All Grown Up by Janice Maynard Page A

amorous. “I couldn’t sleep. That upstairs bedroom is like a morgue during an ice storm.”
    “Tell me about it.”
    “I thought you weren’t afraid to stay down here by yourself,” he taunted. That’s right, Sam. Provoke the beast. Sarcasm will make things better. He tossed aside the light blanket and stood, only to feel a blow to the chest when he saw her for the first time. In one hand, she brandished a can of pepper spray. With the other she clutched the flashlight he had given her. But what was in between…sweet heaven…
    Crimson silk edged in expensive black lace slid sinuously over her body, whispering seduction with every move she made. He scrubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes and yawned, giving himself a chance to swallow the lump of emotion in his throat. Annalise Wolff had grown into an exquisitely beautiful woman.
    The stunning view was imprinted on his brain. The gown plunged in front, revealing the swells of soft, creamy-skinned breasts. The thin robe that covered the gown was long-sleeved, but hung open, hiding little. On her feet Annalise wore black satin slippers embroidered in red and gold thread with tiny birds and flowers.
    The fact that he could describe her footwear in so much detail only spoke to how hard he was trying not to stare at her chest.
    When he finally looked up, she was eyeing him curiously.
    “What?” he asked, wondering if he had soot on his face.
    She shrugged. “I’m accustomed to seeing you in a suit and tie, or even a tux. This casual ‘cowboy’ look takes some getting used to.”
    He might be half-asleep, but he knew interest when he saw it in a woman’s eyes. Rounding the chair, he took the flashlight and spray from her hands and set them on a bookcase. “Do you often have animals in the house at Wolff Mountain?” He was standing so close to her he could see the faint throb of a pulse in her neck.
    She flushed. “We’ve had the occasional bear.”
    “Inside?”
    “I’ve read stories about such things.”
    “And you were going to attack a bear with your bare hands? Surely you know that pepper spray makes them more aggressive…and that flashlight is not big enough to do any harm.”
    “You’re insufferable. Has anyone ever told you that?”
    Without her habitual three-inch heels, she seemed much smaller…fragile even. And in the middle of the night, with her defenses down, infinitely more approachable. “ You have,” he said, studying her moist, curved lips. “A dozen times. At least when you were willing to speak to me.”
    He put his hands on her shoulders, waiting to see if she would react, perhaps slap him.
    She was heavy-eyed and sleep-rumpled, her thick, shiny black hair hanging almost to her waist. “What are you doing?” she questioned in a husky voice that made him imagine long Saturday mornings in bed.
    The room was full of shadows, the hour late. He was tired of reliving the past with this woman. Time to start something new. “I’m going to kiss you.”
    Her eyes flared wide, but other than that, she made no response. He still had no guarantee this wasn’t entrapment. Perhaps he ought to have worn some kind of protective clothing. He knew from hearing Vincent brag that Annalise had a black belt in karate and was fully capable of taking Sam down.
    He wanted her to make the first move, craved it, really. But that wasn’t going to happen. Not with the painful memory of the last time they both stood on this precipice echoing between them.
    Bending his head, he nibbled her neck, inhaling a scent that was so intrinsically her . Feminine, yes, but strong, unforgettable. His hands slid down her arms, around her waist, over her butt. She was firm and fit, her soft resilient skin underlain with sleek sexy muscles.
    Never had he felt or seen her so still, so submissive. And it worried him. Pulling back, he searched her face. “Touch me,” he begged. “Please.”
    As if his words had broken some kind of weird spell, she moved. With a little