Page 17 of Jonathan

He stood where he was and felt the shame coursing through his body as she swept past him. he had no right to judge her, no damn right to question her actions. He did not own her, hell, he did not even know her.

But something was happening between them, at least on his part. He could not stay away from her and even if he turned and walked out, he would be back. He was sure of it.

Leaning on the door jamb, he closed his eyes as the internal battle raged. He wanted her. It was that simple. Even before he had a taste, the need had been there. The desire to have her had been there.

It had only gotten worse when they kissed. He wanted a hell of a lot more and he was not going to leave without having her.

Pushing back his hat, he dragged restless fingers through his hair, fingers trembling. Letting out a strangled breath, he turned and went after her.

She was undressing. His breath caught inside his throat as he stood just inside the open door staring at her. She was down to her underwear, flimsy black lace that barely covered her.

He stood there mesmerized as she unhooked the front clasp of her bra. Her eyes met his boldly as she took the bra off and put it over a chair. There was no sign of coyness in her expression, and she was not shy.

Why should she be? He thought dazedly. She was perfect. Her breasts were small, the nipples wide and already puckered, just by him staring at them. Her belly was flat and contoured. Her sex…, his eyes whipped back to her face. His heart was racing, his skin clammy.

“I see you’ve changed your mind. Are you going to just stand there?”

“No!” He shook his head as if to clear it. “No!” He cleared his throat and came further into the room. A low fire was simmering inside the hearth giving the small area, a warmth and coziness. The quilt was already turned down, invitingly.

Jon had never been so nervous in his life. He had been with a lot of women. In the past, he had been reckless, carefree and being the son of a billionaire rancher had its perks. He had been allowed a lot of freedom and women were attracted to him.

When his dad died and he had to take over the running of the ranch, his perspective had changed. He had become more responsible.

Running a multi-billion-dollar ranch took up a lot of his time, almost all of it and the former restlessness and promiscuity had been shelved and done with. He found himself wanting more.

He had gotten more selective. Now at thirty-five, here he was after several months of celibacy, faced with the most alluring and seductive woman he had ever met and was tongue-tied and foolish around her.

He had no idea he had made the final steps until he was standing in front of her. She was tiny, he thought whimsically. She did not come to his shoulders and had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. Hers was bold, while his…, he did not care to think how he appeared to her. He felt gauche and awkward.

She was the one who made the first move. Lifting a hand, she touched his jaw, fingers trailing over his stubble.

“Still upset?”

“What?” He blinked blue eyes at her, his body primed and ready to take hers.

“You were mad that I had dinner with someone else.” She trailed a finger over his bottom lip and felt the answering desire trembling through her body at his reaction.

“It’s none of my business.” His voice was hoarse. He still had his hands at his sides, as if unsure what to do with them. The heat from her body was warping his senses and making him dizzy.

“I agree with you there. Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

Her question galvanized him into action. Suddenly, it was as if he had awakened from a deep sleep. His hands came up to clamp around her neck and waist. Hauling her against him, he lifted her so that he could take her lips. The kiss was rough and potent and had her gasping.

His hands roamed over her naked flesh, reveling at the silky feel of her skin. Pressing her against him, he drove his tongue into her mouth, his control snapping.

With a feral growl, he lifted her into his arms, never breaking the kiss and with unerring accuracy, brought her over to the bed. Her arms came around his neck as she held on.

Her response – passionate and giving had his body tightening with a need that surpassed anything he had ever experienced before. He was still fully clothed but could not bear to make the effort to get undressed. It would mean ending the contact with her, and that was not something he wanted to do.

Besides, her mouth – Sweet God! Her mouth was honey laced with a very potent wine. The taste of her wrapped around him like a blanket, sucking him in. He wanted to devour her, take her all in and never stop.

But he wanted more. So much more of her. Dragging his lips from hers, he had to suck in several breaths as he tried to steady himself.

“Wait!” He whispered thickly when she tried to reach for him.

“I need to…,“ he wrestled with his shirt and with a husky laugh, she tore at the buttons and sent them flying.

“My jeans and boots….” With a frustrated sigh, he shoved off the bed and practically tore them off.

---