Page 37 of Undeniable Temptation

He opened his mouth to speak but she placed a finger over his lips, her heartache returning with vengeance.

“But trust that I’ve been thinking about this longer than you have. I’ve watched my employer fire numerous staff who became involved with clients.” Her shoulders sagged as she leaned further into the wall. “They won’t let me out of my contract either. Their commission for me working with you is too substantial to the company.”

“We’ll figure it out.” He pressed his hips into hers and she groaned with the warmth. The perfection. “Trust me.”

He leaned closer, their breath mingling, her heart latching onto his. She was a deer. A wild, brainless forest animal staring into the bright lights of an oncoming truck. Any minute now she’d be run through. Any damn minute.

“No.” She placed a hand on his chest. On his hard, whimper-inducing chest. “I can’t kiss you again.”

His eyes met hers with gentle defiance. “Why?”

“Because there’s no future in it.”

“I disagree.” He leaned further into her, his lips descending. So close. Too close. “Tell me I’m right in assuming you want this. Tell me you’re not going to slap me this time.”

“You remember?” Her words were barely audible as he crept closer, breathing her in.

“I remember every horrific second. You may not believe me, but I’ve imagined kissing you for a damn long time. I never thought, if given the chance, that I would’ve ruined it.”

“You had a lot going on.” She latched onto his biceps, holding tight. “You still do.”

“Not enough to stop me doing this.”

The bristles of his beard hit her first, a rough sweep before the smoothest of lips were upon hers. All she could breathe was him, the deliriously mind-numbing aftershave she’d phantom-smelled for months.

A mass of uncontrollable tingles took over her body and the ripple of his muscles under her palms made her moan. She could feel him everywhere. His hips, chest, hair. But nothing could beat the buzz of sensation that ignited when his tongue parted her lips, the gentle stroke devastating her foundations.

He kissed like a man in love. Like a man who needed to prove a point.

Then all her senses pinpointed to her pelvis and the unmistakable grind of his erection. She gasped against his mouth, her lips no longer kissing, his kiss no longer coaxing.

“Too far?” he whispered.

Was it? She didn’t know. The only thing that made sense was sensation and the need for more.

“No.” They were barely brushing the surface. They had so much further to go. Thousands of dreams to fulfil. Millions of lonely nights to make up for. She wouldn’t be sated until this was body to body, skin to skin. “Not this time.”

She gripped his shirt, her eyes on his as she tugged him closer.

His groan was her undoing, the sound defining her, making her strong in a situation where she’d always been weak.

“Kiss me.”

He complied, this time without finesse or tenderness. This connection was harsh. Almost vicious in its hysteria. His hand found the hem of her blouse, his scorching fingers moving under the material to sear her belly. The trail of his palm was authoritative. His fingertips branding her with their abrasive grip, demanding ownership as they approached painfully hardening nipples. She’d always wondered what his touch would be like. Rough or smooth. Lustful or loving.

The strength in his hold dissolved her worries. The intensity of his mouth erased all concern. She was cocooned in a happiness bubble, each breath a double-dose of hunger. Nothing could tear her away from him. Nothing but the sound of creaking hinges overhead and the soft footfalls of someone approaching.

She broke the kiss and clung to his shirt.

“What is it?”

His words fanned her cheeks, his lips moving to her jaw, then her neck. His touch was still under her blouse, his exploration moving higher as her gaze caught hold of another pair of eyes peering down at her from the staircase above.

“Shit.” She shoved at him.

“Sorry,” Felicity called before backing out of view. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

There were rushed footsteps, another squeak of rusted hinges and then silence. Painful, arduous silence that slid panic into the place where passion had once been. The blood drained from her face, making her lightheaded as Ryan stared at her, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths.

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