“But I am fine.”
She had to laugh. He was such a guy. “Okay then.”
Reilly looked at her and said, “How about this? When I’m not fine, I’ll tell you.”
That would have to do. Besides, he did look fine. He looked mighty fine. He looked she-wanted-to-see-him- naked fine.
She had no idea what had turned her into such a sexual creature lately, but knew he was a big part of it. She also knew he probably didn’t want to hear that.
He walked her to her door, which she took as a good sign. Her last date had hardly slowed down the car enough for her to jump out.
She hadn’t left any lights on and the porch was pitch-dark. She reached for his hand to show him the way, then unlocked and opened her door. Pushing it open she reached for the lights just inside and flipped them on. Then she turned on the living room lights and also her kitchen overhead, which illuminated her entire place in one fell swoop.
When she looked at him, he was shaking his head. He came close and cupped her face, a small smile curving his lips. “I’m not afraid of the dark,” he said.
“What
He was silent for a long moment. Then he replied, “Besides enclosed spaces and failing? Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Well…maybe you. Maybe I’m afraid of you.”
“I’m not that scary,” she said, putting her hands over his. “I’m just a woman.”
“Just a woman.” He let out a rough laugh and put his forehead to hers. His hands went to her hips and squeezed before gliding up and down her back.
“I am.” It was hard to think past the brush of his fingers. Tessa skimmed her hands up and over his shoulders, which she never got tired of touching because they were broad and hard with muscle. Then she slid her fingers into his hair, which was short and soft and, as usual, pretty much standing up on end. “I’m certainly not as scary as, say…working in the CIA.”
He bent his head and put his face to her throat, letting out a breath that brought goose bumps to her skin. “You sure about that?”
She pressed closer and felt his body begin to react.
Her body was far ahead of him. “Pretty sure. At least I won’t ever betray you and lock you in a trunk.” She could smell his skin, feel the rumble of his voice and pressed even closer. “I’m not going to hurt you, Reilly, ever.”
“Ah.” His face still buried in her neck, he nodded and took a soft bite out of her flesh that made her knees wobble. “A promise that you can’t possibly keep.”
She tightened her fingers on his hair and lifted his head to look into his light-blue eyes that liked to hide behind a sheet of ice. “You don’t like promises?”
At her back, his fingers slid beneath the material of her blouse. “I don’t trust promises.”
She knew he had a good reason to feel that way and her heart squeezed. “Well, how’s this for one you can trust?” Unbelievably touched by this man and unbelievably turned-on, she wrapped him in her arms. He really was her man in black, still her superhero with the surprisingly soft center, her everything. She put her mouth to his ear and let out a slow breath, gratified to feel his arms tighten around her. “I promise to drive you wild tonight.”
Another harsh laugh. “That’s an easy one,” he said. “You’re doing it right now.”
“Really?”
“Why so surprised?” he asked, arching his hips into hers. “Can’t you tell?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She kicked the door closed behind them and pressed her breasts to his chest. Oh, yes, she could feel his body’s reaction and she arched into him even more, eliciting a low groan from deep in his throat. “How very interesting,” she whispered.
“What?”
“You like me. You really like me.”
Another groaning laugh. His fingers sank in her hair and he lightly tugged her head back, his eyes glittering into hers. “What are you trying to do, Tess?”
“If you don’t know, then we have a problem.”
“Is it so wrong to give in to this heat between us tonight?” she wondered. “Is it?”
“Not if you mean it, that we’re only giving in for tonight.”
“I mean it,” she confirmed. She would have liked to negotiate for more, but Reilly was who he was, and she had no desire to change him; she just wanted him to let her in. For tonight. She’d deal with the rest later. Leaning in she rimmed his ear with her tongue, then bit gently on the lobe.
Again his arms tightened on her and he sucked in a harsh breath. His heart beat heavily against her breasts and beneath her hands, she felt his hard, hot muscles tensing. “Did you figure it out yet, Reilly?”
“You’re trying to seduce me.”
“Is it working?”
He looked into her eyes for a long, heated beat. “Oh, yeah. It’s working.”
“Good.” She had to remind herself that he wasn’t her warm, compassionate beta man. He was dark and edgy and dangerous, not to mention unpredictable and not a safe bet for a soul mate.
But he tasted good and she wanted him and for tonight, for right this minute, it would be enough. She’d make it so. “Kiss me, Reilly.”
“You took the thought right out of my head.” Then his mouth opened on hers and he slipped his tongue inside to languidly slide against hers. She didn’t fall to a boneless heap at his feet, but oh, she wanted to. Her fingers curled into his shirt and she held on for dear life as he delved deeper into her mouth.
It wasn’t enough and she tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head when he lifted his arms. When it went sailing across the room, she busied herself kissing all the broad, sleek flesh she’d exposed.
He let out a shuddering breath and pulled her blouse free from her skirt so he could stroke her bare ribs. His thumbs swirled over her belly button, delving a little lower to toy with the waistband of her skirt, even dipping beneath it to skim over her new purple panties. “Bedroom,” he murmured thickly, and bent his knees a little to scoop her up in his arms.
“Wait.”
He went utterly still and stared down into her face. “Wait?”
His entire body was taut with careful restraint and she could have hugged him-except she already was. “It’s just that
“You…want to do it?”
“Yes. So could you set me down? Please?” she added when he hesitated.
He set her down. “I took over,” he repeated, sounding baffled.
“You do that a lot, actually.” She took a deep breath because he was once again without a shirt and looked really…yummy. Not only did he look yummy, he looked hot and bothered and frustrated. She loved that look on him.
“Tess,” he said, running a finger over her shoulder, then following that up with a kiss to the spot.
She wanted to melt again.
“You wanted to run the show here,” he said. “Are you going to do that soon? Like maybe now?” he added hopefully when she just stood there absorbing his touch.
“Yes,” she said, laughing, then swallowed her smile, straightened and got serious. “Pick me up.”
His lips twitched. “Like I already had?”
“Yes.”
Looking amused on top of hot and bothered now, he scooped her up against his chest and looked down at her, her big, alpha guy awaiting her instructions.
She flung her arms around his neck. “Couch,” she commanded, ignoring his soft laugh, which turned into a groan when she bit his throat.
“I’m going to bite you back,” he growled and tossed her on the couch.
She hadn’t bounced once when his mouth found hers, hot and hungry while he unbuttoned her blouse,
