Jazz ground her teeth and stepped next to Rafe. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He dropped the key, turned her into his embrace, and kissed her.
He ran his hands down her back and over her hips before skimming them up her sides to the edge of her breasts. She held her breath, trying to decide if she wanted him to touch her so boldly in public or not. He saved her from the moral dilemma. He dropped his hands and stepped away from her without touching them.
His heated gaze met Jazz’s. He grabbed her hand, picked up the key, ignoring the folded piece of paper, and led her toward the elevator.
The doors swooshed closed. He crowded her against the wall.
“Were you jealous, my sweet Jasmine?”
She shrugged. “No, but—”
He pressed his mouth to hers but didn’t kiss her. “Don’t lie.”
The butterfly brush of his lips to hers made her shiver. “She was being rude. Didn’t even try to hide the fact that she wanted you.”
“Yes, but you are the female I want, the one who will sleep in my arms tonight.”
The confident way he spoke both excited her and made her wary. If she wasn’t careful, she wouldn’t keep the sex and her emotions separate. She needed to focus on the physical, not the sentimental feelings that cuddling with a man would bring. At least not their first night together. With the way he treated her and thought about her kids, it wouldn’t take long to fall for him. Tonight, though? She had to focus on the moment, not get lost in dreams of tomorrow. And if she kept repeating that, she might convince herself of it.
“We came here for sex. I never said I would sleep in your arms. That’s an intimacy I’m not sure I want to share.”
“Really?” He raised a brow. “Where will you sleep? Our room only has a king-sized bed. Did you think I’d sleep on the floor?”
She tugged the front of his shirt free and slid her hand under it, needing to touch him.
“Maybe I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Only if you use my body as your pillow.”
She inched her fingers over the ridges of his stomach. “I don’t know how comfortable that would be.”
Rafe punched a button on the wall for their floor and faced her. Half-lidded eyes met hers. “I think you’ll find my body…satisfactory.”
So did she. And she couldn’t wait to memorize every inch of it.
Chapter 14
Jazz woke to the sound of Rafe’s steady heartbeat under her ear. Memories of what they’d done together replayed in her drowsy, sated mind. They’d had sex. Raw and gritty, then sweet and slow. Sex better than she’d ever had.
He’d worked her body, taking her to the point where only pleasure existed. Rafe was a phenomenal lover. No doubt about it. Last night was one she’d never forget…but it was over. She couldn’t spend all day in bed with him, no matter how much she wanted to. She wasn’t free. She had responsibilities—to her kids and her job.
Carefully, she lifted the muscled arm holding her and slipped away. Still asleep, Rafe reached for her. The sight made butterflies take flight in her belly. She shoved a pillow at his searching fingers. He grabbed hold of it and pulled it against him. His nose twitched and his brows pinched, but he settled into sleep with the scrunched pillow as a substitute for her.
She sat on her bent legs and studied her lover’s body. He was gorgeous. At first glance, she’d thought he had a healthy tan but unless he walked around naked a lot, the deep burnished gold was his natural skin tone. And in the muted light seeping from around the drapes, his body shone as if liquid gold was spread over his skin. Delicious.
He had a wide chest and an eight-pack few guys ever developed. Thick thighs and bulging arms completed the body he must spend hours toning. She swept her gaze over him and seared the sight into her mind. Her body tingled, the first stirrings of arousal settling low in her belly.
It seemed a little surreal to be in a hotel room with a man who could easily pass as a pagan sex god. There was no denying it, not with the tender ache between her legs as a reminder of what they’d shared.
She ran a hand over her neck then her shoulder. Both spots felt sensitized. She’d bet money that once she looked in a mirror she’d find a hickey there. She’d had a few guys deliver them when she’d been young and wild and her partners had been just as crazy with the new experiences. Young love. It’d been fun and exciting. None of those times came close to last night, and no lover had ever taken her as Rafe had, as if he owned her—body and soul.
With slow, controlled movements, she climbed off the bed before she gave in to the urge to wake him with her mouth on his body. She padded across the shadowed room to the bathroom and flicked the switch, leaving the door cracked open.
The sliver of light helped her see the room. She gathered her clothes, dug Rafe’s phone from his jeans pocket, and retreated to the bathroom. A quick shower later, she dressed, then leaned against the sink with Rafe’s phone in her hand. She couldn’t afford one, but she often wished she’d had a cell phone. They were convenient, especially at times like this. She wanted to call and check on her boys but didn’t want to wake Rafe by using the hotel phone.
For a moment, she debated whether or not to make the call. Would Rafe be angry that she’d used his phone without his permission? She shook off the worry. If Rafe was concerned enough about her kids to hire his brother to watch over them, then he wouldn’t mind the phone call. If he did,
