Page 14 of One Steamy Night

“Then please come walk me to the door.”

She should have declined his request. After all, he knew the way there without her assistance. But then she decided to extend the same courtesy to him she would have expected of him had she been his guest for dinner. Besides, she didn’t want him to think he’d rattled her with his nonsense, even if he had.

“You didn’t say if you’ll have dinner with me,” he said.

They had walked side by side from the dining room and had reached the front door. He opened the closet to get his jacket. She was so focused on him sliding the jacket over his broad shoulders that she almost missed what he’d said. “I’ll think about it.” Although she’d said she would, she honestly knew she wouldn’t. Right now, she needed him gone.

“All right. And like I said, I want you to pick the place.”

Although she hadn’t agreed to anything, she asked, “When?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m free whenever you are.” He was standing there in front of her. She was about to take a step back when he reached out and placed both hands at her waist. The moment he touched her, heat spread to all parts of her body.

He was going to kiss her. She didn’t say anything as she absorbed that fact into her brain. Regardless of the craziness he’d said about marrying her, what he’d said earlier was something she couldn’t deny. Shehadwanted to know how he’d tasted and licking that fork hadn’t been enough. Even with the sweetness of the chocolate cake, a part of her wanted to believe she had also gotten a taste of him. And it was a taste she wanted to experience again.

“Nadia?”

“Yes?”

“I hope you don’t lose much sleep over what I said tonight.”

She lifted her chin. “I don’t plan on losing any sleep when I know it won’t be happening.”

“We’ll see.”

“No, you’ll see,” she said in an annoyed tone.

They stood there, staring at each other, squaring off. She wished all those sensations she’d felt all through dinner weren’t still there. Jaxon was taking her breath away without even trying. If that wasn’t bad enough, the nipples pressed against the material of her dress suddenly seemed achy. That was a first for her as well.

“It’s getting late,” she said, trying to dismiss the desire for him that was hitting her full force. It couldn’t be helped, with the way his dark eyes were latched on to hers as if daring her to look away. For some reason, she couldn’t. She felt herself falling victim to everything about him. Never had she been so mesmerized with any man, and she couldn’t understand why she was this way with him. And then there was his mouth. The shape of it from corner to corner and that little dip in the middle fascinated her. She didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that she was out of her element with Jaxon. The man was definitely out of her league. Yet...

“Then I guess I need to say good night.”

His words cut into her trance. Before she could offer a response ofYes, you do, he leaned forward, drew her closer and captured her mouth in his.

Her lips immediately parted under his. The moment their mouths touched, thoughts fled from her mind. She’d needed this to happen. Was glad it was happening. For the past year, she’d wondered about his mouth. Fantasized about it. Dreamed about it. Not only how it would taste but also how well he could use it for kissing.

Now she was finding out and had no complaints. He’d stuck his tongue inside her mouth at the exact moment she released a sigh of pleasure. There was something about the way he was kissing her that sent jolts of heat through her. Never had she been kissed this way, with such mastery and finesse. So vibrantly and with so much passion. It was both mind-blowing and torturous.

He was devouring her mouth with one stoke of his tongue while slowly mating with it with another stroke. It was as if he was methodically and intentionally creating an avalanche of need and pleasure within her. Unable to help herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold, certain if he stopped kissing her, she would melt in a puddle at his feet. Needs she didn’t know she had, and a degree of pleasure she hadn’t known could be derived from a kiss, were taking over her senses.

Without warning, he deepened the kiss and drew her even closer. That’s when she felt him. His aroused body hard against the junction of her thighs. Knowing he wanted her as much as she wanted him had temptation running rampant through her. Temptation to try some of those things with him that she’d dreamed about. Fantasized about doing.

Suddenly he broke off the kiss, but she soon discovered that he wasn’t through with her yet when he traced the tip of his tongue across her lips, corner to corner. Then he stopped and slowly eased back, although he hadn’t removed his hands from around her waist.

“I have to fly out tomorrow to Forbes to check on a few things but will return in a day or so. I will be thinking of you, Nadia and I hope you’ll be thinking about me.”

Before she could respond, mainly to tell him that she wouldn’t be thinking about him, he grabbed his Stetson off the hat rack, opened the door and left.

Jaxon had driven a mile from the Novak Homestead when he pulled his car to the shoulder of the road to inhale and exhale. Never had kissing a woman left him so weak. He’d only stopped kissing her when breathing had become a necessity. Then it had taken all his strength to finally release her and walk out the door.

He rubbed his hand down his face. It had not been his intent to tell her he planned to marry her, and, as expected, he’d put her on the defensive. She would probably avoid going out with him for that reason. He could see her putting roadblocks in his paths.

But Jaxon could never forget the look on her face when he’d broken off the kiss. She hadn’t been happy about how she was feeling, if the look on her face was anything to go by. And yet, she had enjoyed it as much as he had. He was certain of it. He’d also felt the way the hardened nipples of her breasts poked into his chest. That was a sure sign of arousal.

His plan was to tear down any wall she tried erecting between them, one brick at a time. Although more than anything he would love to be married to her by New Year’s, he knew that some things just couldn’t be rushed. He loved her and he had to be patient for her to fall in love with him. He had to believe that eventually she would.

He would give her a few days to think about tonight, just like he would. Then he would call and follow up on his invitation to dinner. No matter what she might be thinking now, there would definitely be a next time for them.

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