Wilde Nights in Paradise (A Wilde Security Novel) (Entangled Brazen) by Tonya Burrows Page A

signify?
    Sam lay on the far arm of the couch by Jude’s head, curled up, his green eyes focused with unblinking intent on Jude. Maybe the cat was plotting his demise after all. The two got along about as well as cops and criminals. Still, she was inexplicably pleased to see them sharing the same piece of furniture without incident.
    If Jude didn’t notice Sam on the couch with him, he must be sound asleep. So maybe she could sneak up, take a better look at that tattoo of his…
    Just a quick peek. He’d never even know.
    On quick, silent feet, she tiptoed around to the other side of the couch and leaned over the back. No movement from him, not even a finger twitch. Oh, yeah, she could march the entire beach crowd through the living room right now, and he wouldn’t have the slightest idea.
    Out. Cold.
    She tugged lightly at the hem of his T-shirt, exposing another inch of bronzed skin, then another—
    And before she drew her next breath, he grabbed her, flipped her over the back of the couch and had her pinned under him. She squeaked in alarm, and as the fog of sleep cleared from his eyes, he loosened his grip.
    “What were you doing?” he demanded, sleep still coating his voice in rust.
    “I was only checking to see if you were awake.”
    “By stripping me?” He yawned and rubbed his free hand over his face. “Huh. Interesting way to wake a guy. I feel kinda violated.”
    “Liar.” Flustered, she struggled against his hold. The twinkle in his no-longer-sleepy eyes proved he was enjoying this too much. Great. What a way to give him more ammunition. “Let me up.”
    He pretended to think about it for all of a half second. “Nuh-uh. I like you under me.” His hips pressed into hers, and the bulge of his erection prodded her through her skirt, hit just the right spot. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from moaning, but her body still betrayed her, arching up to meet his.
    A smile inched up one side of his lips. “ You like you under me.”
    With his hand still on her neck, his thumb stroking back and forth over her pulse point, there was no way he couldn’t feel the way her blood pressure spiked at his words.
    “You know I do, dammit. But I told you—”
    “One night. Yeah.” He grumbled something under his breath, but finally rolled off her and gained his feet. Hands resting on his lean hips, his body still very aroused, he stared down at her. “You are the most frustrating woman I know.”
    “Wow. That’s saying something, since you’ve known scores of them.”
    His jaw clenched together so hard she heard his back teeth grind. Without another word, he snapped up his phone from the end table and walked away.
    Dammit. Libby sighed at herself and straightened, running her fingers through her tangled hair. Through the window, she watched him sit down on one of the loungers by the pool and check the screen of his phone. She’d only meant to aggravate him. His numerous sexual conquests bothered her, so of course, she had to keep picking away at them like a child picks at a scab.
    What she couldn’t understand is why her mentioning his love life always seemed to hurt his feelings, too.
    …
    Three missed calls from Reece. And one from GQ, Colonel Pruitt’s uppity lawyer.
    Jude blew out a breath. Just what he didn’t want to deal with right now when he had a raging case of blue balls and the only woman he wanted thought he was nothing more than man-whore.
    He stole a glance inside the house, but Libby had left the living room and was nowhere to be seen.
    Something had to give there. He didn’t know what, but they couldn’t keep going on like they had been.
    He should talk to her. Talking had never had been something he was particularly good at or fond of—at least not when it came to the serious kind of talking that started or ended relationships, the kind that got messy with all sorts of emotion.
    And speaking of messy…
    He stared down at his phone, then hit the speed dial before he