“That means you need to bend over a bit more.”
“Oh,” she breathed as she rushed to comply.
“Good. Now hold the cue steady and eye the ball. Like that.” He sounded hoarse as his fingers gripped her tighter. Then he pressed his entire chest over her back and breathed against her neck. A shiver wracked her. “Hold still. Yeah. Now take your shot.”
How the devil was she supposed to concentrate when he was all over her? When his musky scent swam in her head and she kept closing her eyes to drink him in? It was hard to concentrate on balancing the cue when her body kept urging her to press back into him with a moan.
But Brea did her best.
The tip of her stick barely poked the cue ball. The white orb rolled lazily across the table, made a polite clap with the first of the balls in the triangle, barely jostling them before rolling away.
“Not a bad first effort. Next time, put a little more force into it.” He eased away, seemingly reluctant to put space between them.
“It was horrible.” She straightened, and her hungry stare climbed him again. “Show me what I should have done?”
He hesitated, then set his pool cue aside. “You didn’t come to play pool. Cutter made you promise not to talk to me, so why are you here?”
“To thank you.”
“You could have left cookies for me at the office. But you came to my house. On a Friday night. With your hair curled and your makeup done, wearing pretty white lace.” Pierce fingered the scooped neck of her top before he wrapped his hand around her neck and tilted her face up to meet his stare. “Look me in the eye and tell me why you’re here.”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. You’re afraid to admit it.”
Goodness, Pierce could see right through her.
She swallowed. “Terrified.”
His fingers on the back of her neck tightened. “I’m more than happy to give you what you want, but you have to look me in the eye and say it out loud.”
Brea dug her nails into his forearms, her heart pounding. “I don’t understand.”
“I won’t settle for less than your enthusiastic consent when I take you to bed.”
She gaped. “Don’t you mean if?”
Abruptly, he released her. “If you really think it’s still a question, you’re bullshitting yourself. And we don’t have a whole lot more to say.”
“Wait. This is happening too fast.” Brea looked up at him, not even sure what she was silently begging for.
But he knew. “I’m cutting to the chase, pretty girl. Let me tell you what isn’t going to happen. I’m not going to seduce you. I’m not going to push or pressure or force you. You’re coming to me because you want it. From me. And no one else.”
“C-can’t we get to know each other?”
Brea was grasping at straws. Pierce wasn’t the sort of man who formed cute, benign friendships with girls. He had sex with women. Which meant he had no use for her.
As she’d feared, she was in way over her head.
“I’m sorry. That was a stupid question. I’ll go.” She looked away, humiliation blazing her cheeks as she charged for his front door.
Now if she could just manage to make it outside before her composure disintegrated…
Pierce grabbed her elbow and pulled her back. “It wasn’t stupid. I want to know more about you than your body. But I know exactly where this attraction is heading. Whether you want to admit it or not, we’ll wind up in bed. I’m just saying that I want your full consent when we get there. If you can’t give me that when the time comes, say goodbye now.”
Brea dragged in a deep breath. As far as he knew, she belonged to another man. Of course he would want her consent before anything happened between them. And she respected that he wanted a completely willing sexual partner.
That wasn’t her.
She shook her head and backed away. “I shouldn’t have come.”
Brea whirled around and darted for the door again. She’d embarrassed herself enough.
Behind her, she heard Pierce give chase, his footsteps heavy as he spun her to face him. Brea expected him to pull her close, but she gasped when he shoved her back. Her spine made contact with the foyer wall. His hands spread on either side of her head. He pressed every inch of his body against her. Then he dipped his head as if he intended to kiss her here and now.
Brea’s belly flipped with excitement. She gripped his bare shoulders, thrilled by his satiny skin over hard, steely muscle. Anticipation rolled through her as she tilted her head up to him and closed her eyes in surrender.
She wanted Pierce Walker’s kiss so badly…
It never came.
Seconds later, Brea blinked, her lashes fluttering up until she focused on him. He studied her with a dissecting stare even as he pressed the hard length of his manhood against her belly. “I know you want me.”
She looked away. “Let me go.”
Pierce merely thrust his fingers in her hair and tugged until she had no choice but to look at him. “I want you, too, pretty girl. So fucking bad I can almost taste you. That’s why I waited for you outside your church a week ago last Sunday. That’s why I followed you to Lafayette. That’s why it’s taking every bit of my restraint now not to kiss you.”
“Why don’t you?” She really wished he would.
“Because you have to be willing to admit what you want between us. Until that day…” He eased away with a shake of his head, then opened the door. “Unless it’s an emergency, don’t come back. If you do, Brea, you better be ready to confess that you want me—and me alone—to strip you down, get deep inside you, and give you every bit of pleasure
