He didn’t disappoint. He parted her curls and went directly to that one spot designed to bring her pleasure. He circled it, then rubbed it lightly, making every muscle in her body tremble. It wouldn’t take long, she thought. She was so close, so fast. A few minutes of concentrated attention and she would be flying.
He shifted to her other breast. She closed her eyes and leaned back, torn between the sensations he evoked. His mouth and tongue against her nipple, the steady movement of his hand between her legs. All of it made her strain for more. Then he shifted his hands to her hips, where he pulled her forward, so she was nearly hanging on the sofa. He lowered his head.
She knew exactly what he planned to do.
“No,” she said, trying to move back.
He didn’t bother looking up. “Yes.”
“No. I mean it. Not like that.”
He straightened and stared into her eyes. There were questions there, questions she didn’t want to answer. Fortunately men were easily distracted.
She reached for him. “Be inside of me,” she said, guiding him toward her. “I’ll come that way.” She rubbed the length of him, then stroked her thumb against the tip.
She shifted so she could take him inside, but instead of going along with the suggestion, he pulled out of reach.
“Why?” he asked.
“It’s not my thing.”
“Maybe it’s mine. Talk to me.”
Words no normal male ever said on purpose, she thought, annoyed and feeling the passion fade away.
“Does there have to be a complicated story about everything?” she snapped. “I don’t like it. So let’s move on or forget it.”
Actually moving on was no longer an option. She stood and stepped around him. There were clothes everywhere, a testament to their uncontrolled desire. Or at least it had been uncontrolled until he’d insisted on getting bossy.
This was exactly why she didn’t have anything to do with men like Garth. They were too used to getting their own way every damn time.
Instead of grabbing her clothes, she stalked out of the living room, down the short hallway and into her bedroom. She picked up her robe off the bed and pulled it on. But before she could tie the sash, let alone return to the living room, she felt him reaching for her from behind.
She started to turn toward him, but he held her with both arms around her waist. His powerful body nearly dwarfed hers and she wasn’t especially tiny. Only one more wildly annoying thing about the man.
“You should get dressed,” she said. “This isn’t going to happen.”
She braced herself for the temper tantrum sure to follow, but all she got was a soft kiss on her temple.
“Why does it frighten you?”
“It doesn’t. Just because I don’t happen to like something doesn’t mean there’s a problem. It’s a personal preference. Now it’s getting late. You should go.”
“It’s barely six in the evening.”
“It’ll be late soon.”
He turned her so they were facing each other. He was still completely naked and mostly aroused, which was a little disconcerting. She shifted her gaze to his face. He looked curious and a little determined. Not a good combination.
“Did someone hurt you?”
She tied the sash on her robe. “No. Why do you have to assume that just because it’s not something I like that I must have a problem? Maybe it’s you. Maybe you’re obsessed. You should consider therapy.”
He gave her a slow smile. “Are you done?”
“No, but you can talk if you want.”
“I’m not obsessed. I like that part of sex because the feedback is easy to understand. Plus it practically guarantees my partner is satisfied.”
She rolled her eyes. “And you’re all into a job well done. Aren’t you a giver?”
“Do you always tell guys no?”
“Yes, and most of them are fine with it.”
He put his hands on her shoulders, easing her backward. She only resisted moving a little.
“I’m not like most men,” he told her.
“As I’ve pointed out before, you’re not all that.”
“Sure I am.” He unfastened the tie and slipped off her robe.
“We’re not doing this,” she said, but without a whole lot of force.
“Sure we are.”
He moved closer and kissed the side of her neck. A shiver rippled through her. His hands skimmed her back before finding her breasts. Okay, maybe she wasn’t as out of the mood as she’d thought.
He eased one hand down her belly, then between her legs. He immediately found where she wanted him to be and rubbed her swollen center.
“We wouldn’t want all this going to waste,” he murmured against her skin. “One more step back and then you’ll be on the bed.”
“Right where you want me,” she said, taking the step, then letting herself fall onto the mattress.
He settled next to her, touching her, kissing her mouth, then her breasts. He worked his magic, sucking on her tight nipples until the heat was back, as was the frantic need. She was more than ready. It wouldn’t take but a second.
But instead of kneeling between her thighs or touching her with his hand, he shifted on the bed, moving lower and lower until they were back where they started. She slammed her legs together and half rose on her elbows.
“Look, there’s no way we’re going to—”
“Trust me.”
Two words. Meaningless, really. Because she had no reason to trust him. He was the enemy. At least he had been until today. This was all about winning. He wanted to defeat her, to make her surrender and she wouldn’t.
“Why do you have to go and spoil a perfectly good moment?” she asked, furious with him for insisting and herself for being tempted.
“Trust me.”
She should throw him out. If the need didn’t go away on its own, she had a very nice shower massager that would take care of business. Didn’t he understand? She didn’t like oral sex. Not that she’d ever actually allowed anyone to do that to her, but what was the point? One orgasm was as good as another.
“Five minutes,” he said. “If you want me to stop after that, I will.”
“Can I hold a gun to your head while you do it?” she asked.
“I’d be worried what you’d do when you lost control.”
“I won’t.”
“Want to bet? Come on, Dana. What’s the worst that could happen?”
The answer to that question was vague at best, but full of dark fear. If she allowed that, if she gave in, then…What? What would happen? Did she actually think Garth would physically hurt her?
The idea was ridiculous and because she never let fear win, she grudgingly relaxed back onto the bed.
“Five minutes,” she said, bracing herself for something hideous. “Then you’ll stop.”
“If you tell me to.”
“I will.”
Instead of answering, he stretched out between her legs. When he was comfortable, he reached for her hands and brought them in so she could use her fingers to hold herself open for him.
The feeling of being wildly exposed nearly made her blush. She wanted to jump up and announce that she’d changed her mind, but she reminded herself it was only for a short time and then they could be done with this nonsense.
At first there was nothing. Just a whisper of breath. Then she felt a single, slow stroke of his tongue, as if he were getting the feel of her.
The warm, soft, wet contact nearly made her jump. It was…different. Nothing like she’d thought. If she had to assign a single-word description it would be delicious.
He licked her again and her insides clenched. A third stroke of his tongue had her tingling. Then he focused all of his attention on that one swollen, hungry part of her.
He shifted his tongue up and down, moving steadily, but not too fast. There was just the right amount of pressure. The sensations were unlike anything she’d experienced before. Incredibly i
ntense. Amazing and wonderful.
She drew back her knees and pulsed her hips in time with his movements. Pressure built inside of her, pushing her toward the edge, making her rock her head from side to side. Every part of her tensed. Her toes curled against the sheets. More. She needed more. He must have read her mind because he moved faster and faster until she couldn’t hold it all.
She came with a cry as her body shattered. Ripples of pleasure cascaded through her, making her shudder and moan and hang on to every ounce of release. He continued to please her with his tongue, moving exactly in time with her release, drawing it out until she was drained and boneless.
When he finally drew back, Dana could barely open her eyes. She knew she should say something, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Nothing had ever felt like that.
But as good as it had been, she felt strange inside. Twisted up and confused, as if she’d exposed a part of herself and didn’t know how to cover back up. What was he thinking? Vulnerability wasn’t her best feature and it was one she fought to keep to herself.
As Garth sat up, she opened her eyes. His expression was tense and hungry.
“Condoms?” he asked, his voice raw with need.
She pointed to the nightstand drawer. As he opened it and pulled out the small box, she saw his hands were shaking slightly. His swollen erection throbbed slightly.
He fumbled with the condom, finally siding it in place, then without any style at all, he pushed into her, filling her.
He was still a moment, his breath coming through clenched teeth. When she started to move, he groaned, then grabbed her hips.
“Give me a second,” he muttered.
If she’d been standing, the shock of it would have caused her to fall over. Just to be sure, she pulsed her hips and he swore. His eyes were glazed with passion, his muscles rigid as he struggled for control. He was a man on the edge.
She hadn’t been the only one to enjoy what he’d done to her, she thought happily, raising her legs and wrapping them around his hips. From the looks of things, he’d been caught up in the experience nearly to the point of losing it.
Suddenly surrendering didn’t seem too bad. Not when it brought a man like Garth to his knees. She shifted again, drawing him in deeper. She stroked his arms and his back, feeling thick scars and warm skin.
“Anytime, big guy,” she whispered.
He gave a short laugh. “My goal is to make it last longer than it would have when I was eighteen.”
“All flash and no substance. I should have guessed.”
He pushed into her and hissed out a breath. “It’s your fault.”
“Sure. Blame it on the woman.”
He pushed in again. He was thick and long and filled all of her. If he had five or ten minutes in him, she would have enjoyed the ride, but judging from the way he shook, that wasn’t going to happen. Which was fine with her. She’d had her turn and watching him fight for control was about the best part of her day.
“Next time,” he promised. “Is that okay?”
She smiled slowly, feeling intense female power, possibly for the first time in her life. “Absolutely.”
“I think I’ll struggle a few seconds longer. For pride’s sake.”
“I don’t think so.” She tightened her muscles around him, then pulsed again.
He tensed, pushed into her and two thrusts later, was done.
Still inside of her, he stared into her eyes. “I can do better.”
She smiled. “It was great. Better than great. It’s been a long time since I was with a teenaged boy.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He kissed her. “Let’s get some dinner.”
Dinner as in eating together? As in going out?
“I, ah, don’t think that’s a good idea. I meant what I said. I don’t want anything personal between us.”
He chuckled. “Dana, we’re naked. My penis is still inside of you. We passed personal a long time ago.”
“I know, but we’re going to be working together and we should…”
She didn’t know what, exactly, but there should be rules and clarification and didn’t he want to leave? Guys always wanted to leave after sex.
He kissed her again. “You just had an orgasm. Be quiet and bask like every other woman.”
“That’s not me.”
“I know. Which is why I offered dinner.”
“What would you have done otherwise?”
“Offered to cuddle.”
Oh, please. “On what planet?”
“Okay, maybe I’m not much of a cuddler, but I can fake it the same as every other guy.” He nipped her bottom lip. “Which is it to be? Dinner or cuddling?”
“Dinner.”
He withdrew and sat up. “That’s my girl.”
“Let’s get this straight. I’m not your girl and after dinner, you’re not getting any again. And don’t for a moment think you’re spending the night.”
“Of course not. I’m not the type.”
“Neither am I.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN you want breakfast?” Dana asked, sounding suspicious. She stood with her hands on her hips, her short brown hair still wet because she would never bother to blow it dry.
She’d pulled on jeans and a long-sleeved purple T-shirt with a designer logo. Must have been a gift, Garth thought, doing his best not to smile at her obvious annoyance. Dana wasn’t the designer type.
“You kept me up most of the night with your demands,” he said calmly. “I’m hungry.”
“Stop for fast food on your way to work. Millions do it every day. It’s practically a tradition.”
“I don’t like fast food.”
She narrowed her gaze. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? You’re just screwing with me because you think it’s fun.”
Which was true, but not something he would admit. Pissing her off was a great way to spend an hour. Besides, he liked her company.
Last night they’d gone to dinner. Afterward, she’d done her best to show him the door and he’d done his best to get her back into bed. He’d won. Not that she’d resisted too strongly. Afterward there hadn’t been any talk of him leaving. They’d fallen asleep in a tangle of arms and legs, which surprised him. He usually preferred to sleep alone.
“You’re supposed to be running your own money-hungry corporation, not to mention devising a plan to take down Jed Titan. You don’t have time for breakfast.”
“I’ll make the time. I worked up an appetite last night, Dana. The least you can do is feed me.”
She scrunched up her face as if trying desperately to come up with a better argument. But the underlying message was clear. She wanted him gone because she was scared.
He’d figured that out the first time they’d made love and she resisted an easy road to pleasing her. She’d succumbed, but her reticence made him wonder who had hurt her so badly that she felt the constant need to protect herself. Did the fear go back to being a small child who’d been beaten by the one person who was supposed to take care of her? Or was the wound more recent?
He knew he shouldn’t care. He shouldn’t want to find whoever was responsible and beat the shit out of him. But he did. Something he would deal with another time. For now, he wanted to go to breakfast with Dana because he wasn’t willing to leave her just yet.
“After breakfast, you’ll leave?” she asked with a sigh. “You give me your word?”
“Unless you try to seduce me again.”
“I never seduced you in the first place.”
“You do it with every move you make.”
Garth was good, Dana thought, doing her best not to react to the words. He was playing with her. Teasing because it was fun. He knew the exact line to get to her. The trick was to make sure she didn’t start believing him.
“Then I get to pick the place,” she said, knowing that the quickest road to getting him gone was to eat and then
watch him drive away.
“Sure,” he said easily.
She gave him her first smile of the morning. “You ever been to the Calico Café?”
“No.”
The smile turned into a grin. “You’re going to love it.”
They walked because the restaurant was only about two blocks away, one of the things Dana liked about living in Titanville. It had a small-town feel right on the edge of Dallas.
“Your great, great, I don’t know how many greats, grandfather founded this town,” she said as they left her small apartment. “During the eighteen hundreds. He was something of a gambling man who liked his women. Apparently he didn’t care who he slept with. He left a lot of women disgraced. You would have liked him.”
He glanced at her. “I’m very nice to the women in my life.”
“Are you? Mind if I take a small survey?”
“Not at all. They’ll speak well of me.”
Damn him, they probably would, she thought glumly. He was just that kind of guy. Good in bed. Too good. She was still experiencing sensual aftershocks. Little tingles that came out of nowhere. They zoomed to life, pinged her privates, then disappeared, leaving her slightly aroused and a little flustered.
“Not all of them,” Dana said. “There have to be at least a couple who hate your guts.”
He chuckled. “Want to meet them and form a club?”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Now you’re just talking sweet to flatter me.”
He was teasing. She knew that. But knowing didn’t make it easier to respond. She’d never been the type who knew how to flirt with a guy. She hadn’t been born with the skill. Or maybe it was a confidence issue. Either way, it was a whole lot easier to be crabby. Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of a reason.
They walked toward the café. Seeing the familiar big windows and calico curtains lifted her spirits. She couldn’t wait until Garth got a look at the inside.
He held open the door. She went in and he followed. She turned and waited.
He glanced around the small space. She followed his gaze, anticipating his reaction. There were dozens of tables with glass tops. Underneath, long tablecloths hung down nearly to the floor. Wallpaper added color on color. There were shelves of china figures, bowls, cloth-covered books in stacks and every single item was done in calico.
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