Slow Burn

by Ednah Walters

  Her arms laden with clothes, she sashayed barefoot across the bedroom carpet to her dresser, caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror and froze. Six-thirty in the morning and her grin could rival a toothpaste ad. She wasn’t even a morning person for pity’s sake.

  She scowled at her image. “Wipe that stupid smile off your face and start acting like a professional. So Ronald Noble is the first man in eons to make you pulsate like a plucked wire, you can handle him.”

  Easier said than done. Even the sound of his name on her lips caused anticipation to surge through her. Sucking her teeth, Ashley pivoted on her heels, stomped back to her closet and dumped the clothes on the closet floor. She pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a plain white tee, and yanked them on.

  After pulling on pants and her hair back in a ponytail, she paused to study her reflection. Good. Normal. If only she had a formula for making her thoughts of Ron normal, too. Sighing, she hurried downstairs.

  As Ashley padded across the floor to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee, her gaze touched the microwave clock. Six-forty. Twenty minutes to go. Although he did say he might be late, she reminded herself. She fiddled with the cameras, which she’d loaded and arranged on the table behind the living room couch, adjusted the lounge for maximum lighting. Too edgy to cook herself breakfast, she reached for a banana. She looked at her list of things to do today as she peeled and nibbled the fruit, but her mind couldn’t move past the first item on the agenda, photographing Ron Noble Saturday morning. It had a big question mark at the end of it.

  What if he couldn’t make it? What if he forgot? What if…?

  There was only one cure for this. Ashley pinned the list on the corkboard, opened the freezer and pulled out a container of her favorite ice cream. She settled back on her couch and dug in.

  When her doorbell rang, she was more composed. For twenty minutes, she’d been telling herself she was strong. That she was capable of controlling her emotions and dealing with more than six feet of raw masculinity.

  Her gaze swung to the clock, as she stored the remaining ice cream in the fridge. Seven o’clock on the dot, impressive. She hurried to open the door.

  Beautiful couldn’t begin to describe a clean-shaven Ron in a dark-blue polo shirt that molded his wide chest and showed the sinew under. The color made his cobalt-blue eyes pop. Strong be damned, a woman had to be blind not to want to jump him.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Ron said, his voice dark and smooth, his smile slow and easy.

  Her stomach tilted, and her thought processes slowed down big time. She yanked herself back into focus. “Hey back to you. You made it.”

  “I promised I would. Are you going to let me in?” he asked.

  Ashley shifted sideways, noting a few things which had escaped her first inspection. Rivers of red discolored the whites of his eyes. “You must have had one hell of an evening.”

  “But very productive.” He stepped inside her house, and before she knew his intention, he bent his head and landed a kiss on her lips. “Hmm.”

  She leaned back. “Whoa, what was that for?”

  “A thank you for agreeing to hypnosis.”

  For that he had to tease her with a peck? She ought to grab his shirt and show him what a real thank-you kiss was.

  “You’re welcome.” She took a step back and watched him swagger into her loft as though he hadn’t sent her pulse into overdrive. Her gaze dropped to the blue denim caressing his buns. Focus on something else. He probably left another woman’s arms a few hours ago. The thought was like a cold shower to her overheated senses.

  “So? When will you make an appointment with a hypnotist?” He glanced at her over his shoulder.

  “I already did. Dr. Vogel, my therapist, is also a licensed hypnotherapist. She’ll see me next week on Wednesday.”

  “You’re a sweetheart.” He glanced around. “So what do you want me to do? Take it all off?” The quirky smile she found so irresistible lifted the corners of his lips.

  “Just the shirt,” she said in a voice that was just a tad unsteady. “Would you like some coffee?”

  “Coffee would be nice, thanks.” He gave her an apologetic smile. “And aspirin if you have some. Oh, and I brought my grandmother’s pictures, too. Her birthday’s not for six months, so there’s no rush.” He waved the manila envelope she hadn’t noticed in his hand.

  “Just place it on the table. What time did you get home last night?” she asked as she walked past the stairs and headed toward the downstairs bathroom for the aspirins.

  “Didn’t make it home until this morning,” Ron admitted.

  She shook her head at him and darted inside the bathroom. For a moment, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes sparkled and her lips tingled.

  Ashley took a deep breath and retrieved a bottle of aspirin. You can handle this…you can handle this…. She chanted silently as she rejoined him in the kitchen area. “Do you think maybe you party too much?”

  Ron shrugged. “I work hard and play hard. If you don’t grab the opportunity whenever it presents itself, life will pass you by.” He threw two pills in the back of his throat and washed them down with the water she’d given him. He grinned and glanced at the lounge. “Is that where I make myself comfortable?”

  Ashley nodded then moved behind the counter to pour him some coffee. When she turned around she froze solid for a few seconds with the coffee cup in her hands. He was pulling off his shirt, revealing what she’d been imagining ever since they met—an expanse of beautiful golden skin, muscular chest and a six-pack abs, fuzz between his pecs and an intriguing arrow disappearing into his pants. The flame tattoo on his left shoulder and upper arm had Asiatic writings around it. He was beautiful, lean and solid…hers.

  Hers?

  The coffee splashed on her hand. The sting jolted her, and she averted her eyes. Take a deep breath and count. One Mississippi…two Mississippi…three Mississippi….

  Of course, he wasn’t hers, she told herself once she could think coherently. Ron couldn’t be tamed or tied to one woman. Besides, he was here to model for her paintings. She’d better get that through her thick head before she started hoping for the impossible.

  “Ready,” Ron said.

  “Good.” Pasting a serene smile on her face, she looked at him.

  He was reclining on the lounge, his shirt, socks and shoes off, his hands cupping the back of his head. Against her better judgment, her gaze caressed his strong chest, his hard belly, lingered on the bulge in his pants and his powerful thighs. His toes were long, beautiful. Her palm itched to touch and stroke him, every inch of him. Honestly, there ought to be a law against giving a man too much of everything. Taking a deep breath, her gaze moved back to his face and caught his knowing grin.

  Shameless man.

  “Did I tell you we’re meeting with Uncle Jerry this afternoon?” she blurted out to cover her embarrassment.

  His arched eyebrows shot up. “Who?”

  “Jeremy Kirkland, my parents’ lawyer. He’s expecting us this afternoon at his office.”

  “I thought we agreed my friend would talk to him.”

  She gave him what she hoped was a repentant grin. “I know. I called him to discuss something else and it sort of slipped out.” Dang, Ron made it so difficult for a girl to think rationally. Even his belly button was cute. “But, uh, this will give us a chance to tell him about your friend…to expect him.” Heart thumping, she walked to his side and placed his coffee on a side-table, an arm’s length from the lounge. “You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to.”

  He sat up, his movements a little sluggish, and reached for his coffee. “Thanks for this, and yes, I’d like to accompany you. Kenny flew to Orcas to meet with Hogan. I expect a call from him sometime today.” He rotated his neck as if to work out kinks.

  Ashley studied him and debated what to do next. The man was on the verge of falling flat on his face with fatigue. What was so important last night that he could
n’t go to bed early? And how would he sit for her if he were this tired?

  “Ron, are you sure you’re up to this?”

  He gave her his quirky grin. “Of course. That’s why I’m here.”

  “Forgive my language but you look like crap. Your eyes are bloodshot, you keep stifling a yawn every time I turn my back and you’re so tense you could snap in half if I touched you.”

  A roguish glint appeared in his eyes. “Touch me and find out.”

  Don’t tempt me. “Very funny. I’m offering to help you relax.”

  “Exactly what I had in mind.” He ran a finger down her sweatpants-clad hip.

  She swatted his hand and stepped away. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Noble. I’m going to give you a massage.”

  “You’re no fun,” he grumbled. When she slanted him a pointed look, he drained his coffee, then laid down on his stomach.

  Perching one butt cheek on the lounge, right beside his hip, Ashley placed her hand on his back. Good heavens, he was hot. His muscle contracted, and her arm jerked at the heat. She was almost tempted to stop. No, she couldn’t miss this chance to touch him. No way. Her heart hammering, anticipation dried her mouth. She licked her lips, ran her palm across his shoulders, loving the smooth texture, the hardness underneath. Delicious sensations rippled across her skin.

  “Are you trying to drive me crazy?” he growled, the thick muscle of his shoulders contracting.

  She smiled, then started working his shoulders. “You’re tense.”

  “The last twenty-four hours have been nerve-wracking.”

  Why, she wanted to ask, but curbed her tongue. She didn’t want to talk anyway. Touching him was much more fun. His skin was velvety soft, his hair silky and thick. The urge to run her fingers through it washed over her. She sucked it in and kneaded his muscles instead, first with her fingers, then the heel of her palms. He was so deliciously male he made her want to wrap herself around him and soak him up. Her finger traced a raised birthmark on his right shoulder. What would he do if she pressed her lips on it?

  Quit fantasizing, the annoying cautious voice in her head warned. Her gaze lowered to his butt. Yum yummy. A ravenous hunger clawed at her gut, made her want to rip his pants off and feast on his nakedness.

  Talk about self-inflicted torture. Offering to massage him was the dumbest thing she’d ever done. Her hands itched to touch more than his back. As for his woody scent, it was engulfing, stimulating. When her body trembled ever so lightly, she swallowed. The impossible man wasn’t helping matters any. The “hmm” sounds he made while she worked on his taut muscles were driving her crazy.

  “What’s the writing around the tattoo?” She traced the flame, then worked hard at easing the tautness there.

  “Forged by fire.”

  His skin was hot enough to have been created by fire. And touching him was making her hot, too. Still, Ashley hung in there, body heating and humming. She wanted to converse, say something witty, but she knew her voice would fail her. When her arms began to ache, she shifted her body and almost landed on the floor.

  “You okay, babe?” he asked in a hoarse voice

  At least she wasn’t the only finding their proximity unbearable. “Yes. Just don’t fall asleep on me.”

  He chuckled. “You’re mistaken if you think I can fall asleep with your hands on me.”

  She couldn’t think up a response to that statement. Instead, she tried to imagine he was some ugly troll she had to touch. Tough luck. Trolls didn’t smell or feel the way he did.

  “I’m done.” Ashley jumped up and took a step back, almost tripping over the coffee table.

  Ron turned around, and their gaze connected. His face was taut. The hungry look in his eyes wasn’t supposed to scare her, but it did, making her take another backward step. She swallowed, gave his body a sweeping glance and froze at the straining bulge in his pants.

  “Keep looking at me like that and I won’t be responsible for what happens next.” His voice was low, filled with the promise of sinful pleasures.

  Her eyes snapped to his, as she fought a blush. “I, uh, I’ll get my camera.”

  She hurried to the table and fiddled with the camera, her back turned to him, but she could still smell him on her hands. Offering to massage him had been downright idiotic. How was she going to work when his body teased her senses?

  She heard movements behind her and jerked around. Ron was on his feet and closing in on her fast. The look in his eyes had her taking a step back. “Ron?”

  “I don’t think I can do this.”

  She blinked. “But you said—”

  “I will pose for you sweetheart, but right now I need to touch you or go crazy.”

  Her eyes widened. What am I supposed to say to that? She couldn’t open her mouth and lie to him, or order her legs to move. She had wondered how those perfectly shaped lips would feel, taste. Heck, she’d even woven fantasies about the delicious things they could do to her body. The peck he’d given her earlier only added to her craving.

  She took a deep breath and released it in spurts. Her heart thudded against her rib cage, excitement pulsing through her. This was so not her. Messing around with a man she hardly knew was insane, and she didn’t do insane. Yet, she felt almost delirious with anticipation as Ron stopped before her.

  His arm boldly snaked around her waist. The arrogant way he assumed she wouldn’t object to his intentions left her weak in the knees. Ashley opened her mouth to say something, but his expression froze the words in her throat. The wicked sensuality and the raw lust in his eyes was enough to make a woman snap on a full metal chastity belt. Yet, he appeared to be waiting. For what?

  She frowned. Could he be seeking her consent? Ron didn’t look the type to ask for anyone’s permission. Her gaze still locked with his, her lips parted, invited. His eyes grew fiercer, hotter. Still, he waited. She lifted her hand and laid it against his masculine chest. His body jerked as though scalded. His muscles flexed under her palm, his heart thumping hard and sending pulses of excitement along her arm.

  He meshed her body with his. The intimate contact caused a moan to escape her lips. His head dipped, his hot breath against her lips making her quiver. Then he angled his head and covered her lips.

  His lips were hot and gentle. Not exactly what she’d expected from such a large man. The taste of him, the velvety texture of his lips was new, exciting. His scent, volatile, musky and male, slammed into her with a force of a tsunami.

  Heart pounding in her ears, Ashley surrendered and let him take charge of her mouth. She moved into his arms as though she had always belonged there. Tongues, flavors and breaths mingled. His scent teased her senses, making thought and reason difficult. His mouth caressed and explored, taking and giving her sweetness that was so unexpected, so intoxicating her entire body throbbed with raw need.

  She couldn’t afford to need this man. She had enough craziness in her life without needing someone who was here now but could be gone forever tomorrow. She jerked, pulled her face away and tried to break the spell he’d cast over her.

  “Please,” she sobbed achingly, gasping for breath.

  “Please what, babe? Please don’t stop?” Ron whispered erotically along her cheek. “Please take me?” He took a tiny bite of her ear, then soothed it with his tongue. His final, “Please tell me how to please you,” was a homerun. Her resistance ebbed.

  Ashley turned her face and claimed his lips this time. Forget tomorrow. Right this moment, he was hers. She slid her hands up, slowly loving the muscles shifting under her palm, and cupped his cheeks, touched the corner of his mouth before forking her fingers through his hair. She couldn’t get enough of him.

  His kisses became bolder, hotter, awakening every yearning cell in her body. Her fingers dug into his chest, eliciting a groan from him. He was all over her, his hands, his mouth, his breath, his very essence.

  Fireworks exploded behind her eyes. She felt feverish, yet more alive than she’d ever been in her entir
e life. Panic torpedoed inside her. Where was her freaking control?

  Ashley flung her head back and gasped for air. “Ron? Please. I need…we need to….”

  “Yes,” was his craggy response. “So much.” He dropped butterfly kisses along her neck, inhaled deeply. “Hmm, wild roses. You smell so good.” He bit her jaw, causing her body to vibrate. “Dark, juicy, exotic.”

  She was barely hanging on to her control. Lord knew she had a healthy sexual appetite, but this was way, way out there. She’d never lost control from a kiss. If one would define what he was doing to her a kiss. He was plundering, ravishing, branding her. A surprised huff escaped her when he circled her waist and lifted her off the ground.

  “Wrap your legs around me,” he commanded hoarsely, pressing her more intimately against him.

  Her knees wanted to lift, but she willed them to stop. It didn’t matter that she could feel his arousal against her or that his take-charge attitude was a major turn-on. This had gone too far. Somehow, she must stop, regroup and start thinking like a mature, rational woman.

  His “Please,” sounded guttural, raw. It called to something inside her.

  Her thighs opened, knees lifted, legs wrapped around him. The bulge in his pants nestled perfectly against her. Exquisite sensations migrated from all over her body to the joint between her legs. His mouth closed on hers, tongue boldly thrusting into her mouth, mating, dancing. Her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, reveling in his perfection, her mouth welcoming his. Her fingers silently urged him on. Then his weight shifted and the next thing she knew, her back was up against the wall, his hips grinding into hers. A primitive growl rumbled through his chest.

  She clung to him, floating, aching and craving. He let her mouth go and sought her face, her neck. His long fingers slid up her back, cupped her face as he plundered her mouth. She moaned. Or did he? It didn’t matter. The more he gave, the more she wanted. His hands on her bare skin…hers on his sexy body….

  His hand skimmed over the thin cotton fabric of her T-shirt and landed on the underside of her breast, but stopped shy of covering her aching nipples. Ashley stopped breathing. Touch me. Please.