Slow Hands

by Faye Avalon

  ‘The vibrator’s not enough? You need my underwear, too? What? Have you got some kind of fetish? Maybe I should get a label for that as well.’

  Shit. He’d all but forgotten about the vibrator. ‘As far as I know, that hasn’t been near you.’ He tapped his pocket. ‘I want something that smells of you.’

  The patch of colour that swept over her cheekbones soothed some of the irritation gnawing inside and made him grin.

  She screwed up her mouth, then shook her head. ‘Keep them. I’ve got plenty more. I’ll just grab another pair from my stock.’

  He had a mental image of her in some of the lingerie he’d seen when he’d tapped through her website earlier in his office. Picturing her in crotchless panties, a nipple-revealing bra, G-strings that would leave her ass on erotic display.

  His cock throbbed and his blood heated. Why the hell was he torturing himself?

  There was not one iota of suspicion in her eyes now—only challenge. That was more like it. But before he could reach for her she grabbed her bag and started towards the door.

  ‘Thanks for your time. I trust I’ll hear from you soon?’

  Her haughty tone did nothing to ease the ache in his groin, but it made him want to provoke and push a little more.

  ‘Want to share some dried-up pasta before you go?’

  If either of them should be pissed off right now, it should be him. Not only because of those labels she’d pinned on him, but because he was sporting a hard-on that he didn’t think would ease any time soon.

  ‘I’m no longer hungry.’

  Her eyes, still blistering with challenge, met his and held there. He wondered if she was expecting him to utter some flippant remark, such as he wasn’t especially hungry either—not since he’d had his head between her legs.

  However, since he liked to think he was a wise man on occasion, he kept his mouth shut.

  ‘Let me know if there’s anything else you need from me,’ she said, with a snooty tilt of her chin. ‘I’ll have it couriered over to your office.’

  Okay, a man could only take so much before he retaliated, and he’d just passed his red line.

  ‘There’s plenty I need,’ he said, and moved to her. He slid his hands slowly down her arms, enjoying the way she shivered. ‘But none of it can be sent by courier.’ He brought her up close, his mouth an inch from hers. ‘I’ll be in New York for a couple of days. When I get back I’m coming for you, April Sinclair, and I’ll be wanting the whole deal next time.’ He gave her a feral grin. ‘You’d better be ready.’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  APRIL HAD TAKEN to thinking about the encounter as The Kiss. It seemed more innocuous, somehow, relegating it to an everyday kind of occurrence rather than mind-numbing, hormone-tingling oral sex.

  Cross-legged, April sat on her living room floor and finished boxing up her latest batch of orders. She tried once more to push the idiot man from her mind.

  How hard could it be? She was a grown woman, wasn’t she? She could choose what she focused on and decide what she’d allow to dwell between her ears. And between her legs, come to that.

  Yet there he was again. Squeezing into the slightest little crack in her concentration, making her hot and decidedly uncomfortable.

  Be careful what you wish for, she thought for the umpteenth time.

  Hadn’t she wished for adventure between the sheets? For a man who’d use his skills to make her tremble and moan? To take her on a sexually charged journey that would make her marvel at the reaction of her own body, her own sexuality?

  Well, it certainly looked like she’d gotten that, and a whole lot more into the bargain.

  She’d known from her first glimpse of Logan Fitzpatrick that he was dangerous. Known that he was a man beyond capable of giving her every single one of her desires.

  One touch of his mouth to hers. One slide of those slow, lethal hands over her willing flesh. One press of his tongue and push of his fingers inside her and it had gone beyond wishing and dreaming.

  He’d taken control, which was something she’d sworn never to allow to happen to her again. Except with Logan it was the kind of control that didn’t strip away her own power.

  She’d been at his mercy, but she sensed he’d been at hers, too.

  His warning that next time he’d be wanting the whole deal had been issued with a question mark attached to it. As if he’d placed the ball squarely in her court. With him she knew she could say no and while he wouldn’t necessarily like it, he’d accept it.

  She wondered if that made him even more dangerous than the pull she felt to his raw masculinity.

  One encounter with Logan had pushed her off-centre. Unbalanced her. Made her have to continually shove thoughts of him aside so that she could focus and concentrate on her business.

  Which was what she had to do right now.

  Despite Veronica’s threat hanging over her, she was busier than ever. Orders were coming from every direction. Business was booming. She had copious website orders to fulfil, back-to-back parties to book, and a popular magazine wanting to run a story on her success. It was a prestigious publication, with a worldwide readership, and the publicity would be incredibly good for business.

  Since the last thing she needed was Veronica getting wind of it, and making life even more difficult, April had reluctantly asked for a rain-check. While the people at the magazine had agreed, they’d stressed that they did need the article to coincide with an international event featuring entrepreneurial women that was taking place later that summer.

  April prayed that this legal nightmare would be over well before then.

  She hadn’t heard a peep from Logan while he’d been in New York—except via the TV news. He’d been handling a divorce case for an American TV mogul whose young wife had been having an affair with an actor closer to her own age. Despite the lack of a pre-nup, it was reported that the wife’s divorce settlement would now be a pittance, and nothing like the figure she’d demanded. No doubt due to Logan’s skill and ability.

  She’d taken to reading about his cases, and couldn’t help but admire his drive, his passion and his tenacity to fight like hell for his clients. She only wished she could be one of them... But in the absence of that possibility she would at least be grateful if he’d contact her with his views on how things stood for her.

  It was so frustrating. Patience wasn’t one of her virtues. She needed something to happen—and soon. She wanted this thing dealt with once and for all, and the very next time she spoke to him she would press him for answers. At least professionally. As far as personally went he’d made his intentions perfectly clear when he’d issued his threat that night at his home.

  She still bristled over the way he’d told her that he wanted the real deal next time, and that he’d be coming for her as soon as he got back from New York.

  Despite her frustration over that, and the whole he’d-been-in-the-driving-seat thing, she couldn’t stop thinking about having him touch her again. With those long, skilful fingers, those powerful hands, that adept mouth...

  April closed her eyes, allowing herself a few minutes to enjoy a lusty daydream involving her snatching back some control of the situation and making Logan beg. As blood fired hot in her veins and her breathing became shaky she opened her eyes and waved her hand in front of her face, hoping to lessen the heat generated by the fantasy.

  Heroically, she pulled her attention back to matters at hand and checked out the next item on her list. She’d received a bumper order from a regular customer who liked to organise her own parties for an army of adventurous friends. April always sent the woman a thank-you gift along with her twenty percent commission. As with all orders, she stuck a discreet and innocuous return address label on the package. Nobody would ever guess the parcel contained the latest in clit-stimulators.

  She wondered what Logan would make of it.
What he would do with it. Huh... He’d probably make some smart remark along the lines of his women not needing such things when they had him to administer to their every desire.

  The jump in her belly, the heat that shot from her breasts to her core, confirmed that, whatever else happened, she was damn well going to find out if the reality lived up to his cocky predictions. Was he really that good? All the signs said that he was—especially if what she’d experienced so far was indicative of his sexual prowess and his ability to please a woman.

  Before she could start fantasising about Logan again, a sound from the doorway made her jump.

  ‘Thinking of giving one of those a test run before mailing them off?’ Lizzie asked, tilting her head. ‘Been having a little solo time, have we?’

  ‘For God’s sake!’ Guiltily, April pulled the hem of her tee shirt firmly over her jeans. ‘I’ve got too much to do to even think about sex right now.’

  Lizzie picked up the nearest box and gave it a healthy shake. ‘Seems you conveniently forgot to tell me that a certain lawyer is smoking hot and very eligible.’

  ‘Because you’ve already got yourself a hot guy. What would Miles say if I set you up with Logan Fitzpatrick?’

  ‘Ha! I wasn’t thinking of me. And the fact your face is bright red right now tells me you weren’t either.’

  ‘Still not thinking about sex,’ April said. ‘Potential litigation, remember?’

  ‘Wouldn’t hurt to get your hair done, or something. Look the part for when the smoking hot lawyer gets back to town.’ She shook the box again. ‘Maybe you should get a Brazilian?’

  ‘Maybe you should make yourself useful and help me tape up these boxes? Then you can take them to the post office for me.’

  Lizzie shrugged and dropped down next to April. ‘No problem. It’s on my way anyway.’ She picked up the tape dispenser. ‘I’m meeting Miles from work. We’re catching a movie and then having supper. I’ll probably stay over.’

  ‘Enjoy,’ April said as she labelled the last package. ‘I’m planning to unpack some new supplies and then get started on promo for them.’

  While she and Lizzie taped up the rest of the boxes, April’s thoughts turned to The Kiss again, but she ruthlessly shoved them away.

  Bigger fish and all that...

  * * *

  When the doorbell rang, April thought that Lizzie had returned, having forgotten to take her key. Not an unusual occurrence. She headed to the door, brushing down her jeans, which were covered in glitter thanks to a vibrator which had split and emptied its contents all over her and the carpet.

  Logan stood leaning against the doorframe, hands in the pockets of tailored black jeans. His gaze made a long, slow perusal, then came back to meet her own.

  ‘Nice hair.’

  Ignoring her suddenly tremulous stomach, and the pulse of reaction deep in her core, she reached up to the band holding back her shoulder-length hair. When she pulled her hand away it bore traces of lime-green glitter.

  ‘I wasn’t expecting company.’

  ‘Since I was in the neighbourhood, I thought I’d pop by and touch base.’

  All thoughts of her glittering hair vanished as she let her gaze roam greedily over him. She had the inclination to yank him over the threshold, get his kit off, and have her way with him before he knew what had hit him. Poetic justice for the way he’d gone down on her and hadn’t allowed her to return the compliment.

  Instead he’d offered her dried-up pasta before packing her off home like some naughty child who was being denied her pudding.

  ‘Going to leave me here on your doorstep?’ he asked, one of those thick and desperately sexy eyebrows rising towards his equally sexy hairline.

  Hell, she found every single thing about him sexy.

  ‘I’m in the middle of something, as it happens. Shouldn’t I just make an appointment now that you’re back in London?’

  That slow and easy grin sent sparks flying through her veins. Damn the man. He knew she was deliberately playing it cool.

  ‘I’m saving you a trip. How about a coffee, since I’m here anyway?’

  She wanted a damn sight more than coffee, and if she invited him in, it would be only a question of time before she had that chest-hugging navy sweater off his back and those exquisitely cut jeans off his butt.

  Acknowledging that, accepting that, she stepped back and let him in. ‘So, not only do you invite clients to supper, you make house calls too?’

  ‘Only when I’m in the neighbourhood.’

  The kitchen wasn’t the roomiest place in the house, but it felt positively claustrophobic with his big frame filling the doorway.

  ‘Black, no sugar,’ he requested, watching her fill the machine. ‘Nice place.’

  Seeing as he lived in some sort of fantasy home for the rich, she thought he was being facetious. Yet there was no sign of that when she glanced up. He was eyeing her with what could only be described as flat-out lust. She imagined it was like looking in a mirror.

  She reached into the cupboard for mugs, and sidestepped when Logan came up next to her. He selected a mug from the shelf—one that she’d decided not to use.

  ‘From your stock?’

  Amusement tinged his tone, and April shrugged. ‘A gift. From Lizzie, my flatmate. She thought it was funny. She has a bizarre sense of humour.’

  Latex lovers do it covered

  While she poured filter coffee into two mugs, she was aware of him beside her. Too close. Her pulse hammered and she shoved the coffee at him, thankful that it didn’t spill all over his sweater. Then he’d have to take off that sweater...take off his shirt...wipe down his chest...and then he’d...

  ‘Let’s put these down a minute,’ he said, taking the mugs from her and placing them on the worktop. ‘There’s something I need to do.’

  She didn’t need a degree in body language to interpret his intention, and if she wasn’t careful he’d be running the show again.

  ‘I don’t think so. You don’t get to call the shots this time.’

  ‘You’re not still smarting over me going down on you?’ His nostrils flared slightly. ‘Most women would be celebrating.’

  April huffed. ‘It wasn’t that good.’

  His laugh did ridiculous things to her female parts, leaving them trembling in anticipation.

  ‘Well, now you’ve gone and thrown down the gauntlet. I can’t possibly let that comment go unchallenged.’

  April tried to move back, to get some distance before he took complete charge and she turned to putty in his sinful hands.

  ‘Just stating the facts. You seem to have a high opinion of your skills.’

  He moved in tighter. ‘You know, maybe it’s something to do with the way you tilt your chin at me,’ he said, his hands curving around her hips, ‘or it could be that glittery look you’ve got going, but I’m finding it impossible to keep my hands off you.’

  She looked at his mouth, at the curve of his strong jaw. Reaction simmered deep in her belly and made her knees go weak. Her response was to place her hands on his arms, feeling all that solid, warm muscle beneath her fingers.

  ‘As long as you know my hands have some demands of their own. This isn’t going to be another one-sided deal.’

  ‘Fair enough.’

  Then his lips touched hers, with all the incendiary potential of a live wire. Electricity sizzled along her flesh, intensifying the kiss and taking it from smooth to downright lewd in mere seconds. Crazy sensations ripped through her, stealing the breath from her lungs as his arms banded around her, crushing her breasts against the solid wall of his chest.

  It was only the determined press of his erection between her legs, the erotic groan that came from deep in his throat, that stopped April from sliding into pure sensation and going with whatever Logan wanted.

  She pressed against his s
houlders and eased him away, gratified by the heat in his eyes, the ragged rise and fall of his chest. It seemed she wasn’t the only one suffering from desperate lust and sensual need.

  She could unsettle him as much as he unsettled her, and she intended to take full advantage of the situation.

  ‘What?’ His tone was husky and dark.

  April slid her fingers along his shoulders, down his biceps. ‘I told you... I’m not letting you have it all your way. I’ve got plans of my own this time.’

  Before he could respond, she turned them so their positions were reversed and he was the one with his back to the counter. She nuzzled against him, letting her breasts stroke his chest, her hips roll against his. When he inhaled sharply, she smiled, enjoying the sensation of feminine power. It was an amazing aphrodisiac. Or maybe that was just Logan?

  Right then she didn’t care enough to reason it out. All she wanted was him.

  His hands came to her hips and her instinct was to bat them away, but since they felt so good she let them remain there.

  She moved in closer, shimmied her heat against his erection, loving the way he inhaled again, his jaw tightening. His fingers dug into her hips, encouraging her pelvis closer to his hard length.

  ‘Do you remember what I told you?’ he asked in that gravelled tone. ‘That when I returned you’d better be ready for me?’

  ‘I remember.’ She ground herself against him, slow and easy. ‘But the real question is, are you ready for me?’

  Taking advantage of his quick jolt of surprise, she kept her eyes on his and slid down his body to kneel on the floor. Still watching him, she grabbed the buckle of his belt and loosened it.

  ‘What’s with the knot symbol?’ she asked, unhooking the catch of his waistband.

  He took another deep inhalation as she slid the zipper slowly down. ‘Can’t rightly remember at this precise moment.’

  April grinned. She knew that feeling. It was the same way she felt every time he touched her.