Page 34 of Merrick

“Is that right?” His voice had gone dangerously low. “It’s just sex, is it?”

“There can’t be anything else.” This time she shoved hard enough, and he let her up. Reaching for the discarded shirt, she dragged it over her head. “I have to go.”

She told herself that it wasn’t disappointment she felt when he did not come after her. Not even when she retrieved her stuff from the balcony and went to the gym to get her clothing.

When she came back out, he was not on the steps where she left him, and the tray was gone. Swallowing her acute disappointment that he had taken it so lightly, she turned and went towards the door, stopping when she saw him leaning against it.

“I need to get past.”

“In a minute.” He had his arms crossed over his impressive bare chest and she was doing her best not to stare or she would start yearning. “What you said to me earlier was pure bullshit.”

“I don’t care what you think…”

“You feel something for me and I sure as hell feel a lot for you. You are under my skin. In my bloodstream and if you think I am going to step meekly aside, then you do not know me very well.” He unfolded his arms and started towards her. And she had to force herself not to back away.

A grim smile touched his lips, and she had the sinking feeling that he knew she was quaking inside. “Take the time you need, but I am not going to simply disappear. What we have, what we feel for each other is not going away and I want to see you again. No!” He shook his head. “I’m going to damn well see you again.”

“This is not a relationship…” She figured if she said it enough, it would resonate and make it so. “We’re just having fun…” She let out a startled gasp when he yanked her forward and crushed his arms around her.

Before she could react, he took her mouth – just seized her lips, crushed his against hers and shoved his tongue in. She felt dizzy and then recharged and then numb.

But all of that passed as he ravaged her. She went weak, her knees buckling and thought dazedly that it was a good thing, he was holding onto her, or she would have slid to the floor. She feltas if she was dissolving, her heart racing like a maddened thing. Her hands came up in defense and curled into his chest.

When he let her go, the abruptness had her staggering and trying to keep her balance. Her lips throbbed and she felt as if she was burning up.

“When you’re doing your thinking, remember that.” His eyes smoldered and he looked dangerous and utterly sexy, standing there with his chest heaving and his hair tousled. The man was too sexy for words and for the first time in her life, she found herself wishing things were different.

But it wasn’t. There were murders between them. Lies and subterfuge. She was not who he thought she was, and he was a suspect. That stopped her cold. And had her snapping out of the daze.

“Let me out.” She whispered hoarsely.

With hissed breath, he uncoded the door and yanked it open and she prayed that he would not touch her again. She had to try and find a way to regroup and come again. To try and come back from this.

Without another word, she strode away and went to the elevator that would take her to the ground floor. And he watched her. She was inside the car when she heard the door slammed shut. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and tried to settle.

*****

He went upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. She had dropped the t-shirt she had been wearing on a chair just inside the parlor and he took it up with him. It damn well pissed him off that he was sniffing at it like a fricking schoolboy with his first crush. It smelled like her.

A kind of musky scent, faintly exotic, because he did not believe she was into expensive scents. And it was still warm from her body. Damn her for reducing him to this.

He wanted her. Had almost begged her to spend the night again. The entire day. He had been about to call and ask his assistant to reschedule meetings so that he could spend the day with her, and she had left after telling him she had ‘fun’, and it was just sex.

He stood by the side of the bed and stared at the tangled sheets. The room smelled of sex and the smoke from the fire he had lit – faint whispers of both, but it had his knees going weak and memories flooding him. Lowering himself to the bed, he hauled the sheet up to his nose and inhaled what he thought was her scent.

He could not get enough of her. Touching her had been something he had to do. He sighed raggedly and felt the piercing guilt that he had never felt this way before. Not even with the woman he had proposed to, one who carried his son inside her womb. What he felt for Laura had been a pleasant sort of buzz, a glow inside his chest.

He had loved her of course, but he now realized that it had been a comfortable sort of feeling, like sliding on an old robe. With Margo – it was violent, addictive, and raw. He had wanted to devour her completely. Align her body with his, absorb her until they were sealed, bonded.

For the first time in his life, he felt giddiness coursing through him, giving him wings. Dropping the sheets, he covered his face with his hands and ached. He was aching for her. And if she had the idea of brushing him off, then he would damn well see about that.

The determination settled on him like a well-known cloak and had him squaring his shoulders. He would give her the damn space and time to think, but not for long. Oh no, he wasn’t going to give her time to rid herself of him.

*****

Margo let herself in and dropped her key fob into the ceramic bowl residing on the entrance table. Methodically, she removed her boots and jacket and sat on the stool at the side of the door. She had refused to think about anything on her drive here.

But now, she could not help it. She had seen several missed calls from Brad and heard his messages. His impatient tone that she had not returned his calls. She would go in, she had to.

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