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“It makes sense now that you mention it, that Forrester could be behind the trouble,” she said. “You convinced me.”
“Hallelujah,” I teased. “I didn’t think anyone could convince you of anything.”
“Right. I’m so terrifying,” she said. “I get intimidating almost as much as I get honey.”
“You’d think people would be embarrassed to say they were intimidated,” I shrugged.
“They’re more into embarrassing me if they can,” she said ruefully. “Like I should be ashamed that I know my job and I’m not afraid to stand up for what I want.”
“That’s nothing to be ashamed of. If it’s off-putting, that means people are insecure.”
“Like you? Because you don’t seem insecure. You seem cocky, and like you think I’m just super annoying and always getting in your way.”
“You are,” I grinned, “that doesn’t mean I don’t like fighting with you. Nothing like a good opponent.” I felt the heat between us and didn’t even try to deny it.
She looked surprised. She stood up to take her glass to the kitchen and tripped on my foot. I laughed and caught her as she tipped forward. Once I had my hands on her, there was no turning back. I pulled her into my lap, noticing what a luscious armful she was. Having the warm scent of her, the salt of her skin and the dark sweep of her lashes so close to me just overwhelmed me completely.
“I got you,” I said. My voice sounded low and deep, more so than usual. Like it was difficult to form words and speak them when I was so aroused that my brain was operating on too little blood supply. I thought for a moment she might laugh at me, say I sounded like some cheesy R&B singer coming on to her. But she didn’t laugh. She lifted her eyes to mine for a heartbeat, and I caught my breath. Holding her this way and meeting her eyes—it was too much, a shock to my system like pretty soon this power surge would trip a breaker or my brain would go offline completely.
Nicole sat on my lap, the weight of her on my thighs and the softness of her cheek when I bumped my nose against it, nuzzling her a little. It was better than anything I’d imagined. She swayed a little, and my hand splayed over her thigh. I liked having an armful of her, liked the fact that when I slanted my mouth over hers, I felt all the tension leave her body. She melted into me, molding to my chest and in my arms. She wound an arm around my neck, tucking in closer to me.
“Nicole,” I said, and she smiled, a soft, heated smile. I didn’t think I’d ever called her by her name before.
“Don’t worry,” she said, “I’m not drunk. I had one beer. And no one has ever accused me of being indecisive. I know what I want.”
“I’ve wanted you like this, for as long as I can remember.”
“You don’t even like me,” she laughed, the sound light and lovely.
“I didn’t like you for a long time. I wanted you anyway.”
She met my eyes and smiled. Then she kissed the corner of my mouth softly. My whole body flared at her touch. I captured her lips with mine and nipped and sucked, giving her a teasing, sexy kisses. She made a sound. I swear to God, the woman growled, rose up on my lap, her knees straddling my legs. She fit herself against me, and I broke the kiss, my head going back. It was shock and ecstasy, fitting together with her like that, even with our clothes between us, the way it felt being cradled between her strong thighs, the heat of her, the scent of her overwhelming me.
“Jesus, Nicole,” I breathed, sounding throttled. “Warn a man before you show him paradise, could you? You damn near killed me just now.”
“Don’t worry,” she purred. “I know how to bring you back.”
Her hands slid under my shirt. I swore savagely, my body bucking at the slightest scrape of her nails on my stomach.
“That’s blasphemy,” she teased, kissing my jaw.
“I should’ve given you a beer weeks ago,” I managed to choke out.
“Are you saying I’m tightly wound?” she asked archly. Then she sucked my neck and I didn’t say anything at all.
It felt so good, letting her touch me, but I was done letting her take the lead. I knew just how to put a stop to it, flip the power dynamic. I rolled my hips beneath her, letting the hard ridge of my erection rub between her legs. Her head whipped back, hands braced on my shoulders. Her eyes dropped shut and she ground out a word.
“Now who’s swearing like a sailor on leave?” I laughed, flipping her onto her back on the couch.
