“Yes. But I can always move you to the willing category if it makes you feel better.”
Hunter frowned. He just didn’t get it. She wanted sleeping with him to be her choice and not his. She didn’t want to be just another woman seduced by Tyson Steele. She stood and said, “I think I need to go. Dinner was great and—”
“Wait.” He stared at her while he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “What’s going on, Hunter? What is this about?”
“Nothing is going on. I’ve simply changed my mind about seducing you. I suggest you do the same.”
“What are you afraid of, Hunter?”
She lifted her chin. “What makes you think I’m afraid of anything?”
“Because you’re running.”
He was right. She was running. “You want to seduce me and I won’t let you. I want to seduce you, but you don’t think I can. So what’s the point?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t think you could seduce me. I merely stated no woman ever felt the need to try because I’ve always picked the women I wanted.” He looked back at her, stared at her as if she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. Then he added, “I want you, so it doesn’t matter to me who seduces whom.”
“It does to me.”
“I see that and I’m trying to understand why.”
She forced her gaze away from him and knew there was no way she could explain it to him. All this was a game to Tyson, a game he intended to win, and if he seduced her then he would be winning. It was just like with Carter. He’d played games with her for eight years. She’d been a contestant with no chance of winning, not even his heart. And God knows she’d tried. Well, those days were over and now she flat-out refused to let any man best her ever again.
But she couldn’t possibly get Tyson to understand her past. “It’s too complicated to explain.”
“Try me,” he said, reaching out and touching her arm.
She drew in a sharp breath at his touch. And held it when he slowly caressed her skin, making tingles of desire spread through her.
“And try this,” he added, leaning forward and using the tip of his tongue to lick her lips. “And I would just love for you to try this,” he whispered, deliberately pressing his body closer to hers so that she could feel his hard erection against the juncture of her thighs.
“You’re trying to seduce me,” she accused in a breathless whisper and could feel herself getting weak in the knees. Resisting him in his domain would be harder than she thought.
“I’m showing you that we want each other, Hunter. The desire is mutual. You can arouse me just as much as I can arouse you. So why does it matter who’s seducing whom?”
A part of Hunter knew it shouldn’t but for her it did. “It matters to me, Tyson. I refuse to be seduced by you.”
He paused a moment before releasing her and taking a step back. “Fine. Since it matters so much to you, then go ahead. Seduce the hell out of me.”
* * *
Tyson wasn’t sure what was going on with Hunter, but he figured it had something to do with her ex. She wouldn’t be the first woman who’d brought baggage into his bedroom. And on more than one occasion he’d allowed them to do so knowing that after his first thrust into their body, whatever issues they were dealing with would take a backseat to the pleasures they would experience in his bed.
Hunter was being difficult and he didn’t need a difficult woman. So why was he even putting up with it? And why, even now, did he want her more than he’d ever wanted any woman? He shook his head. Because she was the “one who got away.” All it would take was one night of tumbling between the sheets with her to get her out of his system. Hell, he probably didn’t need the entire night. A few hours should work just fine.
As he watched her gaze sweep him up and down, he knew she was aware of his arousal. He refused to waste this opportunity to get her into his bed. “Do it, Hunter,” he whispered hoarsely. “Seduce me.”
For the longest time they stared at each other and then she took a tentative step closer, reducing the distance between them. Standing on tiptoes, she slanted her mouth across his.
Holy hell, Tyson thought the moment she slid her tongue inside his mouth. At that moment he wasn’t sure what was getting to him more—the way her tongue was overpowering his mouth, or the feel of her hardened nipples pressed against his chest. He thought he could just stand there and let her use his mouth to work out whatever issue she was dealing with. But he soon discovered his desire for Hunter went deeper than that.
There was no way he could ignore the erratic pounding of his heart or the insistent way his erection pressed against his zipper. He fought back a moan and then another, and when she shifted her body to meld it even closer to his, he wrapped his arms around her waist. She continued to take his mouth in a way that rocked him to his core. He’d kissed, and been kissed, by scores of women, but it wasn’t just Hunter’s kiss that had him weak in the knees. It was her taste. Her personal flavor had blood rushing fast and furious through his veins even as he shivered on the inside.
Then suddenly she broke off the kiss. “I want to finish this,” she said in a raspy tone, licking her lips.
His gut clenched. He wanted to finish this, as well. Tyson was about to suggest they go into his bedroom when she began moving toward his living room. “Hey, my bedroom is this way,” he said.
She looked over her shoulder. “Yours may be but mine is not.”
He frowned, wondering what the hell she was talking about. He got even more confused when she grabbed her purse off his sofa. She turned around and said, “I can’t share a bed with you here.”
“What?” he asked, mystified.
She placed the strap of her purse on her shoulder. “I can’t share the bed that others have shared with you.”
He stared at her and saw the seriousness in the dark eyes staring back at him. “Why?”
“This is my plan of seduction and I want to finish it at my place. In my own bed. Not one you’ve shared with a zillion others.”
No other woman had ever made such a bold request. He would not have allowed it. So why was he allowing it now? And why was she concerned with how many women had slept in his bed? It was his bed and he claimed all rights to it. And for her information, not all his conquests had been brought back here. He’d taken a few to a hotel. But, he admitted only to himself, he rarely went to a woman’s home. Very rarely.
Tyson knew men handled things differently when it came to having sex with women. Some didn’t invite women to their home, saying it felt like the woman was invading their personal space. Galen and his cousin Donovan Steele from Charlotte had both had the same mind-set in their bachelor days. Tyson never had a problem with it because any woman that he had sex with here knew not to return without an invitation.
“I’m leaving.” Hunter turned and headed for the door.
He stared as she walked away, not missing that backside he’d made plans to ride and those gorgeous legs he’d intended to slide between. What in the hell had gone wrong? One part of him wanted to think her leaving was for the best because she certainly thought a lot of herself if she assumed she could call the shots. But another part, the one determined to have sex with her regardless of whose bed he did it in, overruled his common sense, and so he asked, “What’s your address?”
She rattled it off over her shoulder. When she reached his door she turned around. “I’ll be waiting, Tyson.”
“You won’t be waiting long.” He barely got the words out before she opened the door and closed it shut behind her.
Without even thinking about the craziness of what he was doing, Tyson rushed into his bedroom, grabbed an overnight bag and quickly began throwing items into it. She hadn’t said anything about him being an overnight guest, but she would soon find out that he had a few conditions of his own.
Before zipping up the overnight bag he opened the drawer to his nightstand, reached inside and grabbed a handful of condoms. He was about to close
the drawer, but then stopped and grabbed some more. Hell, for this little inconvenience, he intended to make tonight worth his while.
Chapter 8
Hunter glanced around her bedroom. Several candles were lit and the fragrance of vanilla floated in the air. She had changed the linens and sprayed vanilla mist over the sheets and pillows for an extra touch.
How many times had she envisioned setting up a bedroom room like this for Carter only to have him make fun of her attempt? That was after he’d accused her of trying to burn the house down with the candles and spraying stuff that he was probably allergic to. Her ex hadn’t had a romantic bone in his body. Even during those times when they were trying to have a baby, he refused to let her turn their drab-looking bedroom into a romantic hot spot.
Now she had her hot spot. It was an important component in her plan of seduction. She didn’t intend to start bed-hopping with men, by any means, but hopefully after this one time with Tyson, she would have the courage to at least date other men and see where it led.
She had no desire to ever get married again, nor was she interested in engaging in a serious relationship. Occasional dating would suit her just fine. If she liked the man well enough, she saw no reason why they couldn’t share an intimate night once in a while. Granted, she had to feel the man was worthy of sharing her bed.
Then what was up with Tyson Steele? Was he worthy?
She wasn’t sure about that, but he did know the right buttons to push to arouse her. And there was that element of sexual chemistry between them. So he might as well be her first test. Mo was right. If she was going to declare her sexual independence then it might as well be with Tyson.
At that moment the doorbell sounded. If that was Tyson, he’d arrived sooner than she’d anticipated. She figured he would at least take some time to mull over her offer. Since it appeared that he hadn’t, she took it as a strong indication of just how eager he was to have sex with her.
They would have this one night together. In the end she would declare her sexual independence as well as get him out of her system. And if what everyone claimed was true, she would experience her first orgasm in years. Hopefully the dreams would stop coming and she could get a good night’s sleep without waking up the next day with an ache between her legs.
Leaving her bedroom, she headed for the door. Halfway there she paused to draw in a deep breath. There was no need to get cold feet now, she told herself. Although she and Tyson might have different ideas regarding how to go about getting what they wanted, she was certain they wanted the same thing. This was not the time to question her decision to seduce him. It would be a win-win situation for the both of them, she reminded herself. Tyson could then move on to the next woman and she could concentrate on building her company.
Hunter opened her front door and he stood there. She could only stare at him, taking in all six feet and more of him. Tyson had a way of making any woman’s body snap to salacious attention whenever she saw him. Already the tips of her breasts were responding to his masculine form. Sexual hunger, the likes of which she experienced only in his company, was taking a greedy hold on her.
She saw his overnight bag. Did he honestly assume she would invite him to stay the night? If so, he would be sorely disappointed later when showed him the door. She moved aside. “It didn’t take you long to get—”
That was as far as she got. Once inside, he shut the door, dropped the overnight bag to the floor and pulled her into his arms, slanting his mouth across hers.
* * *
Tyson hadn’t meant to kiss her. This was her show and he’d intended to let her play it out however she chose. He had every intention of just being a willing participant. But when she’d opened that door and he’d gotten a glimpse of that dress again, he couldn’t resist pulling her into his arms and kissing her like he’d wanted to do at his place but hadn’t gotten the chance. Now he was getting his fill of her taste.
At least she hadn’t tried breaking free of his kiss. In fact she was kissing him back with a hunger that nearly matched his own. He loved the way their tongues mated, how hers mingled with his. His heart was racing. He tried to recall the last time a woman did that to him, but couldn’t.
Tyson was fully aware that being here with her was overriding common sense and overlooking good sound judgment. He knew better, yet he was refusing to heed those warnings that went off in his head on the drive over here. He had called himself all kinds of fool for chasing after a woman for a one-night stand.
He would deal with the craziness of that later, once he’d gotten her out of his system. But for now all he could do was accept that there was something about Hunter McKay that had him wanting sex, sex and more sex. But only with her.
Moments later, just like he’d been the one to initiate the kiss, he was the one to end it, drawing in a deep delicious breath that included a whiff of her scent. But he was in no hurry to release her. Instead he held her in his arms while he pressed a series of kisses around the curve of her mouth and the tip of her nose. Knowing if he didn’t stop touching her now that he never would, he released her and took a step back. The separation almost killed him.
He looked over at her and saw her looking at him. A part of him wanted to read her thoughts, but he figured it was probably best if he didn’t know them. She didn’t seem upset or annoyed, just somewhat pensive. He’d learned a woman absorbed in her own thoughts was the worst kind because he had no idea what they were thinking...or planning.
Finally, she spoke. “Now that you’ve gotten that out of your system, will you let me be in charge from here on out?”
Was her assumption true? Had he gotten anything out of his system? He seriously doubted it. Instead of sharing that doubt with her, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. It was either that or pull her back into his arms.
Forcing that thought from his mind, he dwelled on what she’d asked him. She wanted him to relinquish his control to a woman. To her. Under normal circumstances he would never agree to something like that. But he’d reached the conclusion while racing from his condo to here that nothing about any of this was normal.
“So, Tyson, are you going to let me handle things or not?” she asked again when he evidently hadn’t responded quickly enough.
She’d asked him to let her handle things. As far as he was concerned, things didn’t necessarily include him, but he wouldn’t tell her that just yet. He was curious to see what she had up her sleeves. If truth be told, sleeves be damned. What he was really interested in was what was up under her dress.
“I suppose I can let you handle things,” he finally said.
She raised a brow. “You ‘suppose’? Need I remind you that the moment you walked through that door you entered my territory? You came to me.”
He frowned. Did she have to rub it in? “And we both know why,” he said. “So why are we still talking?”
She smiled calmly. “You’re trying my patience.”
He chuckled. “And you’ve been trying mine since that night we ran into each other at Notorious.”
“Would you like to sit and talk a while?”
“No. I have nothing to say and that’s not why I’m here.”
“I know why you’re here, but first I think we need to understand each other,” she said.
“Meaning?”
“For starters, I don’t know what’s up with that bag. Since you aren’t a doctor who makes house calls, I can only assume you think you’re spending the night. Well, you aren’t. You will leave when we’re done.”
When they were done? Did she assume they would only go one round? He intended to stay the night and take her again and again, well into the morning hours.
“We can discuss that later, Hunter.” He figured after he had her once, she’d beg him for more.
“No, I think we need to discuss it now.”
He simply stared at her for a moment and then nodded. “Fine. I’ll go along with whatever you want,” he said, telling her what sh
e wanted to hear. Evidently he’d said the magic words, if the smile that spread across her lips was anything to go by. “I guess I just made your day,” he said drily.
“Yes, and I plan to make your night, Tyson Steele.”
* * *
Hunter felt in control and she intended to use it to her advantage. She’d never done anything like this before, but she was ready to set the stage for what she had in store for Tyson.
“Go sit on the sofa, Tyson, and get comfortable. Make yourself at home.”
A smile touched the corners of his mouth. “At home I tend to walk around in the nude. Can I do it here?”
“No.” The thought of him doing such a thing made her nipples harden even more. “Would you like something to drink?”
He shook his head as he moved toward her sofa. “I had wine at dinner. I’m good.”
Hunter watched how he eased his body down on her sofa, and how the denim jeans stretched across his muscled thighs. She couldn’t wait to actually see those thighs in the flesh. In her dreams she had kneeled between them and—
“Nice place.”
She hoped he hadn’t noticed the splash of color that had appeared on her cheeks, a result of where her thoughts had been. “Thanks. Not as roomy as yours but it suits me just fine.”
He stretched his arms across the back of her sofa as he leaned back in a comfortable position. Doing so brought emphasis to his chest. She looked forward to removing his shirt and was itching to rub her hand against his hard chest and flat stomach. Then she would ease her hands lower to cup him, to feel the part of him that had played a vital role in her dreams.
She could feel more heat in her cheeks. For a woman who hadn’t been sexually active in four years, and who hadn’t even thought much about it, her mind was having a field day.
Deciding to set the mood, she flicked off the ceiling lights so the living room could be bathed in the soft glow of the two floor lamps. She glanced over and saw him watching her, and desire rippled down her spine. She joined him on the sofa, sitting beside him but not too close. She found the distance really didn’t matter. Nothing could eliminate the manly heat emanating from him. Because of it, her skin felt noticeably warm through her dress.
Possessed by Passion Page 8