Catch 'n' Kiss (Are You Game?)

by Cahill, Rhian

  “Nope. The boss has a very strict rule about drinking on the job.” Dan smiled smugly when Mooney frowned.

  “Dan’s right. Even having a sip could get me fired.” Jody gave Dan a narrow-eyed look before turning to aim a smile at Mooney. “Perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to try it some other time.”

  He wasn’t overly concerned by Jody’s supposed anger at him. She knew as well as he did neither of them would be drinking alcohol this weekend. Although, if she did have a couple of glasses she might soften towards him…

  “Oh, look at the time.” Mooney held up his arm, displaying his watch in an exaggerated fashion. “I have something I have to do before I finish for the day. I’ll see you both tonight.”

  Before either of them could say a word, the man was striding away and out of sight.

  “Ouch!” Dan rubbed his upper arm where Jody had just landed a punch. She was surprisingly strong. “What the hell was that for?” Surely if she was going to hit him it would have been one of the two times he’d planted a kiss on her without permission or warning.

  “For being an arse.” She turned on her heel and headed in the opposite direction to Mooney.

  “When?” Dammit. She was running away from him again. Chasing after Jody was becoming an annoying habit. It didn’t stop him from following though.

  Chapter Five

  Jody slipped into the elevator and pressed the close-door button. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quick enough and Dan threw his arm between the doors just before they sealed shut. Of course, that meant the damn things opened again and he stepped right in and kept on coming. The look on his face was a good reason to move back out of his way. When he continued to come at her, she kept reversing until she came up against the rear wall just as the doors closed with a soft thump.

  She swallowed over the throbbing lump in her throat. It could only be her heart because the stupid thing was racing so hard there was no way it had remained in her chest. He glared at her with green eyes turbulent with emotion. Anger then arousal flashed before his eyes lowered, his gaze following the sweep of her tongue as she slipped it out to wet dry lips. His pupils dilated and her breath stalled as he bent towards her.

  He gave her time. Closed the distance in long, drawn-out seconds that allowed her to escape if she chose to. She knew what was coming. Could read it in his hooded eyes, the angle of his head and the smile kicking up one corner of his mouth. But she didn’t pull away. Didn’t turn her head. Not at all. Instead, she held her breath, tipped her chin up and waited for him to kiss her.

  Their lips touched in a whisper-soft caress that did little to alleviate the need curling low in her belly. Jody couldn’t wait for Dan to take them deeper. Rising to her toes, she tilted her face and sealed their mouths fully. He groaned, the sound vibrating across her lips and sending shivers through her jaw. He flicked out his tongue, licked from corner to corner before probing the seam of her lips and seeking entry. Opening for him, she tangled her tongue with his.

  Lost in the pleasure of kissing Dan, she moved closer, slid her arms around his neck and tugged him to her, pressed her body along the length of his so every part of her front touched every part of his. It was her turn to groan when he nipped her bottom lip while wrapping his hands around her arse and yanking her sex against his. He was long and thick, rubbing against her intimately as he rocked them together.

  Jody moaned and moved even closer. She threaded her fingers through his hair, the soft strands sliding over her skin in a sensual caress as she held him to her. Dan’s hands weren’t idle either. One still gripped her arse, the other swept over her hip, up her side and between them to cup her breast. He stroked his thumb across her taut nipple and sent a jolt of desire arrowing straight to her core. She couldn’t help the whimper of need or the bucking of her hips.

  A rush of air blew past and she had a split second to wonder where it came from before she heard a woman gasp. Abruptly brought out of her lust stupor, Jody pulled away from Dan. But he wouldn’t let her go. He held her close, cradled her against his chest when he leaned over and hit the button for their floor. Just before the doors slid closed again, she saw the stunned look on the elderly woman’s face. Heat filled her face and she buried her stinging cheeks in the curve of Dan’s neck.

  “Shit. We really have to stop doing this in public places.” He smoothed his hands up and down her back in long, sweeping strokes. “One of these days we’re going to get carried away and end up getting arrested for indecent exposure.”

  Jody could hear the humour in his voice, but she didn’t smile. She appreciated his attempt to lighten the mood, though she couldn’t find the funny side of once again being so caught up in Dan she’d forgotten where she was. The man was lethal to her common sense. He turned up and good judgement went right out the door along with every other reason she needed to ignore the way her body wanted his.

  With a sigh, she slipped from his arms and moved to the front of the elevator. She didn’t say a word and, thankfully, neither did he. The bell dinged and the car eased to a stop. Breath held, she waited what felt like hours but was probably no more than a second, for the doors to open. Exiting, she scanned the plaque in front of her to determine which direction to go. They were on the executive level of the east wing, and according to Keith, their room would have a view of the valley they’d seen earlier as well as a terrace hot tub.

  She turned right and moved down the hall at a clipped pace. Why she thought she could leave Dan behind when they were sharing a room was beyond her and, again, she could only blame the fact he seemed to disconnect her from her brain whenever he was near. She slowed her steps, allowed him to catch up halfway to the room so they could continue the rest of the way side-by-side. He produced his key before she could and slid it into the sensor to deactivate the lock.

  The mechanism clicked, the light turned green and he pushed the door open. “After you.”

  “Thanks.” She walked in and was immediately taken by the large window that did indeed give them a view of the valley. But even the spectacular scenery couldn’t hide the fact the room was barely big enough for the two double beds. Two beds no more than a foot apart. Beds they’d be sleeping in tonight. Dan slept naked. Naked. Oh God. She couldn’t do this. Spinning around, she smacked right into Dan’s hard chest, jarring her so hard her teeth clacked together.

  “Hey.” He curled his hands around her shoulders to hold her still. “What’s wrong?”

  She couldn’t tell him, not without appearing as though she were a halfwit. Then again, if the shoe fit… Taking a deep breath, she searched for something believable to say. Spying their bags beside the door, she came up with the perfect out. “Our bags. I was checking to see they’d arrived safely.” All right, not so perfect, but it would do if he stopped looking at her like she’d grown a second head or perhaps a third eye.

  “They’re by the door.” He let her go and moved back. “I almost tripped over them when I walked in. Not sure how you missed them.”

  “Um, well, I…” Why was it she turned into a stammering idiot around him? Oh that’s right, her brain disconnected whenever he got within sight.

  “Hey, let’s see what this hot-tub-terrace thing looks like.” Dan walked past her and through a door she hadn’t noticed beside the window. He stuck his head back inside. “Wow, you have to come see this thing.”

  With no other option, she followed him outside and found herself in little piece of paradise. Lush green vines covered the side walls designed to give the small space privacy from prying eyes. The tub was positioned against a half wall that allowed for an uninterrupted view of the sweeping hills below. Jody guessed you could fit four people in the hot tub if you squeezed in, but the area was definitely intended for one or two. Dan opened a cupboard that ran along the wall next to the door.

  “Hey, there’s even a bar fridge out here.” He pulled out a Coke. “Want a drink?”

  “No. Thanks.”

  He bent over to replace the drink and Jody could
n’t stop her eyes from zeroing in on the way his pants stretched tight across his arse and thighs. Before she could get lost in the whole Dan intoxication again, she turned away and headed back inside. Perhaps a little space was needed, and not the kind found out on the balcony. Space as in miles and miles between them. She’d have to settle for a room and locked door for now. She grabbed her bag and flipped it over before unzipping it. By the time Dan came back in, she had her toiletries and tonight’s clothes out.

  “I’m going to shower and get ready now.” Jody didn’t wait for him to comment. She gathered her things and entered the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.

  Dan sighed as he flopped back on the bed. She’d run away again. Sure, she’d only gone as far as the bathroom, but a wall and locked door were the equivalent as far as he was concerned. He stared at the ceiling and replayed their kiss in the elevator. He’d never touched a woman who instantly drew need so deep he thought he might drown in it. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever been with in more ways than that though. Jody was mature for a start. As much as it shamed him, he had to admit his usual preference was for women younger than himself. Women less likely to be looking for something more than a few hours of fun.

  Call him shallow, God knows his mother had on numerous occasions in the past, and until now it hadn’t worried him. Now he wanted to go back and erase history so Jody wouldn’t see what kind of man he was. Dan knew he’d never treat Jody in the sometimes callous way he’d treated other women, but she couldn’t know that. And if she looked at his behaviour before now, she’d be forced to make the conclusion that he was only after one thing. And he couldn’t deny it no matter how much he wanted to.

  He dragged his hands through his hair, scraping it away from his face and tugging on the ends until pain lanced his scalp. He’d have to prove to her she was different. Whether she knew about his insensitive—though unintentional—actions before or not, he wanted her to see he could care—did care. With every fibre of his being, he wanted to prove he was worthy of her time.

  Rolling onto his side, he gazed out the huge picture window at the sun-soaked fields of grapes. The afternoon light left dark shadows and bright spotlights scattered over the vines as the sun slowly slipped beyond the horizon. He wasn’t one for appreciating nature, but he had to admit the countryside surrounding the hotel was breathtaking. Almost as much as the woman currently showering a few plasterboards, timber and tiles away.

  Just the thought of Jody naked behind that closed door had every muscle in Dan’s body stretched tight. The throbbing in his groin hadn’t quit since the first time he’d kissed her and had only intensified with each one since. She was like a drug in his system. He’d had a hit and the high had made him crave more. He wanted her worse than he’d wanted his first car. And that had been a six-year yearning that he’d finally managed to quench the day he’d turned seventeen and plunked down the three and half grand he’d scrimped and saved his entire teenage life.

  Needing a distraction, he reached over to the bedside table and picked up the room-service menu. Scanning the pages, he didn’t see anything that appealed, but then the one thing he did want wasn’t on the menu. He’d have to come up with a substitute until he could get his hands on his first craving. Unable to decide, he went with a standard feel-good food. Fries. He snatched up the phone and hit the room-service button. When the woman answered, he ordered two plates of fries and hung up. By the time Jody came out of the bathroom there’d be a snack waiting for her, and hopefully he’d have gotten his libido in check by then too.

  Dan sat up and rolled off the bed. He’d unpack while he waited for Jody and food. The hot tub beckoned, but he didn’t have time to luxuriate in it like it should be enjoyed. They had a little over two hours before they had to be back downstairs ready to meet this weekend’s participants. If he remembered right, they had a four-hour gap between the last session tomorrow and the evening function. He rubbed his hands together. A four-hour window was plenty of time to not only enjoy the tub but to convince Jody to join him.

  The door opened behind him and he turned to find Jody wrapped only in a towel. He swallowed. Hard. His throat was dry, his mouth more so, and the erection he’d managed to subdue came roaring back to life. Before he could think, he’d taken a step, causing her to back up. Her reaction was enough to stop him in his tracks.

  “I forgot my…” She darted over to where her suitcase lay open on the floor and whipped out a black lace bra.

  He groaned and clenched his fists tight enough to cut the circulation to his fingers. His balls retracted into his body as more blood filled his cock. How he stayed in place and didn’t rush over and ravish her he couldn’t say. All he knew was one wrong move and she’d run farther than the bathroom, and he couldn’t live with that. Not when everything he never dreamed he wanted was in front of him all pink and wet from her shower wrapped in a fluffy white towel. If it was the last thing he did, he wouldn’t blow it with her.

  “I ordered some food.” His voice sounded tight, but it was a wonder he could get any words out through his constricted throat.

  She paused on her dash back to the bathroom. “Oh.”

  “Yeah.” Dan rubbed his jaw. “Just some fries to see us through until dinner.”

  “Ah…okay. I won’t be much longer.” She disappeared behind the door, the soft click of the lock echoing through the room as she shut herself away once more.

  He felt like an idiot. He was an idiot. She’d been naked and he’d frozen like a randy teenager getting his first look at a set of boobs. The woman did a number on him, plain and simple. Only nothing he experienced—no emotion, no physical reaction—when he was around Jody was simple. Everything about her—about them—was complicated and confusing and downright scary when he let himself think about what he wanted for longer than a few minutes.

  She’d blown into his life and turned it upside down without trying. In fact, she’d tried everything she could to avoid him, but the second they were in close quarters and she quit running, they went up in flames. They just had to find a way for neither of them to get burned. Considering they wanted different things, one of them was at least going to be disappointed. Whether that was him or her remained to be seen, but Dan hadn’t given up on something he wanted before now, and he didn’t see himself backing away from Jody and all being with her offered.

  He’d have to convince her they were a good bet. He knew she was divorced, knew she had two teenage girls, and from what little he’d gleaned from Cassie and Luc, he also knew she hadn’t had an easy life up until now. Dan didn’t expect things to be smooth sailing between them. He fully expected to fight her every step of the way. She’d already proven her opposition to his intentions. It was a shame her body told a different story whenever he got close. She might have had a chance of keeping him at arm’s length if her mouth and body spoke the same language.

  Dan would have to make sure her mouth fell in line with her body. And soon. His own body couldn’t take much more of this constant state of arousal. Besides, it was getting to be embarrassing walking around with a hard-on all day. He could take matters into his own hands—literally—except he felt no urge to satisfy his needs that way. When he finally found relief it would be with Jody. Inside Jody.

  Jody took a deep breath to gather her courage and opened the door. Unlike before, she was dressed. Not that her clothes were a barrier against Dan’s probing gaze. Starting at her toes, his gaze slowly slid up her body until those piercing green eyes met hers. He had a way of stripping her bare with just a look—of touching her without laying a hand on her.

  A shiver skipped down her spine and goose bumps broke out on her arms and neck. “Bathroom’s all yours.” She sounded breathless so cleared her throat.

  “Excellent. I’ll be quick. Keep an ear out for room service.”

  “Oh, I was going to go down—”

  “Plenty of time to be working later. Take a few minutes to relax.”

  Dan dis
appeared into the bathroom, leaving her to wonder why she had the urge to run at every turn. She knew their overwhelming attraction played into it, but she’d never shied away from the tough things before. Not like she was doing with Dan. She’d stuck out her shitty marriage in the hope of things improving for more years than were sensible, and while she couldn’t compare that with her attraction to Dan, she couldn’t help think she’d stayed married because it had been easier than facing the fear of what would happen when she walked. It hadn’t even been her decision.

  She closed her eyes and pushed the horrible thoughts aside. Colin may have been the one to make the break, but once he had, Jody had moved forward with steely determination to prove to everyone that she and the girls would be fine. And they were. She was. Except now she had a thing for a younger man and she didn’t have the first clue what to do about it other than run for the hills. If she couldn’t do that then she’d ignore it until it went away. Only he wasn’t going away. He was getting closer, and with each step he took she wanted to take her own towards him and away from him.

  Could she be any more screwed up?

  A knock on the door made her jump and her eyes popped open. She strode over and squinted through the peep hole to see a uniformed staff member. This would be a good opportunity to observe the food and beverage service. Jody opened the door and held it wide. “Come in.”

  The young man headed for the small table jammed into the far corner. It shouldn’t be there, not when there was so little space in the room that the beds were almost touching. He placed the small tray down and turned with a small folder and pen. “Sign here please.”

  After a quick check of the bill, Jody signed and handed the folder back. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Enjoy.” He let himself out with a quiet click of the door.

  Grabbing a pen and paper, she made some notes about lack of interaction with guests. While the young man was professionally presentable and polite, he didn’t engage in any conversation that wasn’t necessary, and she wanted to be sure to bring it up during the sessions tomorrow. She wandered back to the table and lifted the lid on one of the plates. A steaming-hot pile of crispy fries filled the plate. The smell alone had her mouth watering and her tummy rumbling. Maybe she was a little peckish. Lifting the second lid, she saw that Dan had ordered a meal for each of them.