by Lori Foster
Encouraged, she moved that teasing finger to his chest, up and over his collarbone to twine an arm around his neck.
Temptation pulled at him. He glanced back and saw no one outside the office. After reading Tipton’s letter, he felt strung so tight that release would be welcome.
“He won’t be back,” Mindi said. Boldly she leaned into him...and stroked his crotch. “Don’t worry about him.”
God, he needed the distraction. And his body liked her touch well enough.
But his head wasn’t in it.
He got the definite vibe that she and the lawyer had a thing. Plus he figured Yvette would have dealt with Mindi, too, might even have to deal with her again. He would never do anything to make this new transition harder on her than it’d already be.
And then there was the fact that he hoped to finally have Yvette... Yeah, to his brain, cozying up with Mindi seemed like a very bad idea. “Sorry, honey, but I’m just not up for it.”
“Fibber,” Mindi whispered. Her eyes grew heavy, her breathing shallower as she stroked him. “You are most definitely up.”
Her twist of his words only marginally amused him. “Let’s just say parts of me have no sense.” Especially with her small hand expertly working him. “But the rest of me is shot, I swear.” The rest of me, he admitted to himself, wants Yvette, and only Yvette.
She pressed her lower body against his thigh. “I’d only need ten minutes.”
“Ah, now what fun would that be?” Gently, because he hated to insult any woman, Cannon tried to ease her back. “I’m sure you deserve more than ten minutes.”
“Later,” she whispered while nuzzling his neck, “when you have more time, you can make it up to me.”
Her sharp little teeth grazed his throat. Damn it, he was started to feel molested. “Listen—”
She opened her mouth on him and Cannon knew he had to get control of things before she added a hickey to his other many bruises. Catching her shoulders, he physically moved her away, saying with firm insistence, “Not today.”
Hurt overshadowed her lust, and she turned away from him. Hands to her face, she gave a nervous laugh. “Wow, this is embarrassing.”
Even annoyed, Cannon sympathized with her. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m flattered.”
She shook her head. “And not at all interested.”
Stepping up behind her, he cupped her shoulders. “You had your hands on me, so you know that’s not true.” She’d felt his semierection. His dick liked her just fine. “But my last fight took it out of me, I just got into town and now I have a load of legal responsibilities to take care of.”
“That’s all it is?” She looked at him with hope. “Seriously?”
Not about to commit himself, he shrugged. “All I know is that it’s not happening now.” Ready to make his getaway, he turned and unlocked the door. He got as far as his truck when she called to him.
Looking back, he saw her poised in the doorway.
“I’ll take a rain check then, give you some time to get settled, but I’m not giving up.”
He couldn’t help but grin at her. Since he doubted they ran in the same circles, he wasn’t worried about seeing her again. With a salute, he got behind the wheel, started the engine and drove away from the building.
No matter how many times it happened, it was still a nice thing to be wanted. Didn’t matter that part of the appeal was his status in the SBC.
One thought led to another, and he had to wonder, would Yvette be as impressed? Even before he’d been picked up by the elite fight organization, she’d looked at him with idol worship, as if he had the answer to every question.
But that was years ago. For all he knew she could be engaged, even married now. He pictured her as he remembered her: young and innocent. Just coming into her own. Shapely and sweet.
Ripe.
Unsettled with conflicting emotions, Cannon drove by Tipton’s house, but when he knocked, no one answered. He had a key, but it didn’t seem right to go in before talking to Yvette. He went by the pawnshop next, but it remained locked up, dark and empty. Like him, Yvette had probably found a motel room.
He’d track her down soon enough, and then they could get reacquainted all over again.
Damn, but he could hardly wait.
Copyright © 2014 by Lori Foster
ISBN-13: 9781460380543
Holding Strong
Copyright © 2015 by Lori Foster
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