“That sounds logical.”
“But I want to be there. I need to be there.”
Picking up his wineglass, Lexi poured him another drink. Grabbing the platter she’d prepared, she brought both with her. “Why don’t we sit and talk. It’ll distract you.”
His hands clenched and unclenched. She could practically see the war going on inside him—go or stay.
His conflicted gaze landed on her. He took the glass she held out to him and downed it in one long gulp. She thought about offering him hers as well, but decided better not.
“You’re a good son.” Her soft words floated between them.
“Old habits die hard. It’s been the three of us since I was nine.” His voice was harsh. “There’s nothing I can do. I don’t know what to do.”
Holding out the platter, Lexi said, “Have some chocolate. It always makes everything better.”
Brett picked one up between his fingers and popped it into his mouth. And then he took another. And another.
Lexi watched his mouth move and his throat work. She had no idea when the mood around them shifted. One moment she was worried about him and he was restlessly upset. And then the atmosphere changed, and the only thing between them was the snap of heat.
Maybe it wasn’t surprising. Brett needed a release and she and her chocolates were easy outlets. He licked a stray smear of chocolate from his fingertips. A tingle crackled down her spine and across the back of her thighs.
She could have pulled away. But she didn’t. If she hadn’t seen that glimpse of vulnerability she might have had the strength to hold her desire at bay and let him walk out her door.
But she had seen it. And recognized it. That eternal moment of weakness. Instead of pushing him away as she knew she should, Lexi picked out another chocolate and held it up to his lips. His mouth parted. Bright white teeth flashed as he bit into it, slicing it in half. “Mmm, what is this?”
“Chai and cardamom.”
“No strawberry or lemon?”
“I have those, too, but the herbs and spices I use have flavors all their own.”
She moved to pull her hand away, but Brett stopped her. His fingers wrapped around her wrist, holding her. His tongue flicked out and ran up the side of her fingers, over the chocolate and back down again.
He pulled the rest of the truffle into his mouth, right along with her thumb and forefinger. He sucked, the pebbled side of his tongue rasping against her. All of her internal muscles clenched tight.
He let her go and she took a step backward. She needed space. Her heart was racing. Her mind was spinning. Her clothes were tight and uncomfortable.
Brett pulled another truffle from the plate and followed her. He held it up to her mouth, but she shook her head.
“I thought chocolate was your weakness.”
“It is.”
“Then why won’t you have one?”
She simply shook her head again. It was too complicated to explain to him. Especially when he was looking at her that way, like he’d prefer to be tasting her.
“Is it the aphrodisiacs?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I’ve indulged enough already today.”
Brett leaned into her personal space. The scent of him, somehow sharp and decadent, mixed with the spices and chocolate. A heady combination.
His lips brushed softly against her skin. His mouth trailed from her temple, across her cheek and the corner of her lips.
“There’s no such thing as indulging enough.”
7
WAS IT THE aphrodisiacs or Lexi? And did it matter? Suddenly the idea of keeping his hands off her was impossible. He wanted her. He needed her.
And Brett didn’t need anyone.
Wrapping his arm around her back, Brett pulled her close. His mouth crushed hers. She tasted amazing, a temptation that was more devastating than the decadent chocolate could ever be.
Oh. Hell.
Brett had never been this consumed with a woman before. Lexi was different. And he couldn’t walk away. Even if he knew he should.
Taking the platter from her hands, he set it on the counter behind her. With deft fingers, he tugged at the elastic holding her hair. It fell, a cool blond cloud that framed her face. He fisted it, wrapping silky strands around his fingers.
Her skin was warm. She made a mewling sound in the back of her throat and pressed tighter into his hold. But she was far from passive.
Her own hands tugged at the buttons on his shirt, popping them one by one until she found bare skin. Soft palms swept across his chest. Clever fingers tickled over his ribs.
And Brett growled, the sound dark with need.
With his hold at her nape, he angled her back for more. Her fingers ran up the side of his neck and jaw. Wrapping his hands around her hips, Brett swept her up, spinning around. She clung to him, muscular legs wrapped tight around his waist, as her mouth found his throat and sucked.
He was burning and she was the only thing that could quench the fire.
“Tell me where the nearest soft surface is, or in a minute it won’t matter,” he mumbled between licks and nipping bites.
Lexi arched back in his arms, opening her throat for more. “Who wants soft?”
“Holy hell,” he breathed out against her skin. Where was the woman who baked cakes and wore red-checked aprons? The little homemaker was gone, replaced with a siren hell-bent on bringing him to his knees.
“You’re an amazing woman, Alexis Harper.”
“Trust me, that’s the chocolate talking.”
He laughed. Her chest rubbed against him, warm and soft. She squirmed. His laughter disintegrated into a groan.
Brett stumbled several steps.
“Put me down, I’m too heavy.”
“You aren’t heavy, you’re perfect.”
He could feel Lexi’s frown against his skin as she trailed her mouth across his shoulder. Her hands cupped his biceps and her thighs squeezed his waist, hanging on.
Feeling blindly, he yanked a chair away from the dining table. The backs of his knees hit the edge of it and he sank onto the plush surface. She folded around him, her knees bracketing his hips.
Brett let her go, brushing her hair away from her face so he could look at her. She loomed above him, her body arched down as she tried to reclaim his lips. The light from the kitchen fell across her face. Shadows played over the soft curve of her cheekbones and her wide, plump mouth.
Crumpling the table runner in his fist, Brett yanked it until everything on top fell to the floor.
“I liked those candlesticks,” she protested. Brett silenced her with another drowning kiss. He couldn’t think of anything but her. How she tasted, felt and smelled.
Grasping her waist, Brett lifted her high in the air and set her down on the table in front of him. Her gaze burned golden-brown.
His palms flattened on the polished surface on either side of her hips.
“Stop looking and touch,” she panted.
“Are you sure?” He wanted her to be. He didn’t want any regrets—for either of them.
“I’m sitting on my table, Brett. It might come as a surprise to hear, but I don’t usually do this kind of thing. I’m sure.”
He was a blur, he moved so quickly. One hand buried at the nape of her neck as he tilted her backward, the other found the small of her back. He balanced her on the edge, keeping her from falling.
Brett tugged at her shirt, breaking his hold on her only long enough to make it disappear. Her bra was lacy and pushed the curve of her breasts high. His mouth watered. He wanted to pull the tiny peaks deep into his mouth and taste.
His fingers slid beneath the band across her back. She arched against him. His dexterous f
ingers unsnapped the hooks and the pale yellow straps slid down her shoulders.
Lexi jerked, clutching the material to her chest and holding it in place. It surprised Brett.
Peeling her hand away, he threaded their fingers together. The wisp of satin and lace fell to the ground at his feet, but he didn’t watch. He couldn’t take his eyes off Lexi.
With a single finger, he trailed across the swell of her breast. “You’re beautiful.”
She frowned. That wasn’t the response he was used to getting from women when he said that. Usually the women he slept with were perfectly aware of their allure. They knew just how to tempt and tease.
Lexi was different and appeared completely oblivious to her effect. Which made her that much more appealing.
With the flat of his palm, he swept against her exposed skin, from nape all the way down to hips. His fingers slid beneath the waistband of her jeans, brushing the top swell of her cheeks. But he didn’t go further.
Heavy heat pooled in his belly. The swell of his sex strained uncomfortably against the fly of his pants.
The arch of his nose ran down her throat, across her collarbone and through the valley between her breasts. He breathed deeply, pulling her essence into his body.
“God, you smell good. Sugar cookies. That’s what it reminds me of.”
Propped on her elbows, she felt there was something wholly erotic about the way he worshipped her body. He trailed open-mouthed kisses and words across her belly, seeming to enjoy the shivers he elicited.
“Vanilla and sugar with a hint of cinnamon.”
Lexi shook her head. “Snickerdoodles.”
He stilled, twisting so that he could stare up at her from his position between her open thighs.
“Snickerdoodles have cinnamon, not sugar cookies.”
Brett cocked his head and studied her. Was she making a joke? “Are you kidding?”
“No, I never joke about cookies.”
Grabbing her hips, Brett buried his face in her stomach and laughed. “You are a constant surprise.”
Lexi chuckled with him, until the sound was cut short by a startled groan. His teeth nipped at her skin, taking a teasing bite of her.
“I’ll take the taste of you over a cookie, any day.”
With deft fingers, he made quick work of her jeans. In a few seconds he had her completely naked, a smorgasbord of delight spread out just for him.
It was no accident that he still had every stitch of clothing on. She reached for his shirt, pulled the hem from his waistband and worked it slowly up his ribs. And he let her. Lexi’s fingers trailed and played, driving him crazy.
Her hands teased. His fingers found her breasts, rolling the distended peaks of her nipples. She squirmed, making the pressure in his own body build terribly.
Grasping her ankle, he bent her knee and placed her foot flat against the table. With tiny circles, he slowly worked his way up her calf and inner thigh. By the time he got close to what he wanted she was a panting mess, her body strung tight in anticipation of his touch.
Her response to him was thrilling. She was so passionate.
His fingers slid up the crease at the juncture of her thigh. Bending over her, he blew a steady stream of air across her exposed sex. Lexi groaned and her eyes slid closed.
He wanted to sink into her, but one thing was stopping him. “Tell me you have a condom.”
Lexi’s body stiffened. He knew the answer before she said it, but that didn’t lessen the disappointment.
“No. You didn’t bring one?”
“Despite what you might think, I did not come over here expecting to have sex tonight.”
“You didn’t?” Lexi’s eyes narrowed.
She was gorgeous, the dark, polished wood of the table the perfect foil for her pale skin tinged with the pink flush of arousal. He wanted her. Enough that it was difficult not to say to hell with the condom. But he wouldn’t do that to her.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve wanted in your pants from the first moment I laid eyes on you.”
“How romantic.”
Brett’s mouth twisted into a sarcastic grimace. He was usually charming rather than blunt, but he was fighting to keep his sanity at the moment.
“Didn’t think you’d say yes.”
“Neither did I.”
She shifted on the table, trying to pull her thighs together, but his body was in the way.
Frustration clouded her dark-chocolate eyes. “You wanna move?”
Slowly, he shook his head. “Not on your life.”
With exasperation, she flopped back onto the table, her arm falling over her eyes and hiding half her face.
“Brett, this is a little embarrassing. I’m naked. On a table. And we’re not having sex. I’d like to get dressed.”
Her posture pushed her breasts high. They were round, firm and fit perfectly into the palms of his hands.
The flat plane of her stomach rose and fell with each breath. Her body was tense, waiting for him to let her go. But he had no intention of doing that.
Leaning down, he started at the bend in her knee, running his lips up the velvety smooth skin of her inner thigh. She squeaked in surprise, jerking off the table. Her arms dropped away and she stared at him.
“What are you doing?”
“What I want. Do you know how perfectly tempting your body is?”
“No, it isn’t.”
His mouth found the arch of her hip. He nipped, tasting her. His tongue slipped up over her ribs. She giggled, the sound unexpectedly sexy.
Brett realized Lexi didn’t giggle enough. She was so serious and closed off. So determined and focused. She reminded him of himself. But at least he made time to play. Sometimes.
“You should laugh more.”
She shook her head, rolling it back and forth against the table. “I laugh plenty.”
“Not that I’ve heard.”
“Then tell me a joke.”
Brett’s mouth curved as it closed around her distended nipple. He sucked, pulling her deep inside. The feel and taste of her was more intoxicating than any wine and more decadent than any food. He rolled his tongue around her pebbled skin, grazing his teeth over the sensitive bud.
“Holy...” she exclaimed. As she arched off the table, her nipple became tighter in his mouth. Her hands found the back of his head and held him against her.
Her body hummed. Brett could practically feel the surge of blood beneath her skin. The same need pounded through him. His slacks were killing him. He wanted to relieve the pressure of the zipper, but didn’t trust himself.
With insistent fingers, Brett spread her thighs wide. He trailed kisses down her body, savoring the taste and feel of her against his tongue. His teeth ran over her taut belly muscles.
His fingers found her sex, delving into the slippery folds.
“God, Lexi,” he breathed, the need for her throbbing even higher. He wanted to feel the heat of her clenched tightly around him, massaging his aching erection until they both screamed with pleasure.
Instead, he contented himself with gliding a single finger deep inside her. Her strangled hiss might have stopped him if her hips hadn’t surged forward for more.
The walls of her sex pulsed around him. Her thighs fell open wider as she writhed. Brett pulled back so he could watch.
Her eyes popped open, colliding with his gaze. She tried to reach for him, pulling him back down to her, but, prostrate across the table, she didn’t have any leverage. He avoided her hands, slipping another finger in and pushing against that sweet spot deep inside her.
Her head rolled backward, lifting everything higher for him.
Hooking his foot around the leg of the chair behind him, he dropped onto the padded surface. He had the perfect
view of her beautiful body spread before him. Sweat-slicked skin and contracting muscles. Pink, swollen, drenched sex.
Leaning in, he pulled the heady scent of her arousal deep into his lungs. His own sex throbbed with a relentless rhythm. Running the flat of his tongue up the inside of her thigh, he slipped his fingers out of her.
Lexi whimpered a protest, but sighed with delight when he replaced them with the heat of his mouth.
She tasted unbelievable. Sweet with the bite of something stronger beneath. With the tip of his tongue, he found the tiny button hidden inside and rolled around it. On either side of his head, her thigh muscles flexed and strained.
The harsh sound of her labored breaths echoed around them. His own lungs burned, but he kept up his relentless torture. The need to drive her crazy was stronger than the need to breathe. He wanted her to come apart against his mouth. He wanted to taste the rush of her release and know he was the one who’d driven her to the brink.
Slipping his tongue inside her, he lapped. She quivered and thrashed. She was so close.
As he pushed a finger into the furnace of her sex, she screamed. Her fingers clamped into his hair, holding him right at the center of her body. She tugged, but he didn’t care.
Lexi mindlessly rocked against the invasion of his mouth and hand. A few strategic strokes and her body tightened into a bow, on the verge of breaking apart. When she finally let go, the sweet relief of her release wasn’t the only thing washing through him.
An intense need. An unbelievable appreciation. Lexi had turned her body over to him completely. That kind of trust was heady and something he’d never experienced with anyone else.
For him, sex was usually nothing more than a biological need. It wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t earth-shattering. Those kinds of descriptions had always struck him as fiction.
Lexi made him believe.
She collapsed onto the hard surface, every muscle in her body slack. Her arms and legs sprawled drunkenly and her eyes were screwed closed. Her mouth hung open, sucking in as much breath as possible.
From his position between her open legs, Brett stared up the line of her body. Her hair was wild and in complete disarray, so different from the tight, containing ponytail she always wore. Her skin was flushed, not just from desire, but from the rub of his stubble-roughened cheeks over her body.
She's No Angel Page 8
