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“Oh come, please. You see Sawyer all the time, so surely you can appreciate the time away from him?” asked Kiersten with a grin in her brother’s direction.
“Yes, of course.” As she entered the teasing, Nadia was surprised to realize she wasn’t looking forward to separating herself Sawyer tomorrow. It wasn’t strictly fear of saying the wrong thing or making a bad impression with his family. Her hormones were starting to crave his presence, and she had the nip that in the bud quickly.
With a firm nod, she confirmed her willingness to join them. “Sure, why not? It sounds like fun.” The cost would be no problem, thanks to her generous salary from Sawyer, coupled with the hefty payment he had deposited in her bank account. Knowing there was another one coming at the end of the week eased all money worries.
As though he’d read her mind, he said, “Remind me to give you my AmEx card in the morning.”
She frowned at him. “That won’t be necessary. I can pay for myself.”
A giggle from Kiersten reminded her they weren’t alone, and she looked over at his sister. The other woman flashed her a grin.
“It’s so refreshing to see someone who stands up for herself with him. Sawyer has a way of running over people, and not because he’s stern
or forceful. Rather, he charms his way past their defenses.”
It was an insightful summary of her sibling, and Nadia nodded. “That he does.” Let them, including Sawyer, interpret it however they wished. For her, it was mostly an internal warning to remind herself to batten down the hatches and brace to resist his charms, should he choose to display them toward her.
They retired to his room shortly before ten o’clock, the dinner having ended with coffee in the drawing room. Though Nadia had never lived in a house that had a drawing room, she’d appreciated the meeting area with its Victorian antiques and hospitable atmosphere. The coffee had been delightful, as had the company, and she was feeling entirely too relaxed as she stepped through the doorway with Sawyer right behind her.
It was only when the door closed with a click that she remembered the next obstacle in front of them. She turned to him as he finished locking the door, forcing her expression to remain neutral. “Does the loveseat pull out, Sawyer?”
He arched a brow. “The loveseat?”
Was he being deliberately obtuse, or did he really not understand what she was saying? “I’ll need somewhere to sleep, so I’m asking you if the loveseat folds out to a bed?”
He frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re at least a foot longer than the loveseat. There’s a perfectly good bed.”
“Your bed,” she said with soft emphasis. “Therefore, I’ll need somewhere to sleep. I don’t want to offend your mother, or have them figure out our lack of relationship, so I’ll just make do with the loveseat.”
Casting a critical eye over the furniture, she realized there was also an ottoman she could drag to the loveseat that would extend the length dramatically. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable thing ever, but it couldn’t be any worse than sleeping on one of the small berths in the little sailboat her father used to own.
“Seriously, Nadia, there’s no reason to sleep there. The bed is king-size, and there’s room for both of us.”
She’d been in the process of walking toward the bathroom, and she froze when he stepped up behind her, his hands settling on her hips. Nadia’s breath escaped in a ragged exhalation when he stepped closer still, as the hard length of his erection pressed into her buttocks.
“We could get very cozy in that bed.”
The smoky, seductive tone of his voice made her shudder slightly, and tingles of awareness shot down her spine. It took a surprising amount of strength not to melt back into his arms, especially when one of his moved around her waist, his hand cupping her taut abdomen.
“Let go of me.”
The words came out less firmly than she had intended, with a hint of breathlessness that hitched on a gasp when his palm splayed across her stomach. He was only a couple of inches away from brushing her mound with his middle finger, and the slow circles he made with his fingertips weren’t doing anything to help clear her mind.
“Whatever you say.” He let go of her, and she took a step away with relief. A second later, that turned to outrage as he spun her around and back into his arms. “Is this better?” he asked with a cocked eyebrow, clearly amused.
“You aren’t paying me for this, Sinclair.”
He looked wounded, but his twitching lips gave him away. “Of course not, Nadia. What kind of man do you think I am?”
She scowled at him. “You really don’t want me to answer that question, do you?”
He blinked, looking uncertain for a second. Then the Sawyer confidence returned, and he put his hand along her cheek, his fingers brushing her ear. “Consider this a bonus.”
His head bent downward, and she knew what was coming. All she had to do was take a step back, because he wasn’t holding her that tightly. Instead, Nadia stood still as he brushed his lips against hers.
It was a gentle kiss, demanding nothing, and she told herself that was why she didn’t move away. In fact, the light and gentle, almost questioning, tone of the kiss was the only reason she pressed her palms to his chest, digging her fingers into the lapels of his evening jacket. Though she didn’t drag him closer, she certainly didn’t push him away as the kiss deepened.
Sawyer’s tongue brushed against her full lower lip, and she gasped, allowing him the advantage. He dipped inside, tongue stroking hers, and she couldn’t resist the urge to reciprocate. As the kiss grew hungrier and deeper, she could feel herself hovering on the edge of the precipice.
