turquoise-and-silver-hammered tips, crisscrossed to the top and swung as she walked. Ah well, she’d wear them at the next opportunity.
Pepper straightened the wide leather belt that rested low on her hips and combed her fingers through her hair, trying to create a sexy flip so it fell across her shoulder. She held her breath and waited.
The door remained unanswered. Were they having sex? The thought chilled her, but she needed the damn key. She raised her hand and knocked again, this time with more assurance, the sound of her knuckles loud on the door. She waited. What if he didn’t answer at all? Her mind tripped over itself, creating all sorts of scenarios of what could be happening behind the door and where she would sleep if he didn’t answer. So when the door opened she wasn’t prepared and nearly jumped out of her skin. Pepper’s breath snagged in her chest. There he stood in all his glory, looking devilishly sexy.
He was bare-chested with white cotton lounge pants, the kind he wore when they were at the beach. They were tied at the waist and slung low on his hips, the bulge behind the fabric at the front drawing her gaze like a magnet. She swallowed and looked higher, and her throat constricted. She feasted her eyes on him. He was tanned, although not as dark as he used to be. And his muscles were so much more defined. A few new tattoos inked on his body were very artfully placed. They enhanced his physique and her gaze was led on a merry chase as it crawled over the designs etched onto his chest, side, and hip.
Her fingers ached to trace the inked design that emerged from the waistband and fanned in strong arcs over his belly, then up his side to curl around his shoulder. She balled her fists to keep from reaching out. That tantalizing muscled ridge running from his waist to his hip bone was like a siren’s song to her fingers. It sported a thinner more delicate inked trail of tempting enticement. Her mouth went dry when her gaze fell across his six-pack belly and roved higher to his wide chest. He hadn’t succumbed to removing his chest hair like so many men. Pepper couldn’t breathe as she devoured his spectacular broad chest and powerful arms. It made her want to jump right into them. Good God, he was gorgeous. Finally meeting his gaze, she let her breath out and sucked in much-needed oxygen.
A crooked grin curved his lips. He raised his arm and rested his hand over the top of the door. Tank’s muscles flexed, rippling and dancing under his taught flesh. All thought fled Pepper’s brain and she couldn’t remember why was she there.
“Hi.” The deep timbre of his voice filled the hall. Her heart tumbled and her blood raced a little hotter through her veins.
“T-Tank. Sorry, I uh—” She swallowed, suddenly forgetting how to speak. “Ah…forgot the key.”
“Did you, now.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. He shifted his weight to the opposite foot in a fluid and completely entrancing movement then, stepped aside. Pepper took it as an invitation to come in. She walked past him and the heady scent of his maleness slowed her as if she’d stepped into a wall of liquid passion. Pepper struggled to put one foot in front of the other. Was she in an underwater dream? No matter how hard she tried, her body refused to do as she bid. Looking at him from behind the sweep of her hair, she saw a bit of emotion flicking in the vortex of his deep blue eyes. Her belly fluttered and she dug her fingers into her legs. The temptation to reach out and touch him was almost more than she could resist. Pepper looked away from him and into the apartment, remembering that Olivia was likely here. She craned her neck to see if she could see her.
“I’m alone.” He’d come up behind her, his voice soft and low. Pepper spun like a top and faced him. She sucked in a squeak of surprise at how close he was to her. Close enough that she could feel his heat. The sizzle of air between them was almost palpable.
Pepper straightened the wide leather belt that rested low on her hips and combed her fingers through her hair, trying to create a sexy flip so it fell across her shoulder. She held her breath and waited.
The door remained unanswered. Were they having sex? The thought chilled her, but she needed the damn key. She raised her hand and knocked again, this time with more assurance, the sound of her knuckles loud on the door. She waited. What if he didn’t answer at all? Her mind tripped over itself, creating all sorts of scenarios of what could be happening behind the door and where she would sleep if he didn’t answer. So when the door opened she wasn’t prepared and nearly jumped out of her skin. Pepper’s breath snagged in her chest. There he stood in all his glory, looking devilishly sexy.
He was bare-chested with white cotton lounge pants, the kind he wore when they were at the beach. They were tied at the waist and slung low on his hips, the bulge behind the fabric at the front drawing her gaze like a magnet. She swallowed and looked higher, and her throat constricted. She feasted her eyes on him. He was tanned, although not as dark as he used to be. And his muscles were so much more defined. A few new tattoos inked on his body were very artfully placed. They enhanced his physique and her gaze was led on a merry chase as it crawled over the designs etched onto his chest, side, and hip.
Her fingers ached to trace the inked design that emerged from the waistband and fanned in strong arcs over his belly, then up his side to curl around his shoulder. She balled her fists to keep from reaching out. That tantalizing muscled ridge running from his waist to his hip bone was like a siren’s song to her fingers. It sported a thinner more delicate inked trail of tempting enticement. Her mouth went dry when her gaze fell across his six-pack belly and roved higher to his wide chest. He hadn’t succumbed to removing his chest hair like so many men. Pepper couldn’t breathe as she devoured his spectacular broad chest and powerful arms. It made her want to jump right into them. Good God, he was gorgeous. Finally meeting his gaze, she let her breath out and sucked in much-needed oxygen.
A crooked grin curved his lips. He raised his arm and rested his hand over the top of the door. Tank’s muscles flexed, rippling and dancing under his taught flesh. All thought fled Pepper’s brain and she couldn’t remember why was she there.
“Hi.” The deep timbre of his voice filled the hall. Her heart tumbled and her blood raced a little hotter through her veins.
“T-Tank. Sorry, I uh—” She swallowed, suddenly forgetting how to speak. “Ah…forgot the key.”
“Did you, now.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. He shifted his weight to the opposite foot in a fluid and completely entrancing movement then, stepped aside. Pepper took it as an invitation to come in. She walked past him and the heady scent of his maleness slowed her as if she’d stepped into a wall of liquid passion. Pepper struggled to put one foot in front of the other. Was she in an underwater dream? No matter how hard she tried, her body refused to do as she bid. Looking at him from behind the sweep of her hair, she saw a bit of emotion flicking in the vortex of his deep blue eyes. Her belly fluttered and she dug her fingers into her legs. The temptation to reach out and touch him was almost more than she could resist. Pepper looked away from him and into the apartment, remembering that Olivia was likely here. She craned her neck to see if she could see her.
“I’m alone.” He’d come up behind her, his voice soft and low. Pepper spun like a top and faced him. She sucked in a squeak of surprise at how close he was to her. Close enough that she could feel his heat. The sizzle of air between them was almost palpable.
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