around in shorts and flip-flops to compete with you. I changed at least fifteen times tonight,” she said, embarrassed at the admission.
His eyes grew darker, hotter, if possible. “I’ve never seen you looking anything but perfect,” he said as he brought his hands around to the back of her dress.
Her nipples tightened even more than they already were, puckering hard as he slowly undid her zipper, lowering it until he reached the small of her back.
“I’d like to see Florida through your eyes,” he said in a husky voice. “And I’d love to be with you when you’re running around in those skimpy little shorts and tank tops.”
She licked her damp lips. “I don’t recall mentioning that my shorts were skimpy or that I wore tank tops.”
“It’s my imagination. Let it get carried away, will you?” He splayed his hands across her back and sucked in a shallow breath. “No bra.” He closed his eyes and counted to ten, all the while skimming his hand up and down her bare back. “I’m glad I didn’t know about this before now.”
“Honestly, this dress didn’t call for one.”
“Honestly, I’m glad.” He pulled the dress down over her shoulders, releasing her breasts.
She tried not to squirm or show her embarrassment as he stared at her full breasts, tight nipples and overall bare top half.
He leaned his head back against the couch and groaned. “Amy, you are so gorgeous.”
She shook her head. “I’ve seen the women you’ve been with, so let’s not go there, okay? If I wasn’t so far gone with wanting you, I’d be more self-conscious. Let’s not give me time to get there.” She glanced away as she spoke.
It wasn’t that she didn’t think she measured up as much as she knew how hard the women in his circles must work to keep up appearances, cosmetic and otherwise. She was just an everyday woman with an everyday body. It was a reality she understood. How could she not mention the obvious?
He shook his head. “Listen,” he said in a serious voice. “Considering I’m here with you, and you can feel how much I want you, I think we’re clear on what looking at you does for me.” He covered her breasts with his palms and she forgot all sense of embarrassment.
Heck, she nearly passed out from the glorious sensation of his warm palms and hot touch. And when he slowly, gently, cupped their weight, palming her flesh, she writhed, squeezing her thighs together, letting small waves of pleasure build higher.
A soft moan escaped her throat and he reacted immediately, lowering his head and pulling her nipple into his mouth. She whimpered. He merely suckled her harder, using his tongue to lick and his teeth to lightly graze her flesh. Nerve endings on fire, unable to control herself, she rocked her hips from side to side, desire and longing building inside her. And when she couldn’t take the sensations he evoked any more, he seemed to know and transferred his attention to her other breast, giving it equal loving attention.
Bells went off in her head and it took some time before she realized it was a cell phone and not ecstasy causing the sound.
Hers? His? She wasn’t sure, but reality, which had been far away, dawned slowly. It wasn’t her phone.
“John?” she asked, calling for his attention.
He didn’t respond.
“John?” She curled her fingers into his shoulders.
“What?”
“Your cell phone,” she said, pushing him away.
He blinked and raised his head, his eyes glazed. “Ignore it,” he said, leaning closer, obviously intending to kiss her again.
But she wasn’t lost in the moment anymore. Nor was she so far gone she wasn’t aware of what she was doing. She shook her head and scrambled to her feet. “No, it might be important.”
He raised an eyebrow. “The woman who insisted I shut my cell phone off when I’m with you now wants me to answer it?” he asked in disbelief.
She rose and began to work her dress back up over her shoulders. They’d moved too fast and she needed space. “Get the phone, okay?” she asked, hoping he’d take the hint and give her a minute.
He ran a hand over his eyes and groaned. “It’s stopped ringing.”
“Then listen to your voice mail.”
Obviously she’d made her point, because he stood. His shirt hung open, a reminder of how close she’d been to heaven.
He walked up behind her and reached for her dress. She flinched, but when he ignored her reaction and merely did up the zipper, she felt badly. “I’m sorry. This was just…I got carried away.” She hoped he understood, because she didn’t want an argument.
Roper stared at Amy. They’d been hot and heavy until his damned phone ruined the moment. He had no choice but to be a gentleman and respect her wishes. Talking could come later.
He grabbed for his phone and dialed his voice mail.
For once it wasn’t his family interrupting. One of his teammates wanted to meet for drinks. Roper had no desire to leave Amy or to hang with the guys, but the damage here had been done.
“Anything important?” Amy asked, as she turned to face him.
He shook his head. “Nothing that can’t wait.”
“Well, at least it isn’t an emergency.” She ran a hand through her hair, trying to fix the strands he’d messed with his fingers.
“Amy-”
“It’s getting late,” she said.
Obviously she wasn’t going to let him talk about
He flexed and unflexed his fingers, grasping for calm. He was frustrated. But getting angry at her withdrawal wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He forced himself to remember she’d given him insight into her past, and maybe he could work with that, given time.
“You’re right. I should get going.” Maybe he would meet his teammate for a drink. He was definitely too wired to sleep.
She walked him to the door. He met her gaze, and in her eyes he saw vulnerability. He lost his anger in an instant.
“Listen, I’m supposed to meet my mother at my sister’s apartment tomorrow. Some sort of wedding-planning talk that is bound to turn into World War III. Join me and you’ll get a firsthand view of the situation we’re dealing with. Maybe you can offer some ideas about how to keep me out of it.” And this way he could keep Amy with him while he figured out how to best handle her fear.
“I’ll come tomorrow and see what advice I can offer.”
“Good. See you at nine?” he asked as he opened the door.
She nodded. “And, John?”
He turned, placing an arm on the door frame. “Yes?”
“Thanks for dinner. I had a really nice time.”
He smiled. “Me, too.” On impulse, he leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. He lingered for a moment, inhaling her scent to remember in his dreams later that night. “See you in the morning.” At which point he hoped to have figured out how to breach her defenses again.
Because now that he’d had a taste of her, there was no way in hell he was going to let her walk away.
AMY’S HAND SHOOK AS SHE locked the door behind Roper and headed for her bedroom, the events of the night fresh and vivid in her mind. How in the world had she let things go so far?
She knew the answer to that.
Roper. He was the reason she’d gotten so carried away. One minute they’d been talking and getting to know each other better and the next he’d looked at her with those golden-green eyes and she’d melted into him like a snowflake in July. Pathetic, that’s what she was. She couldn’t even keep the resolution she’d made to herself the day before.
