I enjoyed it as much as you did.” She opened her mouth, then snapped it closed. He didn’t have to agree with her that quickly.

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“One night,” he said. “One night together, and then I’ll be able to concentrate on my job.” He slowly drew his hand back up and cupped her breast, tugging on the tight nipple before moving to the other one and giving it equal attention. “Shall we let bygones be bygones?”

“Oh . . . yes, uh-huh, sure.” Her bygones were already out the window as her eyes drifted closed and she lost herself in what he was doing to her nipples and the erotic sensations washing over her, wave after delicious wave.

She didn’t want to think, she only wanted to feel what his hands were doing, the pleasure his touch gave her. Had she ever been this turned on? She didn’t think so.

He lowered his head and sucked on the tender nub, drawing it into his mouth. She pulled his head closer, wanting him to take more into his mouth, but he pulled back instead. A frustrated moan escaped between her lips. Not fair. Not fair at all.

“You’ve told me you wanted nothing to do with a cop, but your body tells a different story with each touch of my hand. I think you’re a liar, Jessica Nelson.” Enough—his teasing had to stop. She rose to her knees and pushed him onto his back, taking him off guard, then straddled him.

“What do you want to hear me say? I was wrong?” She rubbed her crotch against his hard, hot length.

He arched, grabbing her thighs for a tighter fit against him. “I don’t think I care what you admit, as long as you don’t stop what you’re doing.”

A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. Conor needed to learn that she fought dirty. Not that she wasn’t getting just as much enjoyment. The friction their clothes created was nice, but being completely naked would be even better. She wanted to see his body as much as he’d wanted to see hers. The pajamas he’d slipped on before coming to bed were more than a hindrance. They were in her damn way! She wanted to feel naked skin . . . his. She quickly TEMPERATURE’S RISING

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unbuttoned the top, pushing open the sides, her hands running across the hairs on his chest.

Oh, God, yes. This was exactly what she wanted. She loved touching him. She’d dreamed of this . . . feeling his muscles tighten and relax beneath her hands, but when she moved to pull his bottoms off, he stopped her.

“It won’t work between us,” he warned. “You don’t want to get involved with a cop and I don’t want a long-term relationship. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page here. Nothing beyond tonight . . . right?” She stared at him. Nothing beyond tonight? She knew he waited for an answer and would go no further until he had one.

Chapter 13

“Hell, I don’t want to marry you. I only want to have sex with you,” Jessica told him in a voice throaty with passion. “I need an orgasm really bad.” His laughter filled the room. She was so glad he’d found his sense of humor. She certainly didn’t want to have sex with a stodgy, never-laugh-at-anything man.

Two people joining together should be exactly that—having fun. Giving as well as receiving. Just living in the moment.

And she planned to do a lot of giving.

“Sometimes I don’t know what to do with you.” Had there been just a hint of wistfulness in his voice?

Yeah, right. Her sexual deprivation was making her hear things that weren’t there. This was sex between two consenting adults . . . nothing more. Lots and lots of sex, if she had anything to say about it.

She slipped out of bed and very slowly tugged her thong over her hips, stretching the elastic out at the sides. He groaned. She rolled her hips to the right, then left, savoring the exquisite torture she put them both TEMPERATURE’S RISING

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through. Finally, she bent at the waist and tugged the thong all the way down.

A stripper couldn’t have done a better job. When she straightened, she faced him without shame or embarrass-ment. Why should she? Not when this felt so damn right.

Closing her eyes, she ran her hands up her thighs, over her abdomen and cupped her breasts before sliding her hands back to her waist. Her skin was hot and so ready for a different set of hands to caress her.

She opened her eyes and ran her tongue over her lips.

“Honey, if you don’t know what to do with me, then you’re in a lot of trouble. I guess I could show you, though. You just
might
be worth the effort.” For a second she wondered if he had heard her. Then his eyes narrowed. She knew a second too late he was going for revenge.

She bit back her scream when he barreled off the bed and came at her. She twirled and ran to the other side, but he apparently anticipated what she was going to do and lunged across, grabbing her by the waist and hauling her back onto the bed. Laughter erupted from her.

“You tell me if I know what I’m doing.” He jerked his top off and tossed it to the floor.

She expected him to pounce, but he didn’t. It threw her completely off guard, heightening the thrill when he slowed his actions and lightly stroked his fingers between her legs. God, that was wonderful. She arched toward his hand, but he didn’t increase the pressure.

“You feel like every wet dream I’ve ever had. All soft and silky . . . hot and ready for me to slip inside you,” he breathed close to her ear.

She drew in a deep breath, not wanting him to stop.

Needing more. Wanting to give as much pleasure as she was getting. Before she could touch him, he stayed her hand.

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“Not yet,” he whispered. “I want to taste you . . . every last inch.”

Yes! She wanted just that.

He moved off the bed.

Not fair! He was going to torture her. He kept his gaze on her face as he took his own sweet time and shoved his pajama bottoms over his hips. Her mouth was so dry she couldn’t swallow as her gaze drank in the sight of his perfect and very male body. From his tanned, broad shoulders to an amazing washboard stomach. The ache inside her grew stronger. And the best was yet to come.

He stood still so she could get her fill looking at him.

Not that she would ever, ever get tired of staring at his magnificent form. Every muscle was honed to perfection, and she did mean every muscle. He was big and hard and she wanted him more than she’d wanted any man in her entire life.

Her gaze stalked him as he moved to the foot of the bed. Her heart skipped several beats. His hands circled her ankles and began spreading her legs apart, seeing everything she had to offer, and then some.

Tremors swept up and down her body as his hands inched their way up her calves, over her knees. Closer . . .

closer . . .

She bit her bottom lip, waiting for the first touch of his tongue . . . his mouth, but all she felt was his warm breath blowing across her mound. Her hands knotted in the sheet. An aching need built inside her. She spread her legs even more for him. She was beyond thinking. She knew only that she wanted everything he had to give.

His weight shifted as he changed positions. “Ahh, sweet,” he whispered.

When he touched her, moving back the folds to reveal her sex, she whimpered. He soothed her with a gentle murmur. Then his mouth closed over her and he kissed her.

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Fire rushed through her veins as spasm after spasm of pleasure washed over her. He sucked, pulling the nub of skin into his mouth at the same time his hands massaged the inside of her thighs. He took her to the very edge. She reached, strained to fall over, but he pulled her back. Oh, God, her body trembled from head to toe. There wasn’t an inch of her that didn’t scream for more.

When he slid up next to her, she moaned, unable to contain her disappointment. Before she could do much more than that, he began stroking her again.

Her breathing slowed. Hell, she hadn’t even realized she was panting. Conor brought her away from the edge.

Sexual hunger enveloped her. She’d never felt like this—

so out of control. Almost in a frenzy to explore Conor’s body as a sweeping need to touch him, to taste every inch, plunged her into what felt like a scorching furnace.

“Shhh, just take a deep breath,” he said, guessing her thoughts and the turmoil he’d caused. “It’s going to be a long night. We have plenty of time.” She scooted to her knees. “Sorry, babe, but it’s been too damn long since I’ve had the big O. We’ll go slow next time.” Once more she pushed against his shoulders.

“And you can wipe that self-satisfied smirk off your face.”

“You enjoyed what I did.”

She cocked an eyebrow, straddled him, but then scooted down his thighs before he could stop her. With one long stroke of her tongue she licked down his hard length, then back up before taking him into her mouth.

She sucked, liking the way he tasted . . . the way he felt inside her mouth . . . and maybe the sense of power that swept through her, knowing she was giving him as much enjoyment as he’d given her.

He groaned at the same time he grabbed her head.

“Ah, damn. That feels . . . oh, jeez. Maybe . . . damn . . .

you’d better stop, though.”

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Grinning, she raised her head. “Did you like it?” she asked innocently.

Something between a growl and a groan came from deep in his throat. He scooped under her arms and pulled her toward him until their faces were only inches apart; then, in one swift movement, he flipped her on her back.

“Yeah, too damn much. I’m about to explode.” He reached over to the nightstand and scrambled around until he found his wallet and jerked out a foil packet. It only took him a couple of seconds to slip on a condom.

When he entered her, the heavens opened up and stars exploded all around her. She arched her back, her legs wrapping around his waist so she could take all he had to give.

“Damn, you feel good. Tight and hot,” he told her.

She moaned as she met him thrust for thrust. Talking stopped and they lost themselves in the moment. The only thing heard in the room was their labored breathing as they strained toward completion.

He slid deep inside her, heat spiraling downward, en-gulfing her in the flames. It had never been like this. Not this all-consuming need to reach for more. To hang on a little longer, knowing it would be worth the effort. To give a little more. She clenched her inner muscles, sucking him further inside her body . . . again . . . and again.

Raising her hips upward, clenching her muscles, sliding back down. Heat built inside, the flames licking, teasing.

He moaned and plunged deeper.

Coherent thought fled. Her body tightened as she climaxed. Seconds later, he stiffened as a low growl came from deep in his throat. She squeezed herself around him, holding him tight as sweet release washed over her in waves. Her body trembled and shook.

Never . . . never like this. Never in her life. God, what had happened?

She breathed in deep gulps of air as the world came TEMPERATURE’S RISING

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back into focus. She’d never seen stars like the ones he’d just shown her. Hell, he’d taken her into another galaxy.

She rather liked flying in outer space.

When he rolled to his side, the connection was broken, but he quickly pulled her close to him, cradling her next to his body. Somehow she knew it would take more than separating their bodies to break their connection.

Fuck, that wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t fucking supposed to happen. She’d only wanted an orgasm. One tiny, little climax. Was that asking too damn much? No. But what she got was earth-shattering. She’d not only gotten the big O, she’d gotten the
big ohhhhhhh
!

Absently, he caressed her shoulder, slipping lower to lightly massage her back, her hip. There were no words between them. Thank goodness. What the hell was she supposed to say? Or him? Gee, thanks for the orgasm.

That felt great? I think I’ll catch a quick nap now.

Yeah, right.

A few minutes later, he kissed the top of her head and eased from the bed. She couldn’t help herself—

she rolled to her stomach and watched as he walked to the bathroom and shut the door. God, he was magnificent. Tanned skin and hard, sinewy muscles, all wrapped up in a nice, tight package. Until she’d pulled the string and unwrapped him.