knees straddling his hips. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she scooted closer until his constrained cock was nestled right up against the damp panel of her panties.
And still, he didn't so much as touch her.
He looked up into her face, which was flushed a warm shade of pink that continued down her throat and spread out toward her breasts. Her lashes were half-mast, but he could still see the soft, sultry green of her eyes, glittering with heat and hunger. Her lips were parted, her breathing as ragged as his own. Oh, yeah, she was thoroughly aroused, and the sudden determination that flashed in her gaze didn't bode well for him at all.
Neither did the wicked smile curling her lips as she smoothed her hands down over his chest. He was wearing a shirt, but her palms burned him straight through the thin material to his skin. Her slender fingers found his taut nipples, and she scraped over them with her thumbnails, eliciting a deep groan from him that seemed to give her a tremendous amount of satisfaction. Lower those sweet hands of hers traveled, until they reached the waistband of his trousers.
Before she could unfasten the first snap, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away. No words were spoken as they stared at one another in a silent battle of wills, but then again, none were needed. He was so damned close to surrendering, and she knew it, too. Sex was her goal, and there was no doubt in his mind, or hers, that if she released his shaft and touched him, stroked him, he'd be unable to resist her.
With her hands still firmly in his grasp and held out to the side-he wasn't about to let her go-she used other feminine wiles to get what she was after. She rolled her hips into him, subtly, skillfully, simulating the erotic grind and thrust of sex, and no amount of algebra equations could stop his body from responding. His own need kicked up a notch, pushing him closer to the point of no return.
She dropped her head back, arched into him, and moaned. Her breasts were inches away from his mouth, so tempting, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to lean forward and taste her with his tongue… to push her down onto the couch and give her exactly what she was begging for.
Another rhythmic stroke against him and she gasped out loud. Again, and she shivered and started to come with a soft, unraveling moan, and he knew he was done for, too. Hell, he might as well have been deep inside her for the way she was gripping his hips with her thighs and pressing hard and deep against his cock. His own release grew and intensified, until he couldn't hold back any longer. With a rough groan, he climaxed right along with her.
After one last final shudder, she collapsed against him, her face buried into the curve of his neck and her warm, damp breath caressing his skin. He let go of her wrists and fully expected her to move off his lap and gloat at the fact that she'd managed to get a reaction out of him after all.
Instead, she cuddled into his chest, surprising the hell out of him with that unguarded gesture. But he took advantage of the moment and gently caressed his hands along her back, relishing just how soft this woman was, inside and out. That despite how rough and tough she tried to act, she did have a tender, vulnerable side. He smiled as he skimmed his fingers down her spine, and just when he thought that maybe, just maybe, he'd made some headway with Sydney, he felt a distinct change in her body language, as if she'd realized just how much she'd revealed by her relaxation.
Slowly, she pushed away from him, going from being sated and content and enjoying an intimate embrace to all sass and bravado.
Still sitting astride his thighs, she glanced down at his lap, then met his gaze with a satisfied, cocky grin. 'Well, that settles that.'
He arched a brow and played along, because it was clear she wasn't ready for a deep, emotional conversation about the two of them. 'What settles what?'
She ran a playful finger down the middle of his chest.
'I was beginning to think you were impotent, but that's clearly not the case.'
Unable to help himself, he laughed. 'Everything functions quite well, as you can see.'
'Then why are you making this so difficult? We could be having hot sex right now.' A slight edge of frustration vibrated in her voice, then was replaced with sarcasm. 'Oh, wait, don't tell me you're one of those guys who won't have sex until they're married?'
'Hell, no.' She was trying to push all his buttons, possibly angling for an argument to make sure she distanced herself from him, but he wasn't going to let her take the easy way out. 'But I'm not into casual sex, either, Sydney.'
And that, too, seemed to piss her off-probably because she understood the underlying connotation to his comment. That sex, for him, was an intimate and personal connection. And for her, it was all about the physical.
Her lips pursed in annoyance. 'Okay, whatever,' she said, dismissing the entire incident with a wave of her hand. Then she moved off his lap and started picking her clothes up off the floor. 'I think it's time I went home.'
Knowing that they'd just reached a stalemate, he didn't try and convince her to stay. He could only hope that in time she'd come to realize that he wasn't like all the other men she dated. That he wanted more than just her body or a quick lay.
He wanted
LORA had no idea where Joel was taking her, and quite frankly, she didn't care. He'd told her they were heading out of the city for a few days, so she could rest, relax, and regroup. She appreciated the gesture more than he could know. After falling apart at The Electric Blue during the Halloween bash, she was forced to admit that she was more on edge about Zach, and the situation he'd gotten her into, than she'd realized.
On the long drive, they made a stop for lunch at a roadside cafe, then again at a market to pick up groceries, which made Lora all the more curious to find out where they were going. But with each mile that passed between Chicago and their destination, she felt the tension that had been crowding in her chest ease. She decided that if Joel was making the effort to take her out of the city and away from the stress in her life, then she was going to enjoy the time away with him.
She cast a glance at the man sitting beside her in the car, his gaze pointed straight ahead as he drove. Now if only she could get Joel to lighten up, they could have a great time together. But so far, he was still in 'bodyguard' mode-way too serious and all business.
A while later, they passed a sign that read KANKAKEE RIVER STATE PARK, and Joel turned off the highway and began following a paved road that eventually gave way to a dirt path. All around them, they were surrounded by large overhanging trees, lush foliage, and craggy rocks. She caught sight of a large creek with flowing crystalline water just as they rounded a bend and Joel brought the vehicle to a stop in front of a cabin that was located, quite literally, out in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing around them but nature for miles, which made the place a perfect hideaway retreat.
'Whose place is this?' she asked curiously. She'd been expecting a hotel somewhere, possibly a small town off the beaten path, but not a secluded cabin. 'Does it belong to one of your connections?' she teased.
'You could say that.' He cut the engine, withdrew the keys from the ignition, and briefly met her gaze. 'The cabin belongs to my aunt and uncle.' He opened the door and headed around to the back of the SUV to unload their stuff.
She followed from the other side. It was early afternoon, and while the sun was shining overhead, the air was crisp and cool, making it an absolutely gorgeous day. 'It was nice of them to let you use it.'
Lifting the rear door, he reached in and handed her a few of the grocery bags filled with food and other necessities, then grabbed the small duffel bags they'd packed. 'They'd never tell their favorite nephew no.'
She laughed in amusement. 'Don't you have two brothers?'
A hint of humor lurked in his bright blue gaze as they walked side by side toward the front steps leading to the cabin's porch. 'Yeah, but
'Well, you can certainly be charming when you put your mind to it.'
Though, admittedly, it had been way too long since she'd seen that playful side to Joel's personality, and she missed his sexy smiles and flirtatious comments, along with the comfortable, amicable companionship they'd shared. Then there was the undeniable awareness still simmering between them that he was doing his absolute best to avoid and resist.
He unlocked the front door and held it open for her to enter before him. She walked inside, admiring the small but cozy interior of the cabin. From the living room, she could see two individual bedrooms, a bathroom, and a
