had actually looked forward to the day Rowdy would return and make good on the promise his kiss had made four years ago.
And she had known if he did, the possibility of just such a proposal would come. She had been ready for it. Prepared for it. What she hadn’t expected was the cold-blooded intention he had of using it to catch her rapist. As though the act no longer had anything to do with the two of them. As though the desire, the need and the hunger were a means to an end and nothing more. It was without feeling, without emotion. And God help her, whenever she was around Rowdy, she felt nothing but emotion.
-88-
NAUTI BUOY
Swirls of it. Lava-hot, lightning forks of sensation that rippled over her nerve endings, rendering even the air itself a caress against her sensitive flesh.
And emotions? Oh she didn’t even want to go there. Except she was already there. Arousal, uncertainty, fear of the unknown and a fear of losing the dream in the face of reality.
He was asking her to choose. She had wanted to be seduced.
She turned back to him, drawing in a slow, deep breath, her head lifting as she stared at the confident, cool countenance he presented to her.
“Get out of my bedroom.” She crossed her arms over her breasts, pressing her lips together as she glared at him. “I’m not one of the Nauti Boys playthings. And I’m not in the mood for games. Not yours or anyone else’s.”
She watched the surprise gleam in his eyes for just a second. For the first time in all the years she had known him, she had never surprised him, until now.
With a ripple of muscle, he moved from the bed, his gaze never leaving hers as he rose, coming to his feet and walking around the bed.
He was aroused. The thick length of his erection tented his sweatpants, drew her eyes and made her mouth water. She had fantasized about that erection. About all the things a woman could do with such a prime piece of flesh.
She let her eyes linger on the proof of that arousal before lifting them to his eyes again. He was close. So close she could smell the clean, male scent of him. Dial soap and heated male arousal.
She stood still as he stalked around her, the movements deliberate, predatory. Suddenly, he wasn’t the laid-back, patiently amused Rowdy
-89-
Lora Leigh
she had always known. She could feel the purpose, the male intent that poured from him.
Her breath caught as he paused behind her, his hand reaching up to allow his fingers to smooth her hair back over her shoulder, to bare the shell of her ear.
“You’re mine.” She jumped at his whispered response. “And, baby, I do like to play.” His hands ran down her arms, creating a friction of heat as she felt his lips at her shoulders. “I guess that makes you my playmate, if not my plaything.”
Her eyes widened a second before she jerked out of his hold, turning back to him furiously.
“I don’t think so.” She gave him a tight, angry smile.
Stupid male confidence, she fumed.
He tilted his head, the beginnings of a smile twitching at the corners of his lips.
“I could convince you.”
No doubt.
She snorted as though it weren’t possible. Unfortunately, he probably could convince her, but at what cost to her soul?
“Go get in your own bed, Rowdy. Don’t make me cause a scene. Ray wouldn’t like it.” She walked to hers, flipping back the blankets and moving into the comfort of the mattress, ignoring him as though he didn’t matter. “Good night.”
He chuckled, the sound washing through the room, the lazy humor of the sexual animal she knew he was. She looked back at him, fighting to control her breathing, the excitement and adrenaline surging through her.
“You’ve changed,” he murmured as he paced to the other side of the bed, staring down at her, aroused, determined.
-90-
NAUTI BUOY
“I haven’t changed at all, Rowdy.” She pulled the blankets to her waist as she sat propped against the pillows. “Perhaps you just never really knew me.”
And she had known if he did, the possibility of just such a proposal would come. She had been ready for it. Prepared for it. What she hadn’t expected was the cold-blooded intention he had of using it to catch her rapist. As though the act no longer had anything to do with the two of them. As though the desire, the need and the hunger were a means to an end and nothing more. It was without feeling, without emotion. And God help her, whenever she was around Rowdy, she felt nothing but emotion.
-88-
NAUTI BUOY
Swirls of it. Lava-hot, lightning forks of sensation that rippled over her nerve endings, rendering even the air itself a caress against her sensitive flesh.
And emotions? Oh she didn’t even want to go there. Except she was already there. Arousal, uncertainty, fear of the unknown and a fear of losing the dream in the face of reality.
He was asking her to choose. She had wanted to be seduced.
She turned back to him, drawing in a slow, deep breath, her head lifting as she stared at the confident, cool countenance he presented to her.
“Get out of my bedroom.” She crossed her arms over her breasts, pressing her lips together as she glared at him. “I’m not one of the Nauti Boys playthings. And I’m not in the mood for games. Not yours or anyone else’s.”
She watched the surprise gleam in his eyes for just a second. For the first time in all the years she had known him, she had never surprised him, until now.
With a ripple of muscle, he moved from the bed, his gaze never leaving hers as he rose, coming to his feet and walking around the bed.
He was aroused. The thick length of his erection tented his sweatpants, drew her eyes and made her mouth water. She had fantasized about that erection. About all the things a woman could do with such a prime piece of flesh.
She let her eyes linger on the proof of that arousal before lifting them to his eyes again. He was close. So close she could smell the clean, male scent of him. Dial soap and heated male arousal.
She stood still as he stalked around her, the movements deliberate, predatory. Suddenly, he wasn’t the laid-back, patiently amused Rowdy
-89-
Lora Leigh
she had always known. She could feel the purpose, the male intent that poured from him.
Her breath caught as he paused behind her, his hand reaching up to allow his fingers to smooth her hair back over her shoulder, to bare the shell of her ear.
“You’re mine.” She jumped at his whispered response. “And, baby, I do like to play.” His hands ran down her arms, creating a friction of heat as she felt his lips at her shoulders. “I guess that makes you my playmate, if not my plaything.”
Her eyes widened a second before she jerked out of his hold, turning back to him furiously.
“I don’t think so.” She gave him a tight, angry smile.
Stupid male confidence, she fumed.
He tilted his head, the beginnings of a smile twitching at the corners of his lips.
“I could convince you.”
No doubt.
She snorted as though it weren’t possible. Unfortunately, he probably could convince her, but at what cost to her soul?
“Go get in your own bed, Rowdy. Don’t make me cause a scene. Ray wouldn’t like it.” She walked to hers, flipping back the blankets and moving into the comfort of the mattress, ignoring him as though he didn’t matter. “Good night.”
He chuckled, the sound washing through the room, the lazy humor of the sexual animal she knew he was. She looked back at him, fighting to control her breathing, the excitement and adrenaline surging through her.
“You’ve changed,” he murmured as he paced to the other side of the bed, staring down at her, aroused, determined.
-90-
NAUTI BUOY
“I haven’t changed at all, Rowdy.” She pulled the blankets to her waist as she sat propped against the pillows. “Perhaps you just never really knew me.”
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