that?”
“No TV.”
“It’s downstairs. What if I read a lot?”
“No cups, glasses, coasters. Nothing out of place.” He laid a tortilla on her plate and put meat and vegetables on it. “Will you eat already? The food is getting cold, and you’re going to faint from hunger. It’s not drugged.”
“I never said it was.” She picked up her fajita and started to eat. It tasted as good as it smelled.
Brett finished and leaned back in his chair, watching her.
“Now what are you doing?”
“Looking at you. Damn, you’re suspicious.” He grabbed his plate and carried it to the kitchen. “We’re leaving to record with Jason next week. The other guys are already bitching because Jason said no partying at his place.”
Next week? The ink was barely dry on the contract. “He’s got his daughters to think about.”
“They aren’t coming.”
“Really? I can’t believe Cassie would miss a chance to hang out in her hometown.”
“I don’t think she wants Andi and Sonya around us until she knows she can trust us. We have a reputation.” He returned to the room and leaned on the wall. “So what’s his place out there like?”
“Nice. Very peaceful. It’s on the side of a mountain.” Tessa pushed her plate away. “There’s a town in the valley, but there’s not much to it. Nothing to interfere with recording.”
“Good. We have a lot of work to do.”
“What are we doing?” Tessa asked.
“Talking?” Brett grinned.
Tessa stood up and placed herself in front of him. “You don’t have any tattoos.” He was wearing the same shirt he’d been wearing when he came to her office. White with orange pinstripes. This afternoon, she’d wanted to unbutton it and run her hands over his chest.
“No.”
She started unbuttoning his shirt. “How come?”
“Not my thing.” He flattened his palms on her back and tried to pull her closer, but she resisted. “Aw, come on. Please?”
“Patience, grasshopper.” She brushed her hands over his chest. He felt just the way she’d imagined he would this afternoon. Firm and smooth. Did he wax? He liked to go shirtless in concert. She’d spent enough time in the last week and a half searching for photos of him online when she was supposed to be doing something productive.
“I was patient all day.”
“All day?” Her fingers raised trails of goose bumps as she dipped into the hollow of his collarbone.
“Since Saturday, even.”
“Really?”
“I was here Saturday night, and then you got me all wound up with no place to go this afternoon.”
“I’m cruel that way.” She placed a kiss on his shoulder. “But you know, you could have had me all weekend and you decided to stand me up.”
“So this is punishment?”
“Mmm, no, just teasing.” She smiled, peering up at him through her eyelashes. “The waiting hurts me as much as it hurts you.”
“Then let’s end both our pain.” He scooped her off the floor and carried her up the three steps and down the hall.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Ending your pain.” He leaned into the first room.
“This is my home office. Unless you need me to draw up a contract—”
Brett swung around and looked at the next room.
“Bathroom,” Tessa said.
He growled. “You could just tell me which door it is.”
“You never asked.”
Brett stopped in the middle of the hall and glared at her. Then he lowered himself to his knees and laid her on the floor.
“What are you doing?” she asked. He hadn’t dumped her on her feet, but why was he laying her on the floor in the hall?
“I just remembered that I don’t need a bed.” He pulled her t-shirt over her head.
“What if I do?” Tessa tried to be casual about smoothing down her hair. It crackled, betraying her.
“I’ll make it up to you.” Brett bent over her, kissing her belly as he opened her jeans. “Just for the record, I liked the skirt today. You know, without the pantyhose.”
Tessa arched. The pulse of
“No TV.”
“It’s downstairs. What if I read a lot?”
“No cups, glasses, coasters. Nothing out of place.” He laid a tortilla on her plate and put meat and vegetables on it. “Will you eat already? The food is getting cold, and you’re going to faint from hunger. It’s not drugged.”
“I never said it was.” She picked up her fajita and started to eat. It tasted as good as it smelled.
Brett finished and leaned back in his chair, watching her.
“Now what are you doing?”
“Looking at you. Damn, you’re suspicious.” He grabbed his plate and carried it to the kitchen. “We’re leaving to record with Jason next week. The other guys are already bitching because Jason said no partying at his place.”
Next week? The ink was barely dry on the contract. “He’s got his daughters to think about.”
“They aren’t coming.”
“Really? I can’t believe Cassie would miss a chance to hang out in her hometown.”
“I don’t think she wants Andi and Sonya around us until she knows she can trust us. We have a reputation.” He returned to the room and leaned on the wall. “So what’s his place out there like?”
“Nice. Very peaceful. It’s on the side of a mountain.” Tessa pushed her plate away. “There’s a town in the valley, but there’s not much to it. Nothing to interfere with recording.”
“Good. We have a lot of work to do.”
“What are we doing?” Tessa asked.
“Talking?” Brett grinned.
Tessa stood up and placed herself in front of him. “You don’t have any tattoos.” He was wearing the same shirt he’d been wearing when he came to her office. White with orange pinstripes. This afternoon, she’d wanted to unbutton it and run her hands over his chest.
“No.”
She started unbuttoning his shirt. “How come?”
“Not my thing.” He flattened his palms on her back and tried to pull her closer, but she resisted. “Aw, come on. Please?”
“Patience, grasshopper.” She brushed her hands over his chest. He felt just the way she’d imagined he would this afternoon. Firm and smooth. Did he wax? He liked to go shirtless in concert. She’d spent enough time in the last week and a half searching for photos of him online when she was supposed to be doing something productive.
“I was patient all day.”
“All day?” Her fingers raised trails of goose bumps as she dipped into the hollow of his collarbone.
“Since Saturday, even.”
“Really?”
“I was here Saturday night, and then you got me all wound up with no place to go this afternoon.”
“I’m cruel that way.” She placed a kiss on his shoulder. “But you know, you could have had me all weekend and you decided to stand me up.”
“So this is punishment?”
“Mmm, no, just teasing.” She smiled, peering up at him through her eyelashes. “The waiting hurts me as much as it hurts you.”
“Then let’s end both our pain.” He scooped her off the floor and carried her up the three steps and down the hall.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Ending your pain.” He leaned into the first room.
“This is my home office. Unless you need me to draw up a contract—”
Brett swung around and looked at the next room.
“Bathroom,” Tessa said.
He growled. “You could just tell me which door it is.”
“You never asked.”
Brett stopped in the middle of the hall and glared at her. Then he lowered himself to his knees and laid her on the floor.
“What are you doing?” she asked. He hadn’t dumped her on her feet, but why was he laying her on the floor in the hall?
“I just remembered that I don’t need a bed.” He pulled her t-shirt over her head.
“What if I do?” Tessa tried to be casual about smoothing down her hair. It crackled, betraying her.
“I’ll make it up to you.” Brett bent over her, kissing her belly as he opened her jeans. “Just for the record, I liked the skirt today. You know, without the pantyhose.”
Tessa arched. The pulse of
Similar Books
