closer.
“It’s… nice.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “It’s cold.”
She didn’t think he was only talking about the decor, but the woman who’d chosen it. Curiosity unfurled within her, mingling with jealousy and a teeny tiny seed of resentment. Who was this woman Lucas had trusted with more than just his wallet? Mi looked around again, viewing the space anew. It was cold. She suppressed a shudder and turned back to Lucas to find him watching her, waiting for her pronouncement.
“It’s modern,” she offered.
“You’re being nice. The first time I sat on that couch.” He pointed to a sharp-angled, leather and steel grouping. “I thought I’d impale myself.”
“That could be dangerous. Why do you keep it?”
He hitched a shoulder. “Haven’t gotten around to replacing it.”
Mi wandered over to the window and looked out. Forty-two floors was a long way up… or down, depending on your perspective. Lucas came up behind her, but didn’t touch her. Warmth radiated off him and into her.
“I bought the place for the view.” His voice lowered, sending a deep rumbling through her. He was so close .
“It’s beautiful.” Her words came out breathless, almost sultry.
He traced a finger down the side of her throat. “Hmm, it is.”
She had a sudden vision of him pressing her against the glass, lifting her skirt and tracing kisses along the line his finger had drawn. He’d take her hard and fast, right there while the whole city watched, her palms sliding down the panes. She swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to lift her skirt for him and beg him to do it. She wanted to lose herself in the mindless give and take, the blinding, driving need. For just a moment, she wanted something for her. To come apart in arms that would support her when she came back together, back to herself.
She took a sliding step to the side and spun away from him. This was not for her. He was not for her. She had to remind herself that this man was a stranger, paid to protect her and nothing more.
“You must be tired.” She could hear the rejection in his voice as though he might have been having similar thoughts.
She cleared her throat, hoping to clear away the need that threatened to swallow her whole. “It is late. And I have a show tomorrow.”
“Of course. I’ll take you to your room.” He grabbed her bag from the chair where he’d dropped it earlier and proceeded down the hall to the right.
Mi followed him past two doors to a set of double doors. Lucas opened one, not stopping to see if she followed. The bedroom was nearly as large as the living room with two full walls of windows in an L shape. The large bed sat on a platform positioned for a perfect view of the Dallas skyline.
Lucas sat her bag on the bed, then disappeared through yet another door. Mi followed, stopping short at the entrance to a closet. Shirts, jackets, trousers, and suits lined the walls broken only by a bank of drawers and a section of tilted shelves that displayed shoes of every kind.
“This is your room.”
Lucas continued to go through drawers, pulling clothing out. “Yes.”
“I can’t… that is… you don’t expect…”
Lucas looked up from his task, then in two steps he was standing in front of her. She almost backed away on instinct. He placed a hand on the doorway above her head and bent down to her.
His gaze pinned her in place, his words flowing over her like warm honey. “No, I don’t expect.” His voice dropped to a whisper that stroked her senses as if he’d touched her. “I want.”
Heat shot straight through her and with nothing more than his words she was wet and pulsing with need for him. Her nipples chapped against the fabric of her shirt, heightening her excitement. She pressed her legs together, holding in the sensation.
He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss at the corner of her mouth. “But not tonight.” He pushed off the doorframe and went back to his task, collecting what he
“It’s… nice.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “It’s cold.”
She didn’t think he was only talking about the decor, but the woman who’d chosen it. Curiosity unfurled within her, mingling with jealousy and a teeny tiny seed of resentment. Who was this woman Lucas had trusted with more than just his wallet? Mi looked around again, viewing the space anew. It was cold. She suppressed a shudder and turned back to Lucas to find him watching her, waiting for her pronouncement.
“It’s modern,” she offered.
“You’re being nice. The first time I sat on that couch.” He pointed to a sharp-angled, leather and steel grouping. “I thought I’d impale myself.”
“That could be dangerous. Why do you keep it?”
He hitched a shoulder. “Haven’t gotten around to replacing it.”
Mi wandered over to the window and looked out. Forty-two floors was a long way up… or down, depending on your perspective. Lucas came up behind her, but didn’t touch her. Warmth radiated off him and into her.
“I bought the place for the view.” His voice lowered, sending a deep rumbling through her. He was so close .
“It’s beautiful.” Her words came out breathless, almost sultry.
He traced a finger down the side of her throat. “Hmm, it is.”
She had a sudden vision of him pressing her against the glass, lifting her skirt and tracing kisses along the line his finger had drawn. He’d take her hard and fast, right there while the whole city watched, her palms sliding down the panes. She swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to lift her skirt for him and beg him to do it. She wanted to lose herself in the mindless give and take, the blinding, driving need. For just a moment, she wanted something for her. To come apart in arms that would support her when she came back together, back to herself.
She took a sliding step to the side and spun away from him. This was not for her. He was not for her. She had to remind herself that this man was a stranger, paid to protect her and nothing more.
“You must be tired.” She could hear the rejection in his voice as though he might have been having similar thoughts.
She cleared her throat, hoping to clear away the need that threatened to swallow her whole. “It is late. And I have a show tomorrow.”
“Of course. I’ll take you to your room.” He grabbed her bag from the chair where he’d dropped it earlier and proceeded down the hall to the right.
Mi followed him past two doors to a set of double doors. Lucas opened one, not stopping to see if she followed. The bedroom was nearly as large as the living room with two full walls of windows in an L shape. The large bed sat on a platform positioned for a perfect view of the Dallas skyline.
Lucas sat her bag on the bed, then disappeared through yet another door. Mi followed, stopping short at the entrance to a closet. Shirts, jackets, trousers, and suits lined the walls broken only by a bank of drawers and a section of tilted shelves that displayed shoes of every kind.
“This is your room.”
Lucas continued to go through drawers, pulling clothing out. “Yes.”
“I can’t… that is… you don’t expect…”
Lucas looked up from his task, then in two steps he was standing in front of her. She almost backed away on instinct. He placed a hand on the doorway above her head and bent down to her.
His gaze pinned her in place, his words flowing over her like warm honey. “No, I don’t expect.” His voice dropped to a whisper that stroked her senses as if he’d touched her. “I want.”
Heat shot straight through her and with nothing more than his words she was wet and pulsing with need for him. Her nipples chapped against the fabric of her shirt, heightening her excitement. She pressed her legs together, holding in the sensation.
He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss at the corner of her mouth. “But not tonight.” He pushed off the doorframe and went back to his task, collecting what he
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