“Oh yeah. So sexy. That’s it, Mr Fox, I want you, right here, right now.”
He looked insulted. “You want the Fox? You don’t want me?”
“You don’t have to wear your glasses, if that’s what you’re asking.” He looked absolutely breath-taking in his grey waistcoat and trousers, the light blue shirt sleeves complete with silver cufflinks. “God, you’re gorgeous.”
“You like some very strange things.”
“Oh come on, you’ve got to admit waistcoats are sexy. Almost as sexy as cricket whites.”
“Cricket whites?” He grinned. “Very English. I don’t happen to own any of those. But I’m sure I can hire some for next time.”
“Next time?” She paused.
He tipped his head. “This is our third one-night stand. Aren’t you sensing a pattern?”
“I…” But whatever she was about to say went out of her head as she saw what was on the carpet, let out a scream, and jumped onto the bed.
Chapter 20
“What the…?” Heath followed her gaze and stared at the floor.
“Oh my God, get rid of it, please,” she begged.
He looked up at her, then back at the floor. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The spider was tiny, and almost certainly more petrified than she was. He glanced back up at her. Maybe not, judging by how white she’d gone. She was really frightened.
“Please,” she beseeched him.
Hoping nobody had heard her scream and was currently phoning the police saying there was a rape occurring in the next room, he bent and scooped up the spider in his hand, took it outside, and let it go down the corridor.
When he came back in, she was still standing on the bed, her arms wrapped around her. He made sure he didn’t laugh, instead saying, “It’s okay, it’s gone.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. It set off faster than Usain Bolt.”
She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I know it’s ridiculous, but I hate them.”
He sighed, seeing the tears in her eyes, his humour fading as sympathy overrode it. “It’s not ridiculous. Phobias are irrational fears. Everyone has something. I don’t like heights much.” He walked up to the bed.
She studied him, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, still reluctant to get down. “Thank you for getting rid of it,” she whispered. “I’ve known other men who would chase me with it, thinking it’s fun.”
He put his hands on his hips. “Tell me it’s Alexander. I’d be quite happy to go to his room and knock him flat.”
Her lips curved. “I can’t imagine you angry. You always look so calm.”
“I’m a boiling mass of lava inside. You have no idea.”
She ran her gaze very slowly down him, then back up. Desire flamed in her eyes. Her longing flamed his blood, sending it firing around his body, pooling in his groin. Her skin was pale, her blonde hair ruffled and tumbling around her shoulders. He’d missed her terribly, had thought about her almost non-stop, and he felt a huge wave of relief that she still desired him.
He gave her a mock-exasperated look. “What now?”
“You’re so gorgeous.”
“Are you still on about the vest?”
“Mmm, waistcoat, shirt, tie, cufflinks; the whole package.”
“You’re very easily pleased.”
She grinned. “So you keep telling me.” She tucked her fingers in the belt of her bathrobe and tugged it slightly. The robe parted, showing him a long, pale thigh and a strip of skin from her waist up to her neck.
“Okay,” he said as his erection nearly burst through the stitching on his pants, “time’s up. Your pace or mine?”
She laughed. “Mine.”
“Fair enough.” He reached out, grabbed her ankles and tugged, and she fell with a squeal, landing on her back on the bed. Laughing, he climbed on top of her, caught her wrists and pinned them above her head. He wanted her so badly it almost hurt.
She inhaled sharply and looked up at him, her silvery-green eyes wide. “You’re squishing me.”
“Oh, sorry.” He let her hands go and went to move off, but she put her arms around his waist, stopping him. “Don’t. That wasn’t a complaint. I like it.”
He smiled and propped himself up on his elbows. Her blonde hair was splayed out on the duvet like the rays of the sun, and there was a look in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. He couldn’t place it, couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but it wasn’t anything bad, that much he knew.
He spent a while kissing her, gradually nudging aside her bathrobe until she lay naked beneath him, then worked his way down her body, kissing and arousing her until her breathing quickened.
He was starting to get hot. Kneeling upright, he levered off his shoes and then began to unbutton his vest. She caught his hands, however. “Oh, no. I want you like that.” She was looking at him as if he was a cold glass of water and she was very, very thirsty.
“Can I at least take my tie off?”
“Nope.” She pushed him over, rolling so she sat astride him.
“Fair enough.” He put his hands behind his head, prepared to enjoy the view. “Girl on top. My favourite.”
She blushed, and he laughed.
“You’re so wicked,” she said breathlessly. “You love shocking me, don’t you?”
“Yep. You blush nicely.”
She wiggled her hips, pressing her soft mound against his hard length. “Can we really have sex now with me on top?”
“Absolutely. I intend to continue your sexual education and that was next on my list.”
Her lovely green eyes were sparkling, intense. “In that case, I’ve changed my mind.” She bent and kissed him. “I’m going to make love to you slowly, Roberts. And I’m going to watch you as I pleasure you, as you come inside me. Okay?”
“Okay,” he said, his heart racing. “I’m all yours, sweetheart.”
She slipped the bathrobe off her shoulders and threw it on the floor. He caught his breath at the beauty of her body, watching as she arched her back and shook her head so her hair brushed down her spine. Her skin was pale and flawless, her breasts full and heavy, the nipples soft and rosy pink. He was hard as a rock under her, and he knew she must be able to feel it. She looked at him, her eyes shimmering with that unidentifiable emotion again, puzzling him.
They studied each other for a moment. She reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.
“It needs cutting,” he said. “I look scruffy.”
She didn’t say anything, just leaned forward and kissed him. He ran his hands down her back, then slid them around her ribcage, cupping her breasts, brushing her nipples so they hardened, and she inhaled. He played with them for a while as they kissed, and before long, she slid her hand into his pocket, pulling out the packet of condoms. Extracting one, she started tugging at his pants.
“You want them off?” he asked.
“Nope.” She was breathless with desire. “I want you just like this.”
His heart pounded. He’d never had a woman desire him so much before, unequivocally, openly, prepared to have him almost regardless of what he wanted. Not that he didn’t desire her back. Her passion, her insistence, was driving him crazy. There was no better aphrodisiac than being desired, he thought. He’d known it turned women on. But he’d never experienced it himself to this degree.
He helped her out, unzipping his pants, pulling down his boxers and releasing his erection. She rolled the condom on him and then manoeuver herself on top so the tip of him pressed into the wet, swollen part of her. Pushing herself down slowly, she welcomed him inside her, and they both gasped.
“I’ll never get used to this,” she said, eyes wide.
He smiled, but inside he was thinking she’s saying there’ll be a next time. Hmm, progress.
He let her guide the pace, content to watch her as she rocked her hips so he slid in and out of her. He smiled as she ran her hands up his vest and down his arms, bringing his hands up to kiss t
hem. Thank God he’d worn the suit! He wished she’d let him take the tie off though—he was getting hotter and hotter. He loosened it, then undid the top button, laughing as she rolled her eyes, still moving slowly and sensually on top of him. Everything he did seemed to be turning her on at that moment. He knew what it felt like, that sexual fever that swept over you so every little movement of your partner drove you mad—she did it to him all the time. He just couldn’t believe his luck that she felt the same way.
Catching his hands, she pinned them above his head, and he let her believe he couldn’t move and was completely at her mercy. She rode him slowly, watching him all the time, sliding herself up his erection to the tip, then pushing down until he was deep inside her, making him exhale in a rush each time. She was obviously enjoying the new position, liking the ability to control the pace. At one point she paused, moving her hips very slightly so she teased the tip of him, studying him with interest as he closed his eyes momentarily and then opened them to look at her with exasperation. Smiling, she pushed down hard, taking him inside to the hilt.
He groaned, his fingers flexing on hers. “Fuck.”
She smiled wickedly. “Yes, Heath.” And proceeded to do it again, several shallow strokes followed by a long, deep one, and then again, enjoying his tortured sighs as she teased him to the very brink of ecstasy.
“Catherine, please,” he begged eventually, desperate for release.
“What, sweetheart?” She looked at him innocently. “Is it not nice?”
He was tempted to wrestle her beneath him and take her hard and fast, but knew she was enjoying playing with him, and he didn’t want to ruin her fun. But he wasn’t going to last long if she carried on like that. He sighed helplessly. “Too nice. I’m only human, sweetheart.”
She tightened her fingers on his and kissed him. “You look so gorgeous all vulnerable like this. You drive me crazy, you know that?”
He was rapidly losing the ability to speak and could only groan again, exhaling loudly as she widened her thighs and took him so deep inside, he gave a long, loud sigh.
She was nearing her climax, he could tell by her breathing, which was a bit of luck because he was about to explode into her, and he wanted her to come first. Her gaze met his, and he winked at her. She groaned and closed her eyes, and then her muscles tightened around him. He watched the orgasm sweep over her, thinking there was nothing so beautiful in the world as a woman in the throes of pleasure, and Cat was the most beautiful woman of all, her hair tumbling around her shoulders, her full bottom lip caught between her teeth.
Only as her climax subsided did he give in to the pressure building inside him and feel the familiar tightening in his groin as he swelled and came inside her, and he knew she was watching him, as drunk on his pleasure as he was on hers.
He closed his eyes, revelling in the feeling of her warm around him, letting his breathing grow regular. She didn’t move and remained quiet, leaning over him, still holding his hands, and eventually he opened his eyes and focused on her.
He blinked. Her eyes were filled with tears, glistening like windows in the rain, and her bottom lip trembled.
“What’s up?” Had he hurt her somehow? She hadn’t acted as if he had, and she’d controlled the pace and how deep he went inside her.
She bit her lip again. Releasing his hands, she pushed herself upright, pressing shaking fingers to her lips. “I missed you.”
Heath stared as she lifted herself off him. Stunned, he watched her move against the pillows. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she burst into tears.
Chapter 21
He lay there for a moment, looking up at the ceiling, completely floored, at a loss at what to do. If he moved to comfort her, would she push him away?
Sighing, he disposed of the condom and, tucking himself back into his boxers, zipped up his flies. She hadn’t moved and still had her head on her knees, her arms wrapped around them. He lifted the duvet over her and then sat next to her, his back against the pillows. Gently, he put an arm around her. She didn’t move.
“Catherine…”
“I think you should go.” Her voice was muffled, thick with tears.
“I’m not going,” he said firmly.
She pushed herself over the bed to the other side, got up and walked away. She picked up her robe and slipped it on. Her face was wet with tears. “I want you to go, please. This is my room.”
He stood and walked around to face her, hands on hips. “I’m not leaving. You’re going to talk to me about this.”
“Oh don’t be so bloody childish. What’s to talk about? We both got what we wanted, didn’t we?” She dashed the tears from her face impatiently.
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m being childish?”
She glowered at him.
He tucked his hands in his pants pockets. “It’s okay to miss me, honey, I missed you too. That’s why I sent you the flowers.”
“You gave me your word you wouldn’t contact me,” she snapped. “That was one of the reasons why I agreed to sleep with you again in Cairo.”
He shrugged. “I lied.”
“Oh, so you admit it?”
“Well, yeah. I only promised no lies in the bedroom, remember?”
She glared at him. “What’s this all about?” She was shaking. “What did you say to Alex exactly?”
“Er…”
“He’s giving me speeches about handing me on and not wanting me to be alone. But although I love him dearly, he’s not my father, and even if he was, he wouldn’t get the final say in my future. I don’t belong to any man, Heath. Never have, never will, you get me?”
Ah. The crux of the matter. Damn it, why had Alexander told her what they’d talked about?
He held up a hand. “I get you.”
“I’m my own woman. No one’s going to tell me what to do.”
“Patently.”
She was near to tears again. “I’m not interested in a relationship, Heath. Not now, and I never will be. You need to understand that.”
He studied her calmly. Her words hurt, but he wasn’t going to show her how much. “Who said anything about a relationship? I was just after sex, I don’t know about you.”
She met his gaze and then looked away. To his relief, she was fighting back a smile.
He took her hands, relieved when she didn’t pull away. He was going to have to play this carefully. “Listen. Ever hear of the phrase ‘friends with benefits’?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s what we’re going to be. Look, I like you, right?”
She wiped her face and shrugged. “I guess.”
“And I think you like me, a little.”
She sniffed. “A little.”
He smiled. “And we keep meeting up as we zap around the world. Unintentionally.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I like sex.”
She met his gaze. “Apparently.”
“And you like sex, right?”
Her lips curved. “I suppose.”
“Well, then. When we happen to turn up in the same country, and we have a few hours to spare, what’s wrong with having a little sex?”
She looked up at him and swallowed, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. He reached out and brushed them with his thumb. She lifted her chin. “What about the flowers?”
He scratched his head. “A temporary blip. It’s nearly Christmas, and I was feeling romantic. But don’t let that put you off. I’m not going to push you into something you’re not ready for. If you want to walk out that door and never see me again, well, that’s your prerogative. But equally, if, when we’re apart, you miss me, it’s not the end of the world, okay? Friends miss other friends. It happens. No need to panic.” He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed her fingers.
Cat watched him, the swell of panic subsiding slightly inside her stomach. Was he being truthful? And was it possible to have that sort of relationship? The freedom of it appealed to her greatly. If they met, they’d
have sex. If not, no ties, no relationship, no responsibility. “So you don’t want this to turn into anything more serious?”
His face was the picture of innocence. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“You just want me for sex,” she confirmed.
“Absolutely.” His lips twitched.
She nodded. “And we wouldn’t be exclusive?”
They studied each other for a moment. The amusement faded from his eyes. She could see the spark of possessiveness in them. He thought that now he’d slept with her, she might be interested in finding out what it was like to sleep with someone else. And he didn’t want her to sleep with other men. Illogically, the thought both warmed and annoyed her at the same time. The fact was that she doubted she’d ever sleep with another man again. But that wasn’t the point.
“You’d be happy with me seeing other women?” His hazel eyes became calm, slightly cool.
She shrugged. Naturally, he’d want to date other women. Talk to them, flirt with them over dinner. Take them back to his place. Kiss them senseless, make love to them in the shower, go down on them until they slid their hands through his beautiful silver hair and begged him to take them. Oh God.
She dropped her gaze to the floor. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
He put his hands on his hips but didn’t say anything. She glanced up at him, wondering if he’d be angry, but he just looked amused. He still wore his waistcoat and trousers, although his tie was loose and his hair ruffled where she’d raked her fingers through it. Possessiveness stabbed her sharply. Mine. She felt an urge to tie him to the headboard and never let him go.
She met his gaze. He studied her with interest. No lies in the bedroom. She felt as if she were made of glass—the bastard could see right through her and knew exactly what she was thinking.
But he didn’t mention whatever he saw in her eyes. Instead, he said, “Sure. We’re both free to see whomever we please. It’s only about sex, right?”
“Right.” She was going to keep telling herself that until she believed it.
He nodded. “Okay.” He checked his watch. “Look, it’s only one o’clock. I don’t think they’re announcing the result until four. Do you want to go and have a look around the Terracotta Museum? I haven’t been yet.”
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