"I'm not busy, Mallory, I'm just hot and sweaty. Come sit in the living room and make yourself comfortable. I'll be back before you know it.”
A confusing mixture of emotions swept through her. “Okay, I'll wait for you to finish,” she finally said.
He smiled. “Thanks.”
He led the way and she followed appreciating how good he looked from behind. And if she remembered correctly. . . and she was sure that she did, she knew that his front wasn't so bad either. In fact it was the best although she hadn't had anything else to compare it with. But she couldn't imagine anyone being better than Hunter. From the first time they had made love he made her feel completely sexy and he could arouse every inch of her with just one heated look.
She blinked, noticed he had stopped to turn around and his mouth was moving. She blinked again. “I'm sorry, what did you say?
He looked at her for a long moment and then he smiled again. “I said I want to clear the air about something else. About yesterday . . .”
She swallowed deeply before asking, “What about yesterday?”
"That question I asked you at Rowdy's that upset you.”
Mallory stiffened, recalling exactly what he'd asked her. “Yes, what about it?”
"I need to apologize. I was out of line. I had no right asking you something like that and I knew it. I guess six months going without can make a person kind of crazy.”
Mallory raised a brow. “What are you talking about?”
"Nothing more than the simple fact that I haven't slept with a woman since we broke up and I'm still going through withdrawal.”
Mallory sucked in a breath. Hunter's words caught her off guard. She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you trying to tell me that you haven't slept with anyone in six months?”
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you.”
She shook her head, not believing a word he'd said. Hunter was too much of a passionate man to go without sex for that long. “And what about your dinner date the other night?”
"My date was my aunt Judith, Mallory. She had invited me to dinner and I accepted. Like I said, I haven't shared a bed with anyone since we split.”
Mallory's skin began sizzling beneath the blouse she was wearing and fire began stirring in her stomach as she held his gaze. “B—but why?”
He leaned against the sofa and crossed his arms over his chest and stood in a pose that looked as serious as it could get. “I haven't gotten over you yet,” he said as if those words explained everything.
Well they didn't. Her eyes widened. “You haven't gotten over me yet?”
"No.”
Mallory stared across the room at him, not knowing what to say. The dark, brooding eyes holding hers were not happy and a part of her felt giddy at the thought that although he had been the one to make the decision to end their affair, memories of how good they'd been together plagued him.
"And I wouldn't get all that happy about it if I were you.”
She tilted her head to the side and gazed at him. “Excuse me?”
"I said don't get all that happy about the fact that I haven't gotten over you yet because I have a very strong feeling you haven't gotten over me either.”
With those final words he turned and walked out of the room.
Hunter walked into his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He hadn't meant to say those things to Mallory. He should have thought clearly before opening his mouth and telling her he still hadn't gotten over her. Now she would think he definitely had a thing for her.
He cursed softly when he had to inwardly admit that he did have a thing for her. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman and since their breakup, he had literally lost his appetite for anyone other than her. His shoulders relaxed as he let his breath out. Maybe it wasn't so bad to let her know where he stood. That way she would know exactly where he was coming from and right where he intended to go. He began stripping off his clothes as he headed for the shower. He glanced at the bed before entering his bathroom and thought that would be a great place to start.
Like he had told her, he believed she wasn't over him yet either. It was there in her eyes whenever she looked at him. He had been her lover long enough to know deep longing and desire within her when he saw it. He hadn't paid any attention to it yesterday at Rowdy's but here in his house, in his domain where he had made love to her many times, he felt it and was attuned to it. There was no way he was overreacting to the situation. Mallory wanted him as much as he wanted her and as soon as he took his shower he intended to prove it. Oh yeah, he would show her those pictures, and then he would show her something else. He wanted her to see just what a bad state he was in. He needed to make love to her. She needed to make love to him.
They needed to make love to each other.
Mallory nervously paced around Hunter's living room. She paused for a moment and blew out a breath as she tried to steady her emotions. Hunter had been able to read her so clearly. He could tell that she had not gotten over him but what he didn't know was why. She loved him.
She couldn't help but wonder what was his reason for not getting over her. Oh sure, the sex between them had been good but he had dated plenty of other women before her and she hadn't been much of an expert in the bedroom. In fact he had taught her a lot of his preferred techniques. So what was the deal with him? She wasn't the one who had run away from a relationship that had started getting serious. He had.
Deciding Hunter was a puzzle she didn't want to figure out at the moment, she made a vain attempt to distract herself from the tingling that was going on throughout her body. She glanced around the room to see if he had changed anything since the last time she had visited.
Everything looked the same. She remembered the first time she had spent the night with him here. They had gone to a movie and he had invited her back to his home for ice cream. They never did eat the ice cream because the moment the door had closed behind them they had begun stripping naked.
"Sorry, if I took long.”
She quickly glanced up when Hunter reentered the room. She studied him, accessed him. He had changed into a pair of cut-off jeans and a tank top and boy did he look good. He radiated, energy, vitality, and sensuality. She knew at that moment she needed to take care of what she'd come for and leave as quickly as possible.
"You weren't long at all. Can I see the pictures now?”
"Sure, let's go into my office.”
Again, he led the way and she followed. He pulled out the chair to his desk. “Come on and sit down and I'll turn the computer on and get things started.”
She nodded and took a seat at his desk. When he leaned over her to boot up the computer she took a deep breath. The aroma of his aftershave was doing crazy things to her body parts. Her heart began beating faster. He appeared big leaning down so close to her like he was. He was so close all she'd had to do was to stick out her tongue to lick the side of his face and she was tempted to do just that.
"That should do it,” he said softly, close to her ear.
She blinked and noticed his computer was now on and several pictures were on the screen, all of Lewis. One showed him walking into the hotel, the other of him at the check-in desk with the receptionist handing him a passkey. Then there was the one of him walking out of the gift shop with a bouquet of flowers in his hand, and the last frame showed him getting out the elevator minus the flowers with a huge smile on his face.
Mallory frowned, disappointed, and leaned back in her chair, “So, what do you think?”
"Umm, what I think doesn't matter. What do you think?” Hunter asked her.
She glanced back at the pictures. “I would say it looks like he's involved in an affair.”
Hunter raised his eyes to the ceiling. “You need more evidence than this, Mallory. There still may be a plausible reason behind what he's doing.”
She rubbed her upper arms as if to ward off a chill when in essence the roo
m felt hot, especially with Hunter's close proximity. And it didn't help matters that her heart was pumping hard. He hadn't moved an inch and was still standing next to the chair. “Come on, Hunter, the hotel, the flowers, the smile. What other proof do I need?” she asked, tipping her head back to look at him.
"The identity of the woman would be nice.” He moved to sit down on the edge of the desk. “Look, Mallory, I know those photos may look pretty damn damaging, but until you actually see him and this alleged woman together you really don't have a case. If he's involved in an affair it's apparent this female is in a hotel room waiting when he arrives. And it seems he's not using the same hotel, maybe for fear of being seen or recognized. That will make it hard to set any kind of trap for him beforehand since I have no idea what hotel he may be using next or when he'll be using it.”
Mallory nodded, knowing Hunter was right. She needed a female's face to go along with her accusations, otherwise it would continue to be sheer speculation on her part. “I want to be there when it's discovered who she is, Hunter.”
He lifted a brow and looked surprised. “Why?”
"Because it might be someone Barbara knows—a neighbor, a coworker, a person she considers a friend.”
Hunter wondered if her request had anything to do with what her father had done to her mother. She had shared with him one night that the woman her father had had an affair with had been a coworker, a person who had befriended her mother. “I'm not sure that's a good idea, Mallory.”
She frowned. “Why?”
"Things could get messy.”
Mallory's eyes narrowed. “The way I see it, things are going to get messy anyway when I tell Barbara what I've found out.”
"Which at the moment is nothing,” Hunter reminded her.
Anger fired through her. “I happen to think it's something.”
He leaned toward her, so close their lips almost touched. “Are you willing to destroy your sister's happiness on these few pictures, Mallory? What if there's a good reason for what he's doing and it has nothing to do with being unfaithful to your sister? There're too many what-ifs until you have more proof,” he said angling his mouth a little closer to hers. His hand fell to her nape and his fingers skimmed softly through her hair.
"I know how much finding out the truth means to you and you've hired me to find out what you need to know. I think doing things my way is the best way,” he murmured softly.
Mallory inhaled deep and found herself saying. “All right, I will.” His touch was electric and her mind was more on what he was doing than what he was saying. Her brain was becoming muddled as heat skittered up her spine. At that moment she became keenly aware of just how close their faces were. They were so close she could feel the tantalizing sweetness of his breath fan across her lips. He slowly inched a little closer and she couldn't help herself when her lips parted and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth.
He immediately went after her tongue, tasting it, gently sucking, taking control of it and sending desire all through her body. Hunter was an ace at doing wicked things with his tongue and he was doing them now. He was proving a point. He hadn't gotten over her yet. It was there in the way he was kissing her, making a combination of pleasure and heat rip into her. And when he stood and pulled her up from the chair, her eyes fluttered close and she wrapped her arms around his waist. He began exploring her body as his hands moved over the lower part of her back, her hips, and her behind. His arousal was huge and pressed hard against her middle and when she moved her hips against him and felt the heat continue to build to intensity level between her legs, she realized he was proving another point.
She hadn't gotten over him either.
The kiss was destined to last forever and when she began whimpering in need, he let go of her mouth and moved his lips to her ear. “I want you. I need you, Mallory,” he whispered. His words, as well as his hot breath, made her shiver in his arms.
Mallory sighed deeply and tipped her head back to gaze into his eyes. She might regret her decision in the morning but at that moment, she needed him like she had never needed him before. She wanted to touch him, run her hands all over him, especially along the hard erection that was pressing against her belly. She wanted him on top of her, inside of her, thrusting in and out. She needed the degree of ecstasy she could find only with him. When his hips moved against her with deliberate attempt, letting her feel what she was doing to him, she knew she had to have him the same way he had to have her. Total and complete.
Her pulse quickened and she groaned inwardly. Tonight, for a few brief hours, she longed to be the woman to tame the untamable Hunter.
Deciding to be daring and handle him the same way she'd always done, which was to meet him on his turbulent and oftentimes naughty level, she reached up and cupped his face in her palms and began teasing at his lips with her tongue. She felt his erection get harder, bigger, and took some satisfaction in knowing she was driving him as crazy as he was driving her.
Her hands moved from his face and slowly grazed over his shoulders. As she continued licking his lips, she was surrounded by his scent. It was a scent she had missed, a scent that was pushing her off the edge by sending shivers through her and turning her on even more.
Then suddenly as if his restraint broke, he took things over and kissed her, putting an end to her teasing. He kissed her like doing so was his top priority, the only thing he wanted in life. The feeling was great, intoxicating and she began trembling with anticipation. When he suddenly pulled back, the deep chocolate- colored eyes that met hers made her shudder that much more.
"Stay with me tonight,” he whispered in a voice so sexy, more heat began flowing around in her belly. “Please, say you'll stay.”
She swallowed hard, her decision made. Leaning up on tiptoes she met his gaze and whispered, “Yes, Hunter, I'll stay.”
6
.
Upon hearing Mallory's words, Hunter released a low, throaty groan and swept her off her feet and up into his arms, wasting no time carrying her to his bedroom. Not wanting to place her on the bed just yet, he placed her back on her feet, loving the feel of her body sliding down his.
He reached down and grabbed her thigh, pulling her body closer to him, wanting her to again feel his need for her. He had never wanted a woman with this much intensity in his life and a part of him wanted her to know that. He wanted to do more than just seduce her, or satisfy his desires with her, he wanted to take her, heart to heart, body to body, and soul to soul, and as mad as it sounded for him, Hunter Sloan, a man known to take what he wanted and not look back, it was a revelation he didn't under- stand. He was beginning to realize that when it came to Mallory Standish he had a crazy streak. And the craziest thing at the moment was his need to see the color of her panties.
He leaned down and began kissing her, as his hand got busy raising her skirt up her hips. He then slid his hand underneath and pulled her backside to him as his hand touched her lacy panties.
A growl erupted in his throat when his fingers came into contact with the scrap of lace and when she began moving against him, heat began building at the tip of his erection and going all the way to the bottom of his feet. In a desperate need, his fingers tugged at the lace at her hip and when he dragged his mouth from hers he took a step back.
She was wearing a pair of mint-green panties.
His breath caught. “You are so beautiful,” he said, barely able to breathe as he got down on his knees to remove her skirt and then her panties. He was aching to touch her, was desperate to taste her. After she was completely bare below the waist, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against her stomach and inhaled deeply, needing the scent of her in his nostrils.
He heard the tiny sigh that slipped from her lips when he began dragging his mouth across her stomach, tasting her with the tip of his tongue. His mouth moved lower, to the very essence of her and he kissed her there as if the taste of her could somehow satisfy the hunger that was raging within him.
It seemed that his brain shut down to the sounds she was making—her groans, her whimpers. The only thing he could concentrate on was ravishing her over and over again as his hand, tight and firm on her legs, held her to him greedily devouring all of her. He wanted Mallory to feel everything he was feeling. By the time their bodies joined he wanted her to know how much he had missed this, had missed her.
When he heard her scream out her orgasm he tightened his hold on her, his kiss plunging deeper, harder, and more intense. Only when he felt she was too weak to stand did he pull back, taking his mouth away and tilting his head back to meet her gaze.
"Now I want to get inside of you,” he whispered, slowly standing. “And I want to stay there all night. My body has been starving for you, Mallory, and it wants to be fed.”
He reached down and touched the area between her legs where he had kissed. “You're wet and hot and we haven't even gotten started yet,” he said as he began removing her blouse to reveal, not surprisingly, a mint-green lace bra. Without wasting any time he removed that as well and smiled when he saw how the tips of her breasts were firm and ready for him to devour as well. He leaned forward, opened his mouth and captured one nipple in his grasp, making provocative sounds of enjoyment while he did so, determined to get his fill.
"Hunter.” The sound from her lips was soft; it trembled with a need he totally recognized and had definitely missed hearing.
He stopped his torment and met her gaze. “Let me make love to you all night long, Mallory. Let me give you pleasure by loving you in every way known to man, in ways man hasn't discoveredyet.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I want you bad, Mallory. Feel me.”
He heard her soft gasp when he leaned forward and his erection pressed against her naked body as if seeking a way out of his jeans and inside of her. Satisfied she'd gotten a good idea of the degree of his desire, he stepped back and they stared at each other for a long moment.
An All Night Man Page 4
