“Stop it,” she whispered, trying to look away, at the street, at the shop, anywhere but him and his knowing eyes.
“Why?” Do you feel sometin’?”
She rose on her toes, arching her head back as one finger flicked against her clit. A chain of pleasure unwound inside her, fierce and breathtakingly sudden. “No,” she said through gritted teeth, fighting the feeling when all she wanted to do was surrender. She couldn’t. Not here, not out in the open where anyone could happen by at any moment. He shouldn’t make her feel so tempted to give in.
“I think you do.” He straightened from her as abruptly as he’d begun, leaving her feeling achingly unfulfilled and pissed that he’d begun something only to make a point.
“I never figured you for a coward,” he said, watching her straighten her dress.
Before Jessica knew it, she’d slapped him. Her palm cracked across his face, slamming the satisfied, challenging look right off it. She looked at him in horror, unable to believe she’d actually done physical harm to him. She hadn’t hit him hard enough to leave her hand print, but she’d struck him all the same. She looked from her hand to his face and back again, feeling numb from shock.
A dark fury settled over him. It was as obvious as the sky turning black and the wind howling through the trees.
Here was a man you didn’t mess with. She’d done what her mama had always warned her not to do--never get physical with a man. Cold dread slid down her spine.
Rough hands grabbed her biceps, forced her back against the wall. Male strength crushed against her, taking the breath from her body--muscles hard and angry against her soft curves. Jessica gasped in surprise as he brought his mouth down on hers, thrust his tongue past the part of her lips, deep inside. She tasted the anger in his kiss. Her lips burned under the heavy pressure, the rough glide of his tongue, in and out, leaving no space untouched. He was ravenous, consuming her silent pleas to stop ... to go on....
Potent, male excitement pervaded her senses like flood gates thrown wide. He growled low in his throat, thrusting his hips against her as if in emphasis that he controlled her. She was his to do with as he willed and nothing would stop him. His hard cock rubbed against her in rough warning. One wrong move and he’d take her, willing or no.
Thrilling fear moved in a heady rush through her limbs like a shot of ecstasy. Her heart hammered in her chest. She wanted to cry out when he forced her legs apart with rough hands, but his mouth muffled her cries, kept taking and taking until she couldn’t give any more, and still he kissed her. She couldn’t breathe, could barely think. All the blood pooled between her thighs, rushing to that hot, insane place that wanted him, wanted the angry, hard feel of his cock deep inside. She pushed against his arms, needing to be free before she completely lost her mind, but one stroke against her sparsely covered cleft had her digging her nails into his flesh in mindless pleasure.
He tore his mouth from hers, gasping hoarsely against her throat, pumping against her in short, rough strokes, his fingers digging into the backs of her knees. Jessica scraped her nails down his back, arching into him, shaking her head as he dragged his teeth down her throat and groaned with pure satisfaction. It rumbled through her, her body echoing with primitive response.
“How much you wan’ me to push you, cherie?” he asked hoarsely against the base of her throat. His tongue snaked out, bathed her. Her skin felt on fire as he lathed her collarbone and sucked against the crook of her neck. Hard.
She jerked to instant awareness, opening her eyes. Her hands went still as he stiffened against her. “It’s not a contest, you bastard.”
He met her gaze, his eyes unbelievably dark. His chest heaved, his arms shook with the effort to control himself. Slowly, with effort, he dropped her legs. “You fool yourself if you don’ believe life is a challenge. Dere’s only one prize in d’end.”
Jessica pushed away from him, wiping her mouth and neck. She could smell him everywhere. Taste him. It made her weak. She couldn’t afford to be weak. “Just leave me alone. This is a mistake.”
“Why? Cause maybe you like me too much?”
She turned away from him. “I’m not answering that.”
Gabriel made a soft clucking noise as she walked away.
She could’ve ignored it--she should’ve. It might have just been her imagination, but she knew by now that Gabriel was a man to push a person’s buttons. He was determined to push her to her limits. And this was just too much. She’d damn well show the damned goading, confident bastard what she was made of.
She turned around, found him watching her expectantly, almost as though he was eager to see what she’d do. She took the two steps back to him, pressed one hand against his chest and pushed him back on the wall with little effort. She reached down and cupped his cock. His eyes widened, his mouth opened. Jessica wrapped her hand around his neck and forced him down for her kiss.
She gave him everything she had to give, forced her tongue into his mouth, massaged his erection, rubbed her body sensuously against his as she thrust in and out of his mouth. His whole body when rigid. He sucked her tongue as though starved, and she could feel the beat of his heart quicken against her breast, felt his cock jump and throb against her palm. He groaned, reaching for her, but she wouldn
’t allow it. When his hands touched her, she released his groin. His hands smacked against the facade, making him helpless, vulnerable and wanting of only what she would give.
A triumphant thrill went through her, to have him under her control. Heady pleasure rocketed through her. Her palm burned with the feel of his cock trapped in her hand.
She rubbed her thumb against the bare patch of skin exposed by one tear. He stiffened even more, sucked her tongue harder, hungrier, groaned into her mouth.
She pulled back before she could get too caught up in the moment, before she could lose her point. When she was done, it was him leaning back against the wall for support.
“I think I just won the game,” she said.
He was breathing heavily, watching her with a mixture of wariness and appreciation.
“I think maybe you did too.”
She allowed herself one victorious smile and walked away.
Chapter Four
Jessica deeply regretted not heeding Gabriel’s earlier advice. It seemed like he’d delivered it days ago, but it had really only been a few hours. She also regretted everything that she’d allowed to happen between them. Jessica shook her head, trying to block the thoughts, the guilt. She didn’t want to dwell on it. She’d never been one to hash and rehash what she should’ve done then, what she shouldn’t have done there. She just put the whole thing out of her mind and resolved not to feel guilty for anything. At least, that’s what she’d do in an ideal world where she had ample self-control.
She didn’t. She didn’t have any self-control at all. Gabriel sucked it all out of her--literally.
After only a short time, he occupied her thoughts far more than he should’ve. She half wondered if she’d developed an obsession or something equally disturbing.
Surely normal women didn’t feel and think so much about a man. Just remembering his kisses sent her into instant lust. She swore she could still taste him, like spicy gumbo and warm, creamy coffee. His scent definitely still lingered on her, rubbed into her neck like a cologne--not a strong smell, but potent in its own subtle way.
Everywhere she walked, when the wind picked up, she caught just a hint of him, in her hair, on her clothes, like a finger making the come hither motion right under her nose. If she hadn’t known better, she’d swear her nose was more sensitive.
Everything seemed more ... sensorial now, scents sharper. Even the wind had it’s own distinct fragrance.
Her imagination was running overtime.
What she really should’ve done was gone back to the hotel and washed his scent off her skin. But she’d become so embroiled in her quest for the day, and smelling him on her gave her such a secret thrill--she hadn’t
