Page 14 of Playing By His Rules

“Sweetheart, you can’t make seductive sounds like that sweet little moan and not expect me to think about you in the throes of an orgasm. And trust me, I have areallygood imagination.”

With her standing by the sofa and him over by a chair, he wasn’t anywhere near to touching her, but his eyes were like a provocative caress everywhere they glanced . . . at the swells of her breasts, down her bare legs, then back up to her mouth—and that’s where he lingered, making her stomach knot with an overwhelming need unlike anything she’d ever craved before. It was as though this man had a direct link to her deepest desires. The darker, more forbidden ones that no other man had ever bothered to tap into or discover.

She shifted restlessly on her bare feet. “When are you going to kiss me?” she blurted out, and immediately felt her face heat at her brazen question. God, she wasn’t normally so impetuous—she’d always been a think before you act kind of girl—and she blamed this hot, sexy man for making her so impulsive.

He slowly moved toward her, the beat of her heart increasing with every step he took closer. “Impatient little thing, aren’t you?”

“No,” she lied, and crossed her arms over her chest, which only served to lift her breasts higher, and he noticed. “I just want to know when to expect it.”

Amusement flickered in his eyes as she stopped right in front of her, the scent of his cologne and the heat of his body tempting her to reach out and touch him. She refrained, but he didn’t.

Lifting a hand, he grasped a strand of her hair and twirled it around his long finger, ensnaring her in more than just that one way. “Well, knowing when it’s going to happen takes all the fun out of the growing anticipation of waiting and wondering and thinking about it. And, since it’s just one kiss, I want to make the most of it.”

He gave her hair what should have been a playful tug, but the tingling pull on her scalp seemed to connect directly to her nipples, and her clit, and she had to swallow back another one of those pleasurable, orgasmic moans. God, this man was dangerous to her libido, making her want things that she’d only encountered in the erotic books she read.

He leaned a bit closer–almost near enough to capture her mouth with his, his breath a warm caress across her cheek. “But don’t worry, I’ll let you know when I decide I want to kiss you before my lips touch yours. I won’t kiss you without you telling me it’s what you want, too.”

He released her hair and stepped back like a gentleman, and she nearly took a step forward to chase him down and tell him she wanted the kissnow. Somehow, she managed to stop herself from being such a shameless hussy, but this man seemed to know her internal struggle, her battle between red-hot desire and being the quintessential good girl, and he reveled in it. He’d done nothing to break the rules she’d set for the night . . . so why did she feel the slightest twinge of disappointment?

He turned away as if he hadn’t turned her inside out with wanting him and strolled toward the hotel phone on a side table. “I’m going to order up some desserts,” he said from over his shoulder, that husky, tempting tone to his voice gone. “Is there anything in particular you’d like?”

“Anything chocolate, please.” If she couldn’t have Rick, then she’d try and satisfy that gnawing, growing hunger with dessert.

While he spoke to room service, Madison retrieved her phone from her purse to text her sister with an update and was shocked to see a notification that half of the money Rick had spent on her was already deposited into her account. Gratitude flooded through her, washing away a good amount of the stress that had hung over her the past few weeks. Having a cushion in her savings once again, even this small one, was a huge relief. She no longer had to panic about how she was going to pay the upcoming rent on their apartment, her car payment, and other bills.

She opened her text messages, clicked on Andrea’s name, and typed her note.Hey. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be staying the night at the hotel with a client.

Andrea’s response came quickly.Are you sure you want to do that?

Madison could almost hear the worry in her sister’s message and sought to reassure her.Yes. Positive. If it makes you feel any better, I’m with a gentleman named Rick Dunne and I’m in room number 2510 at Reign if you need me for anything.

That does make me feel better and I know you wouldn’t do anything that didn’t feel right or safe. I’ll see you in the morning. Love you, Maddie.

Madison was grateful that her sister hadn’t asked for details, but she could only imagine what Andrea was thinking about Madison spending the night with a stranger.Love you, too.

“Everything good?” Rick asked, done with placing their room service order.

“Yes.” Madison put her phone back into her purse before settling onto one of the couch cushions. “Just letting my sister know I won’t be coming home tonight so she doesn’t worry.”

He nodded in understanding and sat down next to her as they waited for their dessert to arrive. “I take it you two are close?”

He propped his feet on the coffee table in front of the sofa. He’d taken off his shoes and socks at some point and how was it even possible that the man had sexy feet, too?

“Yes,” she replied easily, drawing her gaze back to his. “She’s younger than me by five years. After my mother died and my father went off the deep end, I pretty much took over that role, so we definitely have a close relationship. Do you have any siblings?”

“I do. A stepbrother, Declan. His mother married my father when we were younger.”

She tipped her head curiously. “Are you two close?”

He smiled. “Yes. Very. Declan’s a great guy. Former military, but he now works for the same security firm that I do. He recently got married, and him and his wife, Summer, are expecting their first baby, which will make me an uncle, which is pretty cool.”

She was surprised to hear a note of melancholy in his voice and wondered at its source, but he spoke again before she could subtly ask about that dynamic.

“Like you and your sister, the two of us are really the only family we have since both our parents passed away.”

“Recently?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. It’s been about ten years now. It was a car accident.”

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