You have to stop letting me do this," he bit off, half-angrily.
"If you'll stop leaning on me so that I can get my hands on a blunt object, I'll be happy to…!"
He kissed the words into oblivion. "It isn't a joke," he murmured into her mouth. His hips moved in a gentle, sensuous sweep against her hips. He felt her shiver.
"That's…new," she said with a strained attempt at humor. "It isn't," he corrected. "I've just never let you feel it before." He kissed her slowly, savoring the submission of her soft, warm lips. His hands swept under the blouse and up under her breasts in their lacy covering. He was going over the edge. If he did, he was going to take her with him, and it would damage both of them. He had to stop it, now, while he could. "Is this what Colby gets when he comes to see you?" he whispered with deliberate sarcasm.
It worked. She stepped on his foot as hard as she could with her bare instep. It surprised him more than it hurt him, but while he recoiled, she pushed him and tore out of his arms. Her eyes were lividly green through her glasses, her hair in disarray. She glared at him like a female panther.
"What Colby gets is none of your business! You get out of my apartment!" she raged at him.
She was magnificent, he thought, watching her with helpless delight. There wasn't a man alive who could cow her, or bend her to his will. Even her drunken, brutal stepfather hadn't been able to force her to do something she didn't want to do. "Oh, I hate that damned smug grin," she threw at him, swallowing her fury. "Man, the conqueror!"
"That isn't what I was thinking at all." He sobered little by little. "My mother was a meek little thing when she was younger," he recalled. "But she was forever throwing herself in front of me to keep my father from killing me. It was a long time until I grew big enough to protect her."
She stared at him curiously, still shaken. "I don't understand."
"You have a fierce spirit," he said quietly. "I admire it, even when it exasperates me. But it wouldn't be enough to save you from a man bent on hurting you."
He sighed heavily. "You've been…my responsibility…for a long time," he said, choosing his words carefully. "No matter how old you grow, I'll still feel protective about you. It's the way I'm made."
He meant to comfort, but the words hurt. She smiled anyway. "I can take care of myself."
"Can you?" he said softly. He searched her eyes. "In a weak moment…"
"I don't have too many of those. Mostly, you're responsible for them," she said with black humor. "Will you go away? I'm supposed to try to seduce you, not the reverse. You're breaking the rules."
His eyebrow lifted. Her sense of humor seemed to mend what was wrong between them. "You stopped trying to seduce me."
"You kept turning me down," she pointed out. "A woman's ego can only take so much rejection.
"If you'll stop leaning on me so that I can get my hands on a blunt object, I'll be happy to…!"
He kissed the words into oblivion. "It isn't a joke," he murmured into her mouth. His hips moved in a gentle, sensuous sweep against her hips. He felt her shiver.
"That's…new," she said with a strained attempt at humor. "It isn't," he corrected. "I've just never let you feel it before." He kissed her slowly, savoring the submission of her soft, warm lips. His hands swept under the blouse and up under her breasts in their lacy covering. He was going over the edge. If he did, he was going to take her with him, and it would damage both of them. He had to stop it, now, while he could. "Is this what Colby gets when he comes to see you?" he whispered with deliberate sarcasm.
It worked. She stepped on his foot as hard as she could with her bare instep. It surprised him more than it hurt him, but while he recoiled, she pushed him and tore out of his arms. Her eyes were lividly green through her glasses, her hair in disarray. She glared at him like a female panther.
"What Colby gets is none of your business! You get out of my apartment!" she raged at him.
She was magnificent, he thought, watching her with helpless delight. There wasn't a man alive who could cow her, or bend her to his will. Even her drunken, brutal stepfather hadn't been able to force her to do something she didn't want to do. "Oh, I hate that damned smug grin," she threw at him, swallowing her fury. "Man, the conqueror!"
"That isn't what I was thinking at all." He sobered little by little. "My mother was a meek little thing when she was younger," he recalled. "But she was forever throwing herself in front of me to keep my father from killing me. It was a long time until I grew big enough to protect her."
She stared at him curiously, still shaken. "I don't understand."
"You have a fierce spirit," he said quietly. "I admire it, even when it exasperates me. But it wouldn't be enough to save you from a man bent on hurting you."
He sighed heavily. "You've been…my responsibility…for a long time," he said, choosing his words carefully. "No matter how old you grow, I'll still feel protective about you. It's the way I'm made."
He meant to comfort, but the words hurt. She smiled anyway. "I can take care of myself."
"Can you?" he said softly. He searched her eyes. "In a weak moment…"
"I don't have too many of those. Mostly, you're responsible for them," she said with black humor. "Will you go away? I'm supposed to try to seduce you, not the reverse. You're breaking the rules."
His eyebrow lifted. Her sense of humor seemed to mend what was wrong between them. "You stopped trying to seduce me."
"You kept turning me down," she pointed out. "A woman's ego can only take so much rejection.
( Diana Palmer )
[ Paper Rose ]
www.QuoteSweet.com