Page 31 of Sinful Negotiations

Exhausted, he crawled onto the bed beside her to lay on his back. “Unbelievable.”

“I could say the same.”

His deep chuckle filled the room. “Shower?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

The night was still young when they stepped under the spray together. Her hands slid over his chest with the hot water, teasing and playful. When she sucked his nipple into her mouth, his cock twitched but refused to harden so soon after such a powerful orgasm. And when she bit, holding it between her teeth, a grin spread. “That will get you spanked.”

“Promises, promises,” she chuckled, reaching for the bodywash.

Aidan studied her every movement, noticing all those things he’d not paid attention to before. A tiny scar on her shoulder caught his eye and he traced the jagged skin with the tip of his finger. “What’s this from?”

Lathered, small hands slid against his chest. “When I was a kid, I fell off my bike into gravel.”

His gaze roved along her wet skin, memorizing every freckle and indent as she continued to wash his body. He lifted the silver necklace and heart pendant from her chest, admiring the quality, color, and artistry. The tiny heart with a rose appeared antique. “Where’d you get this?”

“So inquisitive. It belonged to my grandmother.”

“You must’ve been close to her?” He wanted to know everything.

A slight shrug and small smile were her initial response. “Yes. I helped with her care for the last year of her life. She gifted me the charm. I restored it and placed it on a chain. My grandfather gave it to her. I was named after her. When my parents died, my aunt and uncle took me in, but grandmother raised me.”

Aidan jerked when she grabbed his cock and began a soapy massage with a sensual grin. “Are you trying to distract me?”

Tessa innocently blinked. “What gave you that impression?”

“You don’t like revealing details of your life?”

Her lips twitched. “It’s not that.”

After lathering his own hands, he motioned for her to turn around and washed her back. “Then what is it?”

“Well, we agreed not to get personal. It’ll just make things harder in the end. We’ve already crossed more lines than intended.”

She was skittish, unsure, and he knew when to back off, but it proved difficult the more time they spent together. Tessa was right though. This could only end in disaster, but what a beautiful disaster he thought as he washed her curvy ass.

He’d give her space, but he wasn’t a man to not claim what he wanted, and he wanted all of her, including that guarded heart. He’d keep it to himself until the time was right.

“You’re right. Let’s just enjoy the remainder of the weekend. Monday will be here soon enough.”

Chapter 26

She was thankful when the inquisition ended because it was hard enough to not fall for this man. Already in over her head, she knew her heart would be crushed when this, whatever it was, ceased and they went their separate ways. The hope in his eyes filled her with guilt. The wordtransferencequickly flashed in her mind, but this was more.

She knew this man as Aidan Cross, business tycoon. Long before his real occupation became known, they were involved, so she dismissed the idea she saw something that wasn’t real. Forbidden fruit proved such a temptation.

Once they finished rinsing the soap from their skin, Aidan turned the water off, stepped out of the shower, grabbed two towels, and offered her one. A little taken aback, she didn’t know what to say as she reached for it. The blank expression on his face caused an uneasy tingle in her stomach, but the glint in his stare said he was up to something.

Tessa bit her lip and squirmed inside. She knew this asshole. This was all-fucking-business Aidan. Ruthless and cold, he wanted something from her and knew exactly how to push her buttons to get his way. The question was what? And how did he switch personalities so quickly?

When he disappeared around the corner only to return in shorts, holding a t-shirt in one hand, her eyes narrowed to thin slits. Why was he acting so strange? It was like he was trying to find some way to put a barrier between them, not that there weren’t enough problems.

“I figured you’d want something to sleep in.”

“Thanks.” Tessa searched the bathroom for lotion, grabbed the bottle, and offered it to him. “Would you mind rubbing lotion on my back before bed. My skin is itchy in the country air. Maybe I’m allergic to something?”

His gaze dropped to the bottle before he snatched it from her fingers. “Turn around.”

---