Clint dropped the bag onto the floor and closed the door behind him. He walked quietly over to the bed and sat on the edge.
Her brows were drawn together, her mouth curved down into a frown. Even while sleeping she was pissed at him. Well, he didn’t blame her. With a soft smile, he touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers.
Allison groaned and stirred, but still didn’t open her eyes.
Clint reached for the headboard and unfastened the tie, freeing her wrists and laying them at her side. She immediately curled up into a ball.
He pulled back the bedspread on one side, then lifted her enough to set her gently on the sheets, covering her again with the blankets.
Her eyelids fluttered open, but her gaze was unfocused and still full of sleep.
“What a shitty dream,” she mumbled, before her eyes closed again.
Amusement lanced through him, and he laughed silently. For the briefest moment, he’d considered waking her up to make her eat dinner, because she had to be hungry. But watching her drag the blankets to her chin and wiggle her head against the pillow with a sigh, he thought better of it. She could eat later.
He went back to the bag of food and pulled out his own portion of dinner. After devouring the burger in a few bites he went on to the fries. The entire time he ate, he watched her.
She looked a little too innocent. Seeing her like this would make someone doubt that she could nearly spit fire when mad and curse until she was blue in the face. No. Sleeping Allison looked like she spent her days hanging out on the Martha Stewart show. Made him think of how Allie had used to be.
He set the extra burger and fries in the fridge before grabbing his duffle bag and heading off to the bathroom.
Ten minutes later he came out, teeth clean and ready for bed. They would be heading out early in the morning, and he suspected they wouldn’t be getting as much sleep the rest of the week.
He climbed into the other side of the bed and slipped beneath the blankets. The heat from Allison’s body radiated across the few inches separating them. The floral scent of her perfume tickled his nostrils, and he took a deep breath in, savoring it.
His body stirred and he bit back a groan. There’s no reason to touch her. Absolutely none.
Ignoring the rational side of his brain, he scooted closer and draped an arm over her waist. He yawned, closed his eyes and waited for sleep.
The growling of her stomach woke her. Then the realization she was snuggled up against a body, a hard, warm, man-smelling body.
Was she still dreaming? Mmm. She smiled and snuggled closer to the warmth. Because there’d been some parts of her dream that had been absolutely delicious.
Wait. There’d also been parts of the dream that had pretty bad…like getting tied up. The smile faded and she blinked open her eyes.
Ack. So not a dream. He was here. Clint Novak was lying in bed with her and had an arm thrown around her waist like they’d just made love.
But then, they had almost done just that. The parts of her “dream” that had been delicious had been when she’d let Clint go down on her.
Oh God. Just thinking about it sent a rush of moisture between her legs, and she clenched her thighs together.
She glanced at the clock on the wall, squinting to see the time since it was still dark. Four-thirty in the morning? Was that right?
Jerking her gaze back to him, she frowned. Why hadn’t he wakened her? His mouth twitched and he released a small snore.
Careful to not move the mattress too much, she slid out from under his arm and moved off the bed. Once she realized she’d gotten out of bed without waking him, she let out a quick breath.
Her stomach growled again and she slapped her palm over it, willing it to shut up. Fortunately he’d left her almost fully dressed—she wasn’t about to search for her thong. All the better to get the hell out of here.
She held her breath as she tip-toed toward the door. Her hand closed over the cold knob of the door handle.
The light turned on. “Going to get us breakfast, kitten?”
Son of a bitch. She closed her eyes and fisted her hands.
“Could you, maybe, pass out again so I can sneak away with some success?”
Clint laughed, which turned into a yawn. “Not on your life. Come back to bed.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Mmm. Check the mini fridge.”
She narrowed her eyes, giving him a wary glance as she crossed the room toward the small fridge. He’d picked up some food? Maybe yogurt, or bagels and cream cheese… she tugged open the fridge and her expression fell.
Lifting the bag out with one finger, she wrinkled her nose. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Well, it has the words Happy Burger on the bag, what do you think it is?”
His sarcasm did little for her growing annoyance. She gritted her teeth and opened the paper bag, staring down at the cold fries and burger.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She sighed. “Clint, I don’t even eat this shit hot. And now you want me to suck it down cold?”
He propped himself up in bed, leaning on one elbow as a devilish gleam lit his eyes.
“Well, I guess I know something else you could suck down if you really want to.”
Her mouth fell open and she could feel her cheeks heating.
“The cold burger suddenly sounds fabulous,” she choked out instead.
She unwrapped the burger and glared at him, before turning her frustration to the food. Lifting it to her mouth, she closed her eyes and hoped it didn’t come right back up. Her stomach welcomed the meal, as odd as it might’ve been at four in the morning.
“Atta girl, flashback to those drunken midnight burger runs in college.”
She swallowed her bite, then gave him a tight smile. “I didn’t have any drunken burger runs in college. And you shouldn’t be driving drunk anyway.”
“I didn’t. I was generally the designated driver.” Clint sighed. “You used to have so much fun, Allie. Got a little wild, a little dirty, what happened to you?”
“What happened? I got serious about life. We can’t all keep traipsing through the mud chasing butterflies our whole lives.” She rolled her eyes then took another bite, swallowing a moment later. “Or maybe those who become forest rangers can.”
His mouth curved into a sleepy, sexy as hell smile. “Something like that, yeah.”
Finishing the burger, she threw the trash in the garbage and grabbed the drink stuffed into the fridge. After taking a hefty sip, she placed it back and shut the fridge door.
“You done eating?”
She gave a terse nod and folded her arms across her chest, biting her lip. What now? Surely he wouldn’t make her—
“Come back to bed, Allie.”
Okay, he would. She swallowed hard.
“It’s much too early to get up. Come back to bed.”
“I’d rather not.” She sniffed. “I think you should consider yourself lucky you got to sleep in there once with me.”
“I could always come and get you. Maybe bring out my tie again…”
Her pulse quickened. “You wouldn’t dare. You’re already on my shit-list for that little stunt.”
He arched a brow and swung a leg out of bed.
“Okay, I’m coming,” she muttered and strode to the bed with a scowl. “If you’re even thinking about—”
“I’m not thinking about anything right now except getting a couple more hours of sleep, Allie.”
Her jaw clenched as she climbed beneath the covers next to him.
Clint reached across her to flip the light off again before lying back down. His thigh brushed her hips and she stiffened.
Tingles spread through her body and heat lingered in the small area where their bodies touched. She pulled in a shallow breath and stared in the darkened room at the ceiling.
Clint’s breathing, steady and calm, lulled her into a false sense that escape would be all too easy. But she knew better now. S
he knew the minute she climbed off this bed and ran for the door he’d be on her. And he’d tie her down again.
“Go to sleep.”
With a frustrated curse, she rolled away from him onto her side. Scooting as far to the other end of the bed as possible.
Right. Like she’d actually be able to sleep. She closed her eyes and practiced some deep breathing moves again that would at least relax her.
“Do you need your inhaler?”
“What?” Her eyes snapped open.
“You’re breathing kind of funny. I just thought you might have developed asthma recently.”
“What?” Her mouth flapped. “I’m not asthmatic, you freaking idiot, I’m doing breathing exercises.”
“Well can you do them in the morning? You’re keeping me awake.”
This time she made no effort to stifle her growl of frustration.
“Sheath your claws, kitten,” Clint murmured and she could hear the smile in his voice. “You can cuss me out when we wake up again.”
Allison snapped her eyes closed and her mouth shut. Yes, maybe a few hours sleep more was a good idea. Something told her she would need her energy in the morning.
Chapter Five
Clint closed his eyes, but couldn’t fall back asleep. Instead he thought about his plan for the week.
When Allison realized where he was taking her, she’d likely have a bit of a meltdown. Even if fifteen years ago she would’ve been in her element…
A couple of hours passed and the first rays of sunlight peeked through the gap in the curtains.
Sitting up in bed, he glanced down at Allison again. She’d curled up on her side into fetal position, her back to him.
He climbed out of bed, debating whether to grab a shower while she slept. He hesitated, telling himself she could wake up in minutes and be out the door while he was still washing down Clint Junior.
Oh, well, he’d risk it. Crossing the room to the bathroom, he turned on the shower and left the bathroom door open. With the door open he still had a clear view of the bed.
Still keeping his gaze on her, he jerked his T-shirt over his head and kicked off his boxers. He reached into the shower, found the water warm, then stepped beneath the spray.
He showered in record time, using the toiletries the motel offered. Everything else was packed and he had no intentions of heading out to the SUV to get them.
Shutting off the water, he stepped out into the cool air and grabbed a towel. He wrapped it around his waist and hurried back into the room.
Allison’s eyes flicked open the moment he passed by the bed. She scrambled into sitting position.
“You’re naked.”
“I’m not naked,” he chuckled with amusement. “Obviously, since I have a towel around my waist.”
She moved her gaze over him, from head to toe. Her cheeks reddened and he watched the muscles in her throat work.
Interesting reaction. He resisted the smug laugh threatening. Allie wanted him, deny it all she wanted. Her blatant appreciative gaze and response to his touch last night only confirmed it.
“We’re going to head out soon,” he murmured, ruffling through his duffle bag for some clothes. “You may want to grab a shower.”
“A shower?” Her gaze danced away from him. “But I don’t have my shampoo or curling iron.”
“There’s hotel shampoo. Besides, it’ll be good practice for the week I have planned.” He pulled out a clean pair of boxers and, knowing she’d probably freak out and run to the bathroom, dropped the towel. “Now about that shower.”
In the process of pulling his boxers on, he heard her choked gasp as she scrambled out of bed and ran to the bathroom. The door slammed shut hard behind her.
A laugh did escape from him this time, and he enjoyed it. He pulled a gray T-shirt from his bag and tugged it over his head, then reached for his jeans.
The shower turned on and he could hear her muttering about cheap motel shampoo. His smile widened. Hell, this stuff would be a luxury compared to what she’d be using by morning.
His stomach rumbled, and he passed a hand across it. They’d have to find food somewhere. A granola bar just wouldn’t cut it. They’d already eaten crap for dinner last night.
Watching Allie gnaw on a cold burger in the wee hours of the morning had been almost comical.
He glanced at his watch and scowled. Fifteen minutes already. How long did it take a woman to wash her hair for goodness sake?
“Allison?” He crossed the room and rapped on the door. “You okay in there?”
“Go away. I’ll be out in ten.”
Another ten? His brows drew together and he bit back a curse. His stomach growled louder.
Jeez. High maintenance women were a pain in the butt. Hence the reason he never dated them.
Admitting defeat for now, he went and packed up their stuff so they’d be ready to go. Once that was complete, he grabbed the bag of clothes he’d purchased last night and pulled out an outfit for her to wear. He’d just laid out the panties when the bathroom door opened.
“What are those?”
The horror in her voice had his gaze jerking up. Bad idea. His cock tightened under his jeans and the air hissed from between clenched teeth.
Apparently she’d decided walking around in a towel was fair game. Except the small white cloth barely covered her breasts and showed entirely too much thigh and leg.
He jerked his gaze away and dropped a bra onto the bed. “Your clothes.”
“I have clothes.”
“You have the clothes you wore yesterday,” he pointed out. “You’ll be with me for an entire week.”
“Yeah, and not by choice might I remind you.” She glared at him and pushed wet strand of hair off her face. “I’ll wear my dress again. It’s much preferable—”
“You’re not going to want to wear a dress where we’re going, Allie.”
She strode forward and scooped the clothes. “What is this, polyester?”
The clean smell of soap and woman tickled his nostrils. He took a quick step backward and fisted his hands so he wouldn’t reach out and touch her again.
At her scowl of distaste his jaw tightened and annoyance rippled through him.
“I have no idea if it’s polyester. Sorry, didn’t quite check the labels for fabric type.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you should’ve.”
A sharp laugh escaped his chest, but he wasn’t amused. “Has anyone ever told you you’re high maintenance?”
“I prefer calling it having standards. And how did you know my size?”
“I guessed. My, you woke up bitchy this morning.”
“Really, Clint? Really?” She glared at him. “You expected otherwise? And I’m sure you’re wrong on my size. I mean how could…” She looked at the tags and muttered in dismay. Scowling, she spun on her heel, and marched back into the bathroom.
God almighty, but he almost hoped the clothing made her break out in hives. Of course that would mar her damn near flawless skin. Skin so soft against his lips. Skin that—shit. He really needed to get a hold of himself.
He checked the room to see if he’d forgotten to pack anything and came up clean.
The door clicked open and he lifted his gaze to the bathroom again. A laugh built up in his chest, but he quickly smothered it at her withering look.
“Could you be any more obvious?” She walked past him, stuffed her clothes from last night into his bag, and then reached for the athletic shoes he’d bought. “Just go ahead and laugh already.”
He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m not laughing. You look…”
“I look like turquoise sausage for Christ’s sake.” She narrowed her eyes. “Turquoise is not in my color scheme.”
Clint shouldered the backpack and grabbed the other bags on the ground. “I don’t know, Allie. It looks pretty good to me. Though I’m thinking the daisy on the sweatshirt makes you appear a little sweeter than you are.”
&n
bsp; “Fuck you,” she snarled and stepped past him and out the door he held open.
“I plan on it. And watch your mouth.”
“Not a chance to either.”
Clint laughed and followed her to his SUV. His gaze lowered to her ass, all too enticing in its feminine swing. Even beneath the plain sweats, the curves of her body were still hard to hide.
She arrived at his vehicle and reached for the handle. Clint slapped his hand on the door and held it shut.
Her body stiffened and she inhaled sharply. A second later she spun around to face him, their bodies brushed.
“And that whole thing last night?” She lifted an eyebrow, her expression perfectly composed. “Let’s just say I had some built-up sexual tension and you happened to be around to release it.”
It wasn’t as easy to keep the slight smile on his face. “Any Tom, Dick or Harry would have done?”
“Well, I prefer dick, but in an urgent situation I’ve even been known to grab a Bob.”
“Bob?”
She tilted her head and gave him a saccharine smile. “Battery operated boyfriend.”
The image of Allison on the bed, going wild with a vibrator flashed through his head. The air rushed from between his clenched teeth and his dick hardened beneath his jeans.
“Aah, how cute. Clint Junior’s awake with no one to play with.” She lowered her gaze pointedly before raising it again and batting her eyelashes. “Can you open my door now, please? Or would you prefer I make another run for the highway.”
Clint removed his hand with a low growl and jerked open the door for her. How had she managed to get the upper hand so quickly?
She climbed into the vehicle and pulled the door shut behind her.
He walked back around to the driver’s side, scowling as he climbed in and tossed the bag and backpack into the backseat. Not for one moment did he believe she hadn’t wanted him as much as he wanted her last night. The chemistry between them nearly made them tear off each other’s clothes the minute they got within ten feet of each other.
Lord, this week with her was going to be a pain in the butt in some ways. But in others…it was going to be a pleasure. To have her admit again that she wanted him like there was no tomorrow.
Seducing Allie: Seattle Steam, Book 3 Page 6