Peering into his eyes, she asked, “How are you feeling?”
His head was pounding, his body sore, but he needed to push past it. “I’m okay.”
“I think we should get you checked out.”
He shook his head. “No.”
“You’re stubborn is what you are.” She sipped the drink. “Mmm, this is incredible.”
Heat streaked through him. He studied her for a few seconds, then cupped her cheek with his hand. “No, this is good booze.You’reincredible.” Unwilling to resist, he kissed her. Soft and tender at first, but when his tongue swept inside her mouth, she whimpered. Instead of deepening the kiss, he ended with several soft pecks. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Her sweet smile slayed him.
He didn’t want to think about what had just happened, but he had to keep things real. After popping four ibuprofens, he said, “Let’s discuss the accident. C’mon, I’ll make a fire.” He had to touch her, so he placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her into the family room.
“Wow, that’s…well, that’s incredible.” She was staring at his waterfall wall, custom built into the wall of stone.
He turned on the ambient lights behind the water, flipped off the recessed lighting and said, “Fireplace on.” The gas flames roared to life.
Rather than sit on the sofa, she sat on the floor.
As he eased down beside her, exhaustion set in. Keeping her in his sights, he sipped his hot toddy. She, too, had been through a tense situation. All he cared about was making her feel better.
“Areyouokay?” he asked, caressing her back.
She regarded him, her gaze unwavering. “I wasn’t the one who got thrown fifty feet into the water.”
“But you had to haul me out.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I had wanted you to ride with me to the Applegates’. Since I don’t have a second inflatable jacket, I didn’t ask you, but I’m confident you would have refused me even if I did.” That made her smile and his heart picked up speed.She’s so beautiful.
“You know me pretty well.”
“Not well enough,” he said, cupping her chin.
The air around them turned electric as their mouths met in an explosive kiss. She dug her fingers into his hair, her tongue crashing against his. He tightened his hold around her as she climbed on his lap, straddling him. The desire to sink inside her turned him rock hard.
When the kiss ended, she didn’t move off him. “This is becoming a habit with us. Why is it that I cannot control myself around you?”
They were nose to nose, their breathing synchronized, their gazes locked on each other. “We’re clothed. I’m not inside you. I’d say you’re exhibiting plenty of control.”
The light shining from her eyes dimmed. “My reputation is already in the toilet. I’m your client and…this is business.”
“I don’t give a fuck about that. But I don’t have any condoms.”
“What?”
“I don’t invite women here.”
Her eyes widened. Then she shot him a sly smile. “So, my devious plan worked. A bike accident got me inside the castle.” Then, her smile waned. “That inflatable jacket came in handy.”
“Sure did. I’ve never wrecked my bike before.”
“Your record remains intact.” She sat beside him. “That was no accident.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We were being followed.”
He furrowed his brow, but said nothing.
