The hard heat of Pierce’s body pressed Jacquie into the mat and there was nowhere else she wanted to be. She could feel his heart pounding against her own chest and smell the musk of his skin. He was studying her, as if she was a miracle, as if he couldn’t learn enough. She watched his dark lashes sweep down as his gaze fell to her mouth. He inhaled sharply and might have moved away, but Jacquie stopped that.
On impulse, she locked one arm around his neck and held him there. Pierce met her gaze, his own simmering, his every muscle taut. Even angled over her, he felt so good.
So male.
She shivered, deep down inside, and felt her body respond to his.
Then she deliberately ran the tip of her tongue across her lips.
Pierce swore under his breath, which astonished her, then he bent to brush his mouth across hers. His touch was tantalizing, a tease and a sample, a touch to leave her simmering. His gaze searched hers as he held himself over her and she realized that he was asking permission.
Her heart thundered at that. The knowledge that he was a gentleman dismissed the last of her reservations.
Jacquie rolled him to his back, and locked her mouth over his, claiming him with a kiss. Pierce didn’t hesitate. His arms closed around her like steel bands, and he welcomed her kiss. She had the sense that he was letting her have her way with him, which suited her just fine.
The kiss was amazing. Potent. Persuasive. A promise of passion to come. It was hungry and demanding, as if they couldn’t get enough of each other, as if she hadn’t been the only one wanting this to happen. It was a kiss to dream on, one to keep her warm at night and fuel her fantasies, the kind of kiss she’d been needing for years, and Jacquie never wanted it to end.
She sighed with satisfaction and Pierce rolled her to her back, crushing her against the mat as he feasted upon her mouth. He flung off one glove, his hand sliding down her chest, then back to cup her breast. He teased her nipple to a peak between his finger and thumb, just enough pressure to make her squirm. She arched her back and writhed beneath him, rubbing one leg over and around his own. She could feel the hard heat of him against her groin and rolled her hips in invitation.
His hand eased beneath her tank top, and she caught her breath at the warm weight of his hand against her bare skin. She opened her eyes to find him watching her, then he broke their kiss. Those lashes swept down as he dropped his gaze, then swallowed as he watched his own hand slide beneath the elastic of her shorts. Jacquie closed her eyes at the progress of his fingertips across her belly, loving how purposeful he was. The club was quiet. No one would see or know.
And she wanted him. She flung off her own glove and pushed her hand through his hair, kissing his ear, then drawing his mouth back to hers. She saw his mouth curve into a smile. She saw his eyes darken. She felt his fingertips slide lower and knew the moment he felt the dampness of her arousal. His eyes glittered and he bent lower to capture her mouth again.
But her phone rang, the sound echoing loudly in the studio.
Pierce lifted his head, his gaze locking on her bag against the far wall. Jacquie winced. The ringtone meant it was her youngest son, and if she didn’t pick up at this hour, he’d have all four of her kids trying to hunt her down.
Shit.
It was like they had radar.
Two
“My son,” Jacquie said and Pierce rolled away from her, trying to both catch his breath and hide his reaction to those two words. Son? She had a son? He supposed it shouldn’t have been unexpected, but Jacquie didn’t wear a ring. He’d assumed that she was as single as he was.
That didn’t mean she’d always been single, though, and it certainly didn’t mean she wouldn’t have kids. He felt like he’d overlooked a detail.
The surprise didn’t stop him from watching her cross the studio to her bag and her phone. She moved like a panther, confident in her body’s power. She kissed like a goddess, and it was only human to wish they hadn’t been interrupted.
Could they pick up where they’d left off after the call? Pierce wasn’t sure.
A son. Did that mean she had a husband? He knew there were people who didn’t wear wedding rings, but he wouldn’t have thought she was one. She seemed conservative to him and he wondered why that was.
It was the way she dressed. Practical but feminine.
Was she divorced? Pierce shoved a hand through his hair, reminding himself that they were both adults. Jacquie wouldn’t have kissed him like she wanted to claim his soul if she was happily married.
But what if his instinct was wrong?
The fact was that he didn’t get involved with women who had other commitments. His relationships had been flings and one-nighters, with women just as unattached as he was. He’d assumed that they all liked the freedom as much as he did. Now he watched the concern in Jacquie’s expression and wondered.
Was she worried about this son? How old was he? Had she chosen to have a son or had it just happened? What about the father? Even if she was divorced or separated, the father could still be in her life. That man should be, if they had a son together.
Everything seemed suddenly...complicated.
It wasn’t boring, though. The deluge of questions and uncertainties, his need for more information, was interesting. Family life was all new territory and Pierce itemized the possibilities and outstanding questions with his usual analytical ability and speed.
He’d go a long way in this strange new land for another kiss like that one. It had sent a demand
