know I’ve been a handful for you lately, but when this settles, I promise everyone will know and we’ll get married as soon as possible.” She kissed his cheek, inhaling the masculine scent of musky aftershave that never failed to warm her senses. “I’m lucky to have you,” she murmured.
“And that’s what makes it all worthwhile, Raina.”
She looked into his eyes and smiled. “Now let’s go home and let me take care of you for a change.”
“I’d like nothing better.” He guided her toward the car, unlocking and holding open the door for her to sit inside.
“You know,” she said before he walked around to the driver’s side, “you’ve successfully managed to distract me from bothering Chase and Sloane.”
Eric chuckled. “But not for long, I imagine.” He winked and slammed the door shut tight.
On the ride home, he left her to her thoughts, which was a good thing since her mind swam with memories and possibilities. Who was the girl inside Chase’s house?
He hadn’t offered any useful information. In fact, he’d failed to mention Sloane’s last name during their introduction and Raina knew her son and his manners too well to believe it was an accidental omission. Sloane could very well be Jacqueline’s daughter. But why would she be looking for Samson? Raina didn’t recall them knowing each other back then.
Samson had been just a solitary young man with an unhappy family life. Now he was a loner, and a recluse who grew more bitter with each passing year. If Jacqueline’s daughter was here looking him up, there was a connection Raina hadn’t been aware of.
And the young woman deserved to be forewarned about the kind of man she’d find.
No sooner had Chase gotten rid of his mother, when he turned his devouring gaze Sloane’s way. “So you aren’t interested in me, huh?” He started across the hardwood floor.
She licked her dry lips. “I had a feeling you’d pick up on that line.” That was why she’d tossed it out in the first place. More to convince herself that she didn’t find the exhausted, disheveled, still-sooty-looking man too appealing. She’d failed in her attempt.
“Say it again, and this time, look me in the eye when you do.” He drew closer.
Instinctively, she backed up, not because she feared Chase, but because she feared herself and the certainty that she’d betray her instincts and common sense in favor of the desire and heated feelings he evoked. She stopped only when she reached the back wall.
“Say it.” He leaned an arm overhead, much as he had in the elevator that first night. “Say you’re not interested.”
“And then?” she asked, buying time.
“And then we’ll see if I believe you.”
Sloane swallowed hard. She needed to get out of here and find Samson. She figured she’d start with Crazy Eights. But first she’d have to ditch Chase, whom she felt certain wouldn’t let her go there alone. Which meant she had to be convincing in her rejection, when every fiber of her being screamed how much she wanted him.
She leaned against the hard wall for support and met his sexy blue gaze. “I’m not interested.”
To her surprise, a wry smile tilted his lips. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Her palms grew damp and only sheer force of will prevented her from wiping them on his shirt. Any excuse to touch him would do; then she could curl her fingers around the soft cotton and pull him closer, until the heat of their bodies singed the clothes they wore. A soft, little moan escaped the back of her throat and his eyes dilated with need.
“You don’t want me.” With his thumb, he began to stroke thesensitive flesh on her neck, pausing at her rapidly beating pulse. “Is that why you just made that little noise in the back of your throat? The same sound you made when I came inside you?”
She sucked in a startled breath. Even his words had an erotic, almost hypnotic effect on her. One she couldn’t afford right now. “What’s your point?”
“And that’s what makes it all worthwhile, Raina.”
She looked into his eyes and smiled. “Now let’s go home and let me take care of you for a change.”
“I’d like nothing better.” He guided her toward the car, unlocking and holding open the door for her to sit inside.
“You know,” she said before he walked around to the driver’s side, “you’ve successfully managed to distract me from bothering Chase and Sloane.”
Eric chuckled. “But not for long, I imagine.” He winked and slammed the door shut tight.
On the ride home, he left her to her thoughts, which was a good thing since her mind swam with memories and possibilities. Who was the girl inside Chase’s house?
He hadn’t offered any useful information. In fact, he’d failed to mention Sloane’s last name during their introduction and Raina knew her son and his manners too well to believe it was an accidental omission. Sloane could very well be Jacqueline’s daughter. But why would she be looking for Samson? Raina didn’t recall them knowing each other back then.
Samson had been just a solitary young man with an unhappy family life. Now he was a loner, and a recluse who grew more bitter with each passing year. If Jacqueline’s daughter was here looking him up, there was a connection Raina hadn’t been aware of.
And the young woman deserved to be forewarned about the kind of man she’d find.
No sooner had Chase gotten rid of his mother, when he turned his devouring gaze Sloane’s way. “So you aren’t interested in me, huh?” He started across the hardwood floor.
She licked her dry lips. “I had a feeling you’d pick up on that line.” That was why she’d tossed it out in the first place. More to convince herself that she didn’t find the exhausted, disheveled, still-sooty-looking man too appealing. She’d failed in her attempt.
“Say it again, and this time, look me in the eye when you do.” He drew closer.
Instinctively, she backed up, not because she feared Chase, but because she feared herself and the certainty that she’d betray her instincts and common sense in favor of the desire and heated feelings he evoked. She stopped only when she reached the back wall.
“Say it.” He leaned an arm overhead, much as he had in the elevator that first night. “Say you’re not interested.”
“And then?” she asked, buying time.
“And then we’ll see if I believe you.”
Sloane swallowed hard. She needed to get out of here and find Samson. She figured she’d start with Crazy Eights. But first she’d have to ditch Chase, whom she felt certain wouldn’t let her go there alone. Which meant she had to be convincing in her rejection, when every fiber of her being screamed how much she wanted him.
She leaned against the hard wall for support and met his sexy blue gaze. “I’m not interested.”
To her surprise, a wry smile tilted his lips. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Her palms grew damp and only sheer force of will prevented her from wiping them on his shirt. Any excuse to touch him would do; then she could curl her fingers around the soft cotton and pull him closer, until the heat of their bodies singed the clothes they wore. A soft, little moan escaped the back of her throat and his eyes dilated with need.
“You don’t want me.” With his thumb, he began to stroke thesensitive flesh on her neck, pausing at her rapidly beating pulse. “Is that why you just made that little noise in the back of your throat? The same sound you made when I came inside you?”
She sucked in a startled breath. Even his words had an erotic, almost hypnotic effect on her. One she couldn’t afford right now. “What’s your point?”
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