Strong and Sexy

by Jill Shalvis

  “Okay, good.” He brushed her hair from her face and looked into her eyes, smiling, but clearly just a little confused. “Maybe we could go over exactly what we are doing.”

  “Well . . .” She wriggled again, careful with her knee this time. Leaning down, she thought to give him a kiss, because that would surely remind him—

  They bumped noses.

  Not letting that deter her, she changed the angle of her head, leaned in and—

  Bumped his nose again. “Ohmigod.” Lightly slapping a hand on either side of his face, she held him still. Determined, she leaned in again, and found him—

  Laughing.

  At her.

  Letting out a breath, she pressed her forehead to his. “Are you laughing at me or with me?”

  “With you,” he promised. “Definitely with you.”

  “Maybe you could do one more thing with me.”

  “Anything,” he said in the most thrilling voice. She executed another wriggle, complete with eyebrow arched that hopefully signaled “do me, do me now.”

  But he, the most frustrating, patient man on the planet, just lay there.

  “You know what I’m asking,” she finally whispered, beginning to sound desperate, even to her own ears. “You’re a guy. A really sexy, virile guy who has women calling him at the crack of dawn. You know.”

  “Yes, but do you?”

  “Do I know that I want to have just sex? Yes!”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Are you kidding me? You probably have women throwing themselves at you nightly. You probably never have to make the first move. And yet you want me to beg you.”

  “Whoa—”

  “Because believe me, Shayne, I’m this close to begging you.”

  “Dani—”

  “What?” she snapped, just a little too close to the edge.

  Cupping her face, he pulled her in for a kiss. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m not waiting for you to throw yourself at me. I’m trying to resist you.”

  “Oh.” That deflated some of her annoyance. “Why?”

  “Because . . .” He slid his hands down her back, over her bottom, her thighs, and then up again, beneath the big T-shirt this time, and let out a low, thrilling groan at the feel of her satiny panties. “Because that’s what you wanted before I brought you here. Because I don’t want to hurt you.” Some of the smile went out of his eyes. “Because I tend to end up hurting the women who care about me.”

  “You can’t hurt me.” Liar, liar. “This is a one-night thing only, remember?”

  For a long beat he just looked up at her. “You’re very different from the women I’ve gone out with.”

  “Different.” But because his fingers slipped beneath that satin, this came out all breathless and whispery. “Different how?”

  He didn’t answer, and she lifted her head. The light from the kitchen slashed over him, and she could see the answer in his eyes. “Oh,” she breathed. “Different as in not beautiful and rich—” Damn it. She tried to shift off him but his hands held her still.

  “No,” he said firmly. “You have it all wrong. I meant you’re not . . .” Something flickered in his eyes. Discomfort? “You’re not someone I would sleep with and then not call again.”

  The naked, raw truth of that statement was in his eyes, and finally, she understood, both his hesitation and the emotion in his voice. She wanted to hug him for it but instead she sat up. Since she’d had a leg on either side of him, that left her straddling his body.

  He thought she was different. Good different, and though he could have no idea what that did for her, she felt deliciously empowered for the first time in her entire dating life. “Shayne?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m so, so sure.”

  Shayne struggled for brain cells, for working brain cells. Not easy with Dani straddling him wearing only his T-shirt and those peach panties. But he managed to find a few. “Dani.” His voice was soft, his body not so much so. “It’s just that this is out of character for you, and—”

  “I’ve had one-night stands.”

  Lifting up a hand, he stroked her jaw. Her skin was like silk. “Have you?”

  “Okay, no.” She covered his hand with hers. “But I’ve thought about it.”

  “Dani—”

  “I want to do this,” she whispered, her hair falling over his shoulders and arms like a silk curtain. “I want to be held, touched. Kissed. I want to know I’m not alone.”

  “You’re not alone.”

  “Thank you.” Eyes luminous, thighs hugging his body, she reached down and grabbed the hem of the T-shirt she wore and slowly began to lift it up.

  His heart stuttered to a stop, then jerked into motion again, kicking hard against his ribs. “I love the way my shirt looks on you.”

  “Held. Touched. Kissed,” she repeated huskily. “I didn’t say anything about talking. Did you hear me say anything about talking?”

  His laugh backed up in his throat when the T-shirt revealed the gentle curve of her belly, her ribs . . . ah, God, she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her breasts popped free, creamy pale and full, tipped with nipples already pebbled and begging for his attention.

  He lifted his hands to start the touching part of the program, but looked up in confusion when she let out a “goddammit.”

  She’d gotten herself caught in his shirt. Arms lifted over her head, face covered by the cotton, she fought with the shirt, a motion that had her breasts gently bouncing. Bella, excited at the struggle— which she interpreted as playtime—came flying over just as Shayne cupped Dani’s breasts in his palms, but all laughter backed up in his throat at the feel of her. “Bella, go lie down.”

  Bella tilted her head to the side, studying Dani in curiosity.

  “Bella.”

  With a sigh, the dog padded off.

  “What are you doing?” Dani gasped. “Help me.”

  “I am.” He gave her a nudge, and she fell forward, and look at that, one of her breasts bounced right near his mouth.

  Perfect.

  He opened up and rasped a tongue over her nipple.

  “Oh!”

  Smiling against her skin, he did it again, watching as it puckered even more. Such a gorgeous, mouth-watering sight.

  “Shayne—” She was fighting the shirt again, trying to get free. “Damn it! I’m trying to make you lose control!”

  He had her gorgeous breasts in his face, her legs spread wide over his so that he could feel her heat, which had his hips rocking helplessly upward. Control? He had none when it came to her. “Trust me. You are.”

  “A little help?”

  “Sure.” He stroked a hand down her smooth back and right into her panties, cupping her bare, sweet ass before slipping lower—

  “Shayne!” she gasped. “That’s not what I meant!”

  “Ah, that’s a shame.” Pulling his hand free, he traced the peach panties in front now, outlining the small triangular patch before scraping the material aside to touch bare flesh instead.

  Dani jerked, then went still as stone, only the smallest of sounds escaping her, the sexiest sound he’d ever heard.

  He found her wet, thrillingly wet, and he let out a rough sound of his own, which seemed to galvanize her into action. Managing to rip off the stuck T-shirt, she glared down at him, hair wild, eyes glossy with hunger and desire, her breathing none too steady. “You.”

  “Me,” he agreed.

  “Are still wearing pants.”

  “Easily fixed.” Surging up, he kissed her, his eyes open on hers. She watched him too. Watched as he sank his teeth into her lower lip and lightly tugged while his fingers stroked her again, hitting ground zero.

  And given that those eyes went opaque on his, and words stopped tumbling from her lips, she liked it.

  “Strip,” she managed, sounding quite firm, then ruined it by adding a soft “please.”

  He’d already been in motion, rolling, tucking her beneath him, then surging up to his kn
ees to undo his pants, all with shockingly unsteady hands.

  Her hands landed on his chest, running over him as if in marvel, and he had to admit, he appreciated the appreciation. Then those hands lowered, helping him shove his pants down over his hips, freeing him as he kicked them off.

  “Do you . . .” Staring at him, she trailed off. “Um.”

  “Um?”

  “Do you have a condom that fits you?”

  Again with the laugh. Laughing while getting a woman naked was new for him, very new. “I’d usually have a clever reply for that, but my mind is blank.”

  “That’s good, right?”

  Good? How about unnerving? “It’s new,” he said, surging to his feet, briefly vanishing into his bathroom for a condom.

  “Oh,” she whispered in a very complimentary nature when he came back and dangled a strip of three condoms.

  Laughing again, he scooped her up, carrying her to the big comfy chair in the corner, the one he watched movies in, his favorite place in the house. Setting her into the soft, giving cushions, he draped her legs over the arms and dropped to his knees before her, sliding his hands slowly up her body.

  “Shayne—”

  And down . . .

  Whatever she’d been about to say vanished into thin air when he leaned forward, and with his hands on her inner thighs now, holding her open for him, kissed her belly button. Then her hip bone, then the crease of her thigh, where he paused, just to catch and absorb her quick breath of anticipation as he hovered between her thighs before lowering his head.

  The sound she made when his tongue touched her, the sheer shock and undeniable pleasure in it made him even harder as he licked, nibbled, sucked, and licked some more, until she was panting for breath, pushing her hips at him in an escalating rhythm, until she fisted her hands into his hair, tossed back her head, and came.

  And came.

  While she was still shuddering, he tore off one of the condoms and protected them both. Tugging her hips so that she shifted to the edge of the chair, he nudged at her center.

  Gasping out a sexy little “oh” of surprise, she slipped a hand down her body and wrapped it around him and guided him home. Her head was back, her throat and back arched as she gasped in pleasure.

  He pushed in a little more, then held back until she lifted her head and looked at him.

  God, he loved her eyes. Loved the way they revealed everything she was thinking. “Yeah,” he murmured, his voice a little hoarse with surprise. “That’s so much better.”

  She stared into his eyes as he began to move, her cheeks going pink before she lowered her gaze and watched him sink the rest of the way into her. He did some looking of his own, coming a little undone himself at the sight of her, gorgeous and glistening, welcoming him. “You take my breath,” he said, and stroked his thumb over her.

  The soft sound she made undid him some more and he pulled her close to capture her mouth as he slid in and out of her, aware of the taste of her still on his lips, the feel of her soft body moving with his, the scent of her skin . . .

  And then she was crying out, coming for him again, and he willingly, oh so willingly, followed her over.

  Chapter 12

  They moved from the living room to the shower, where they used another condom and made the most of the handheld showerhead. Afterward, Dani lay in Shayne’s arms in his huge bed, listening to his deep breathing, fighting a bone-deep desire to put her mouth on his body and see how long it would take to wake him up.

  But . . . but.

  She couldn’t stay. It was eight o’clock, she had to get to work. But mostly she had to get out before her heart engaged any more than it already had.

  One time.

  She’d promised herself one time, and she’d already had more than her fair share. Way more. Unfortunately, whatever she’d promised herself, the man really did it for her. The way he touched her, how he moved . . . In the shower, she’d nearly lost consciousness from the sheer pleasure of their movements, the slow slide of their bodies, how deep he went, how he’d held back, waiting until she panted out his name in desperation.

  And she had panted his name.

  And then cried out his name.

  Sighing in bliss at the memories, knowing she’d remember these past few hours forever, she slipped out from beneath him.

  He let out a long breath and she froze, but he didn’t move again. Her eyes were gritty from lack of sleep. What she’d give to just slip back into that bed with the sexiest, most amazing man she’d ever met, but there was that promise—one night.

  She couldn’t fall for him.

  Knowing it, repeating it, she tiptoed into his bathroom and found the clothes she’d left there last night. Then tiptoed toward the living room, which was where he’d removed her panties—just the thought brought a dreamy smile.

  Maybe she hadn’t fallen for him, not yet, but damn, she was dangerously close—

  Splat.

  That was the sound she made tripping over something big and furry. Sprawled in the hallway, she lifted her face, and then was licked from chin to forehead. By a dog. By a sweet, happy, slobbery dog who didn’t care about morning breath or the fact that she was naked. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Which got her another lick.

  “Yes, good morning to you too, but if you could move—”

  Bella moved. She rolled to her back, wriggling enthusiastically for more petting.

  And panting. Lots of panting.

  This was accompanied by enthusiastic tail wagging, a big heavy tail that whacked the wall with a thunk, thunk, thunk—

  “Shh.” Dani tried petting her, but that got Bella even more excited. Dani sighed and sat up, reaching for Shayne’s phone, which she used to call a cab while Bella whined.

  “No more,” Dani whispered. “I’m sorry, but as soon as I find my panties, I’ve got to go.”

  Bella snuffled, then let out one small, encouraging, hopeful bark.

  Oh, God. “Shh,” Dani begged, petting her some more out of desperation while she searched around for her panties. “Look, you let me out of here and you can sleep on the bed with him tonight, okay? What do you say?”

  Bella cocked her head as if actually considering it.

  “Good girl.” Dani clutched her clothes to her naked body while turning in a circle—where were her damn panties? Oh, this was not good. She glanced at Bella, who’d made herself at home on the couch. “What if I have to leave my first one-night stand without my panties?” she whispered, horrified.

  Bella snorted and licked herself.

  “Thanks.” Moving around the couch, Dani bent to peer beneath it, because hadn’t he thrown them in this direction? Since she’d been a bit busy at the time, she couldn’t be certain.

  “Now that’s a view to wake up to.”

  On her hands and knees, Dani froze. No. It wasn’t really Shayne standing behind her while she was still on her hands and knees, head down, naked, providing him with a view she’d rather not think about. It wasn’t him, because he was still fast asleep in his bed. She’d just imagined him, because if he was really there, she’d have to die of embarrassment—