“Pepper, you jerked out of my arms and almost fell. Of course I hurt you.”
She shook her head, not wanting him to think for even a moment that he’d done anything to harm her. “No!” she insisted, and reached for him. Her hands hesitated a mere inch away from his body. “Please,” she begged, almost sobbing with frustration at the effort to get him to understand. “It wasn’t you!”
He reached out and took her hands, placing them against his bare chest. When had his shirt come open? She looked at his tan chest covered with a light layer of dark hair right there and…her eyes blurred, her mind blanked. Before she could get sucked back into the vortex of lust, she jerked her hand away again, stepping back.
“I can’t touch you,” she hissed.
“Why not?”
“Because…” she bit her lip, staring at that wonderful skin, groaning. “Because if I touch you, I won’t want to stop!”
He sighed, pressing his fingers against his forehead. “You are a virgin.”
She laughed, shaking her head, causing her long, wavy curls to dance in the moonlight. “No, I’m not a virgin, Dimitri. Remember? I told you I’ve had sex twice before, but it was nothing like what I feel around you. I’m sorry,” she said and stepped backwards. “I’m just not in the same league as you. I’m not a virgin, but I’m not experienced either. When you touch me, I can’t….think.”
She turned and walked away. “Thank you for a lovely evening.”
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he growled.
Pepper turned. “I’ll take a cab home.”
Dimitri wanted to roar with frustration and knew that he was acting like an ass. But he couldn’t help it. When she’d touched him, he’d felt powerful and her soft skin, her body pressed against his in such an unconsciously erotic way had driven him wild!
And now she wanted to walk away? Oh, hell no!
“I will take you home, Pepper,” he snapped.
She stiffened, her shoulders pulling back and she glared at him. He might have laughed at her outrage if he wasn’t in so much pain.
“I’m fine,” she told him. “I’ll get home on my own.”
He wanted to toss her over his knee so that he could spank her lovely ass! In two strides, he reached her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. “You will not take a taxi home, Pepper! I will see you safely to your door!”
She bit her lip, which was another reason he wanted to spank her! She was so unconsciously sexy and it was so appealing!
Pulling back, he released her arm. Not because he thought he was hurting her, but because it was hurting him. Just the feel of her skin made him burn for her. In the back of his mind, he wondered where her sweater had gone, but he was too close to the edge to think rationally. So he grabbed his car keys. “Let’s go.”
A half hour later, he pulled up to the curb alongside her building and turned off the engine. But before he realized what was happening, she was out of the car, bending over to smile stiffly at him. “Thank you again for tonight,” she said, then slammed the door closed. She was already inside the building and sprinting up the stairs before he even opened his car door.
For a long moment, he considered following and explaining to her exactly how things would go between them. First of all, she would never, ever, run away from him again. And secondly, he would always see her to her door. He would kiss her goodnight. And they would part ways calmly.
Unfortunately, he was still too wound up to approach her. So instead of seeing her safely to her door, he stood on the sidewalk and waited until he saw the lights come on in her apartment. He even saw her peer down at him from the window.
Since he was sure that she was safely inside her home, he got back into his car and sped away, taking slow, deep breaths in an effort to calm down his raging lust.
It didn’t work. By the time he got back to his place, Dimitri was still feeling that gnawing ache of need. He thought about taking care of this need himself, but instead, he stepped into a cold shower. Nothing would satisfy his lust other than sinking himself deep into the luscious, amazing body of Pepper. And that irritated him!
Staring up at the ceiling that night, he vowed to avoid all contact with Pepper Abbot. She was gorgeous, sexy, alluring and…damn it, his body was again standing at attention and he rolled over, punching the pillow with his fury.
Pepper Abbot was a tease.
No, that wasn’t right. She wasn’t a tease. She was inexperienced, just as she’d admitted. As much as he appreciated her honesty, Dimitri wasn’t into women who didn’t know what they wanted or how to handle their desires. He preferred women who accepted their sexuality, embraced it. He wanted a woman who was ready for a real relationship with him.
Having made that decision, he rolled over, and tried to fall asleep.
Chapter 5
Dimitri was still aching by the time he left his penthouse the following morning, showered and dressed for work, his muscles aching after the workout he’d put himself through in an effort to ease the desire still surging through him.
Never in his life, even when he’d been a teenager and a soft breeze would arouse his body, had he felt this aching, driving lust for a woman!
So no, he wasn’t going to ignore the lovely Pepper Abbot! He wasn’t going to walk away! Despite the vow he’d made last night, in the clear light of morning, he’d come to a different decision.
Today, he was going to explain to her
