She tried to look disapproving. “What else did you do while I was asleep?”
His gaze dropped to the vee neck of her T-shirt. “I stared.”
“Oh, gosh. I hope I didn’t snore.”
“Like a lumberjack.” He gave her rump a light swat. “Don’t worry. I won’t complain about the snoring if you sleep with me.”
“I doubt my father would approve.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Catching sight of Mitch’s scowl, she explained. “Dad only approves of computer engineers.”
Mitch frown deepened. “What does your father do?”
“He runs a tech firm.” A twist of anxiety soured her stomach. “Sure would be convenient if he had a son-in-law who could write code and possessed an M.B.A.” She tried to inject humor into the statement, but the words came out flat and lifeless.
“What about you? What do you prefer? Someone who can focus all his energy on your father’s business?” He lowered his mouth to hers. “Or do you want someone who’s crazy about you?”
She skewered her eyes shut. In the not-too-distant future, she would have to honor her obligations and ignore the quiet yearnings of her heart. Needing to escape the reality, she tilted up her mouth to receive Mitch’s searing kiss.
He transformed the act into something wildly erotic, revealing the animal urges he’d kept hidden until now. When his sensual lips burned a path to the neckline of her T-shirt, she arched up in invitation. For the first time in her life, she was just a woman, nothing more. By some stroke of fortune, he made her eyes roll back into her head every time he touched her.
When she felt his mouth near her décolletage, she pulled one of his hands up to her breast and whispered a throaty, “Please?”
A huff came out of Mitch’s throat. “I’ll touch you anywhere you want.” His warm palm closed around her flesh. He brushed a kiss along her neckline. “You’re so damned gorgeous.”
Excitement thrummed under her skin, contracting her nipple into a hard, throbbing pebble.
Mitch’s thumb rubbed back and forth across the nub. “Want me to kiss you here?”
“God, yes.” She pulled her T-shirt halfway up and stopped when cool air buffeted her abdomen. “On second thought, I won’t get undressed. This is kind-of our first date, after all.”
“Whatever you say. I can adjust.” His leg slid between hers.
His thick thigh pressed against the wild pulse drumming in her core. Breathing in short, agitated gulps, Jaye curled her hand around the back of his neck. “Hurry, Mitch. Oh…yes.”
Through her thin T-shirt and simple cotton bra, his mouth found the stiff tip of her breast.
Pleasure zipped through her body, tingling the back of her throat all the way down to the arches of her feet.
Mitch shifted, kissing his way across her shirt. “I should pay attention to your other breast, too.”
“Excellent idea. Oh, my. You’re really good at this.” She clamped her legs around his muscular thigh.
With an ardent grunt, he gripped her ass to pull her up tight against the bulge of his erection.
A provocative shiver tickled along her sex, the precursor to a deeper, more satisfying contraction if she let him keep touching her. She gave him a quick, hot kiss and scrambled off the couch. Staggering on wobbly legs, she smoothed her T-shirt with shaking hands. “I need to stop.”
Mitch stumbled to his feet, wiping a hand down his face. “What?”
“We have to work tomorrow. We should get some sleep.” Oh, how she wanted to throw herself back into his arms. Instead, she backed away and tossed out another worthless excuse. “I’ve got to get up early for a run.”
He lifted a hand. “Whoa, wait a minute.”
“I’m sorry.” She fluttered ten fingers in the air. “This isn’t fair. I’m giving you mixed messages.”
“Yeah, you are.” He bumped into the coffee table.
Jaye winced. “Are you okay?”
“No. My knee hurts and I’m confused as hell.” He waved toward the couch. “What happened? Did I scare you?”
“No. I scared myself.” She backed into the foyer. Only a few more steps to the hallway leading to her bedroom, to safety, but her feet stopped moving. With an admiring grin, she studied the breadth of his chest. “I really want to tear off your shirt.”
The fierce set of his mouth softened. “I want to tear off your shirt, too.”
She held up a hand like a traffic cop. “I’m not sure I can do this so soon after someone cheated on me. This sounds like a terrible cliché, but I’m having trouble trusting again.”
“Makes sense.” He paused and rubbed his jaw. “I’ve had two years to recover from the betrayal. You’ve only had a few weeks.”
Her runaway fears stilled, halted by the sympathy in his voice. Taking a tentative step toward him, she frowned. “Did someone cheat on you?”
“Yeah. My fiancée slept with a guy the night before we were supposed to get married.” Mitch scratched the back of his head and shrugged. “Right before I walked to the altar, I spoke to her father, who told me the wedding was off.”
Jaye gulped. “She didn’t tell you in person?”
“No.” He stuffed both hands into his front pockets and shrugged. “She didn’t think I deserved an explanation. Looking back, I can see her point. We’d been fighting a lot. I hurt her more than I knew.”
“What could you have possibly done to merit such a betrayal?”
He swallowed, casting a glance toward the dark window. “I wouldn’t say I loved her.”
For a sterile moment, Jaye thought of all the times she hadn’t said I love you. Was he afraid the sentiment wouldn’t be returned, like she was? “Why didn’t you tell her how you felt?”
“Because too many people say those words one day and walk away the next. Actions speak louder than words.” He looked at her, his blue eyes searching. “Do you know what I mean?”
Jaye thought of all the times David said I love you right before he sought
