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"No, Claudia convinced him nothing was there."
He started to button his untucked shirt, leaving the top half undone. He plucked at the neck with an apologetic smile. "Hot."
"Uh-huh."
I was two feet away, but I swore I could feel the heat from his body, smell the faint scent of his sweat. And his eyes...They glittered with something that was not quite predatory, but different. Less civilized. Like he'd forgotten to pull that mantle of control completely back into place.
If I didn't know better, I'd say he'd had a few glasses of wine. That's what it looked like--the gleam of slight drunkenness, that lowering of the inhibitions. I looked into his eyes and shivered, body straining against the urge to cover those last two feet--
He did it for me. His arms went around me and he lowered his lips toward mine, but stopped short. I looked into his eyes and saw, not uncertainty, but a teasing smile. I lifted my lips an inch, covering half the distance, then said, "Your move."
His brows arched. He brought his lips so close I could feel his breath, then waited for me to close the gap.
"You like having me give in first, don't you?" I murmured.
A fraction of an inch lower, lips brushing mine as he said, "No, I'm being courteous."
"Bullshit."
A low laugh. I hung there, in his arms, our bodies barely making contact. His hands slid up my back, his touch so light I shivered. A gentle tug as he wrapped his fingers in my hair, then brought them up to
the back of my head. His lips moved down, eyes closing, and I shut mine, reaching up for him, waiting for that first contact, expecting a kiss as soft and teasing as his touch.
His mouth crushed against mine so hard my eyes flew open. A low growling chuckle rippled through him. He started pulling back, to soften the kiss, but I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned it hard enough to make him gasp.
He swung me up, lifting me easily, hands going to the back of my thighs. My legs parted to wrap around him, but my skirt caught. His hands slid down my thighs and pushed my skirt up, his touch firm, fingers splayed, gripping me as they traveled up my thighs to my ass. Then he let out a soft breath of surprise.
I pulled back from the kiss enough to say, "I don't like panty lines."
Another delicious growl of a chuckle as his fingers dug in, pulling me against him. I wiggled until I could feel him hard against my crotch, then tightened my legs around his hips, rubbing against him.
My hands dropped to his sides and squeezed between us, finding the button of his pants, then...
I broke the kiss. He dove to find it, but I brought my hands to the sides of his face, holding him back. His dark eyes wavered there, his face indistinct, my vision still clouded with lust.
"Just a second," I said as I squirmed from his grip and lowered myself to the ground. "I think I'm making this too easy for you."
"Easy?" The word was almost a growl. "Do you know how many times I've thought of this in the past year...and had to see you at council meetings and pretend the idea never even entered my mind?"
A quiver of excitement raced through me. So he hadn't been as oblivious--or immune--as he'd pretended. It was almost enough to make me throw myself into his arms. Almost...
"A year?" I murmured. "That's nothing."
I lowered my lips to the base of his throat and tickled my tongue up to his chin, tasting his sweat.
"If it hasn't been easy, you have only yourself to blame," I said. "I've been here, ready and willing the whole time."
I leaned against him. My fingers skated over his hip, then stroked the back of his thigh, heading between his legs. His growl sent tremors through me and I had to stop for a breath before looking up at him.
"Four years, Jeremy, and I'm thinking..." I looked into his eyes. "Maybe you can wait a little longer. Just to be fair."
I inched back, my hands going to his chest, as if to ward him off, but sliding under his shirt, feeling his heart thumping under my fingers, feeling the beat of his quickened breathing, the sheen of sweat over his lean, muscled chest...all of which didn't make it any easier for me, but I closed my eyes and savored the tease. Then, his shirt parted, I leaned forward, my nipples pressing hard against the silk, brushing them against his chest as I arched up on tiptoes, kissing the bottom of his throat, tongue sliding out to feel his pulse. He shuddered, but didn't move, and I wondered how long he'd stand there, and what I could do to tease him, to tease both of us, to break that legendary control...
I swallowed a moan and stepped back.
"It's late," I murmured. "I should get inside. Are you coming tomorrow?"
A pause. "Well, apparently, that depends on you."
