Dark and Deadly 00 - Secrets Exposed by Lisa Renée Jones Page A

to come passed between them and gave her a rush of pure heat. And it empowered her. This take-charge man was now here, under her control, and she liked it.
    She bent her head, and let her lips linger above his, feeling the warmth of his breath as it touched her mouth. But she didn’t kiss him. Instead, she trailed her lips along his jaw, and then further to his neck, her nose flaring with his very male, very provocative smell.
    Moving her lips near his ear, she whispered, “Why, Mark?” She flicked his earlobe with her tongue before leaning back to see his face. “Why do you want me? I want to know.”
    His hands settled on her cheeks, his eyes holding hers. “You want to know why, Lindsey?”
    “Yes, tell me.” Her voice had a breathless quality.
    His voice was a deep, sensual play on her nerve endings. “It’s way beyond your looks, but I think you know that.”
    She didn’t say anything. Couldn’t. He simply took her by storm. Her intention had been to take control of this night. Instead, it felt more as if she had given it away. But it wasn’t a bad feeling like it had been in the past. With Mark, it felt . . . different.
    “But you know you’re beautiful,” he said as his thumb moved across her bottom lip. “I know you do.”
    Her lashes fluttered to her cheeks. She hated being told she was attractive. The corporate world had taught about politics and manipulation, and often looks played a key role. She hated it. “No,” she whispered.
    “Look at me,” he said gently. She forced her eyes to meet his. “How can you say no?”
    She wasn’t going to explain. “Kiss me,” she said instead.
    He seemed as if he might refuse, but then his hands were in her hair, his lips pressed to hers, warm and wonderful, making her forget the past, and the future. Now was all that mattered. Their lips connected first, pressed together as if they were absorbing the very essence of the other. She felt the moment in every inch of her body. Her nipples tightened, and her body seemed to melt.
    Then his tongue slid into her mouth, sliding against hers in a slow move meant to savor, not tease. One stroke after the next, they tasted one another, slow and hot. His hands slid beneath her shirt, and along her back. Her hands moved from his shoulders, to his neck, to his chest, pressing against him as their kisses seemed to deepen, their bodies molding together just as their mouths were.
    Her need for him intensified, and her hands moved along the fine lines of his muscular body, and settled at his tie. “Take it off,” she whispered against his lips, and then leaned back to make eye contact. “And the shirt.”
    He reached for the knot, his stare bold, and fierce with passion. “You too,” he said.
    “You first,” she responded, grabbing hold of the moments of control she could. Something told her with Mark, she would have to take them where she could get them. She reached for his buttons, starting with the bottom ones. He pulled his tie from his collar as she said, “I’ll help.”
    His hands fell to his sides as he willingly let her take over the task. There was a huge part of her that wanted to grab the shirt and rip the buttons loose. Another wanted to savor each inch of skin as it was exposed. Dark hair ran from his belt to his navel and she ran her finger over it, eager to explore. The action seemed to make him grow impatient, and he finished off the buttons. She shoved the material aside, fingers flattening on his chest, feeling the soft hair that invited her touch.
    “Now you,” he said, his hands going to hers. “Now you.” This time there was a challenge, even a dare, in his voice. As if he thought she was afraid to act.
    She reached for the bottom of her shirt, and, in one easy move, pulled it over her head, tossing it to the floor. His eyes dropped to her breasts, and without looking she could feel her nipples pucker against the thin ivory lace, responding to his stare as they might his touch. Or perhaps