Scent of a Woman by Joanne Rock Page A

Rome.

    Groaning with need, he hauled her up into his lap, seating her crossways so that her legs sprawled out along the seat beside him. Her hair draped down on either side of her face, curtaining their kiss and releasing the scent of fruity shampoo. He smoothed one side behind her shoulder, needing to see his hand on her body as he touched her.

    “One question has been driving me crazy all week.” He slipped his hand into the slit at the side of her dress, the fabric already parting to reveal toned calves tanned from their day on Capri.

    “You wish to know the secret of my perfume success?” she teased, shifting in his lap so that her skirt slid farther up her legs.

    “I’m sure my brother wishes I were that dedicated to work.” He tugged her lower lip into his mouth and feasted for a long moment before he released it again. “I’m dying to know what kind of lingerie a sexy perfumer likes to wear.”

    “You naughty man,” she chided, undoing the knot in his tie. “I believe you were thinking about my underwear when I was trying so hard to teach you about distinguishing scents.”

    “Maybe the desire to find out more about your panties made me want to be a better student. I think the incentive of getting you naked one day really helped my learning curve in the fragrance department.” He fingered a sensitive spot behind her knee that made her breath catch.

    “You are lying to me already and we’ve only known each other five days.” She bent her knee farther, making her hem slide up until only the tops of her thighs remained covered by the purple silk. “And I was ready to believe you really needed my help.”

    “I do need you,” he assured her, grateful for the tinted windows that gave them privacy despite the daylight. They’d entered the outskirts of Rome and foot traffic slowed the pace of the limo as it made its way along the narrow roads.

    Danielle flexed her fingers against Adam’s broad chest, his words wrapping around her as seductively as his touch.

    He needed her.

    She knew the phrase might be just a general statement of physical desire, but to her it meant more. She felt the same need, and there was nothing remotely generic about it. Her thirst for Adam was far more than some random sexual itch. She longed for him at a deeper level, aching to connect with him, fearing she would fall apart if she didn’t fulfill the need. Her fingers flew over his shirt buttons, her whole body reacting instinctively as she unveiled his bare chest to her touch.

    “There is such vitality in American men,” she observed to herself as much as him, marveling at the sinew and muscle beneath his heated flesh. “You accused me of having a sensuous nature, but I see this is where you indulge your physical side. You, monsieur, are an athlete.”

    She traced the lines that separated his abdominal muscles, the rock-hard plates lining up into six neat compartments. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back against the seat as she touched him, and it pleased her to know she could affect him that way.

    “Work can be stressful.” He reached out to imprison her fingers for a moment as he stared at her, his breathing shallow. “The gym is a good place to work off that stress in a socially acceptable way.”

    “Ah.” She nodded her understanding and wriggled her fingers free again. “You need a release.”

    “Yes.” He slipped his hands beneath her hair and pulled her to him.

    She paused when they were nose-to-nose, breathing one another’s air.

    “I have an idea for a release you’re going to like much more.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

    D ANIELLE HADN’T REALIZED how much time had passed during those kisses until the driver’s voice startled her right off Adam’s lap.
    “I can’t take you any farther, sir, unless you would like me to take you to another park?”

    She realized the limo had stopped as she tried to calm her unsteady heart. Her lips were swollen, her hair spilling untidily around her