Page 47 of Temptation at His Door

Finally, a smile hit her lips and her eyes. “Yeah, okay. I’ll talk to Keely about pulling it.”

Oh, Keely would be fine with it but, on the very slim chance that Keely objected, Ronan would buy the egg himself to ensure that Joa took ownership of that pendant.

“Do that, let me know what she says. Then send me an official email, pulling the pendant from the sale,” Ronan said, trying to sound professional. Really hard when she was dressed in next to nothing and all he wanted was to pull those clothes off her...

“Ro?”

“Yeah?” His voice sounded rough, laced with sex. He wondered if she noticed.

Joa’s eyes were big, round and full of emotion. “This sounds really strange, but when we hugged this afternoon, it was really nice. Can you, I mean, will you...”

She was asking him to hug her? She had to be kidding. “No.”

At his sharp retort, the hot blush of mortification hit her skin, turning her face red. She immediately dropped her eyes and took a hasty step back, her hand on the door, ready to slam it in his face.

Smooth, Murphy. Not.

Ronan moved quickly to catch the door, staring down at the top of her head. She turned away from him, shoulders back and her spine ramrod straight. Now she was pissed.

He needed to explain and quickly. “I can’t hug you, Ju. Because if I do, I’m going to strip you, taste every inch of you and then make you mine.”

Joa turned slowly and he saw the rapid rise and fall of her chest, desire in her eyes. She lifted one shoulder, attempting to be casual. “Okay. I’ll settle for that...”

Ronan shoved his hands into his hair, tugging at the roots, trying to keep his cool. He needed his hands on her, his mouth on hers but first he had to make sure...

“Are you telling me that you want me, too?”

Okay, maybe he needed a little reassurance, to know she wanted him as much, but nobody needed to know that fact but him.

Joa didn’t answer and he felt his stomach sink to his toes, disappointment rolling over him. Then Joa crossed her arms at her chest and gripped the edges of her exercise top, pulling it up and over her head, revealing her oh-so-very-pretty breasts with their tight, dark buds to his appreciative gaze. He clenched his fists to keep from going to her, wanting to see what she’d do next.

She didn’t disappoint. Pushing her thumbs beneath the fabric at her hips and pushing her pants down her thighs, kicking the fabric away. Standing in a tiny pair of silky white bikini panties, she hesitated a moment before pushing the scrap of fabric down her hips. Her fantastic eyes slammed into his.

“Does me being naked count as a yes?”

He tried to speak but his tongue, for the first time ever, was unable to form the words. Okay, well, then, he’d get his point across in another way, too.

Ronan lifted his hand and his fingers skated across her collarbone, down her chest. Ignoring her pointed nipple, he cupped her breast, lifting and tasting that smooth skin. He felt her back arch, trying to urge him to suck her, but his lips just curved across her skin. No, he was in charge here. He’d give her what she wanted, eventually, but he wanted to draw her pleasure out, tease and tantalize.

And be teased and tantalized.

Ronan placed his flat palm on her chest and gently pushed her backward so the back of her knees hit the bed, and she sat down. Keeping his hand on her chest he gently pushed so she was lying back, looking up at him, flashes of lightning in her silver eyes.

Ronan clasped her wrists and placed them above her head and Joa arched her back and lifted her hips. He liked that she wasn’t self-conscious around him—she didn’t need to be—and that she approached lovemaking as a natural, sensual act, nothing to be ashamed of. She might be skittish about commitment and have little experience of family life but she was a woman who liked pleasure.

And he intended to pleasure the hell out of her.

Keeping his clothes on—if he stripped he wouldn’t be able to resist slipping inside her—he placed a hand on the bed covers next to her shoulder and loomed over her, taking in her perfect breasts, her flat stomach, the gentle curve of her hips and legs. Then his free hand followed his eyes, exploring the femininity of her shoulder, her narrow rib cage, and spent some time exploring her belly button. He spent endless minutes teasing her nipples, rolling them between his thumb and fingers, plucking them into even harder points. He wanted to kiss her, to give his mouth what his hands were enjoying, but if he did, this would be over in a matter of minutes.

He was on a knife-edge, his cock hard and straining against the fabric of his pants.

“Please, Ro.”

Joa’s slim legs fell open and he looked down, sighing. She was very pretty down there. He trailed a finger between her lips, heat rolling through him as he realized how ready she was for him. Dipping into her, pushing inside with just one finger, told him she was a flick or a slide or a kiss away from coming. Or even a word.

And if he gave her this, then he could start the delicious game all over again, building her up. Of course, there was the possibility that he would go off his head with need but it was a chance he was willing to take.

Ronan withdrew his finger and painted the inside of her thigh with her juices. Joa moaned her dissatisfaction and lifted her hips, wanting more, wanting everything.

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