Page 58 of Wild Desire

"Wine would be amazing. I almost never indulge."

I wouldn't give her more than a glass. If she made a decision to be with me tonight, it wouldn't be because she was under the influence. I wanted her lucid.

I moved toward the bar and opened a bottle of white wine. I wanted something light and refreshing. The air was chilly, but I'd called ahead to have the heaters turned on, so it was bearable. I poured two glasses and set them on the edge of the hot tub.

Then I jumped in feetfirst, doing my best not to create a splash. I sat on the seat a few feet from Noelle. I wanted to be closer, but I'd have to earn that.

"This feels good on my knee."

"I bet. You should have been up here the whole time." Noelle grinned at me. "Your nurse prescribes hot-tub time every night."

"Only if my nurse joins me." My voice was rough and strained.

Noelle's eyes widened. Then she reached for the wine glass and took a long pull

"Easy on the wine," I chided softly as I inched a little closer to her.

She set the half-drank glass to the side. "I don't get the opportunity to drink much."

"You don't get out much, do you?"

Noelle shook her head. "Too busy."

"Tonight, you're off. You're not my assistant. You don't work for me." I didn't have a plan, but I hoped this was enough to get her to see that I was interested in her.

She let her head fall back and her eyes drift shut. "That sounds amazing."

"You want me to give you a massage?" I asked her, eager to take care of her for once.

"That would be lovely." She shifted on the bench seat so that she was facing away from me. I let my legs go around her and my hands knead the tight muscles in her neck. Her soft moans were enough to keep me moving even as the intimate position had my dick on high alert. He thought I was getting action tonight. He wasn't privy to our history, the shattered trust, the complexities of our relationship.

My body wanted to feel good, and with Noelle between my legs, every nerve ending was telling me to make a move. My brain was slowing me down, telling me to take my time, to savor and woo her.

I wouldn't get another chance. I wished I had all the time in the world to properly date her, to ask her out, and treat her like a man should. But our circumstances were different. We were roommates, and after hearing Xander talk about his arrangement with Tori the last few months, I knew it came with certain perks. Excuses to get close, and I wouldn't squander those now.

Her head fell back onto my chest, and she whimpered when I kneaded a particularly tight ball of muscle.

"When was the last time you had a massage?" I asked her.

Her eyes popped open and met mine. "Never?"

"Was that a question?" I was fairly sure Eli had mentioned that a masseuse was available to make visits to the guests. I wondered if I could book a session for Noelle. She deserved to be pampered.

Her muscles tensed under my palms, and she turned in my arms. "I was thinking I should be paying you rent for my room. I don't even pay for groceries."

"No," I said simply, motioning for her to turn around so I could resume my ministrations. My body had taken over this show, and it was eager for the next step. I didn't want to talk about her paying rent, especially when she shouldn't be paying anything.

"I'm making more money now, and it doesn't seem right."

"Give it to your family. Save it for yourself," I said tightly.

"But—"

I didn't mean to, and it definitely wasn't part of my plan for the moment, but I turned her so that she faced me. My lips descended on hers with the sole purpose of shutting her up. I wasn't proud of it, but when my lips met hers, everything in my body fired. My heart raced, and my fingers tingled as they moved over her shoulders, down her arms, and to her delectable thighs.

I should have asked her if it was okay that I kissed her, confirmed that she wanted this too because her lips weren't parting. In fact, they remained stubbornly closed. I pulled back slightly, shock making my blood run cold. Had I misread the situation? Had she seen our relationship as purely platonic?

"This isn't a good idea?—"

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