Samiah concentrated on the feel of his soft yet firm, extremely kissable lips. And that tongue; the way it flicked and teased and moved in ways that awakened parts of her that had gone dormant. Her body’s awareness heightened with every succulent stroke of it.
It had been way too long since she’d been kissed like this, like the other participant actually gave a damn about her enjoyment of the act. His tongue ebbed against hers, pushing inside once again, sending wave upon wave of sensation crashing through her. It seemed instinctive the way their mouths moved together, her lips demanding more just as he became more urgent.
His enticing chest beckoned, so she pressed herself against him, frenzied excitement shooting through her as her sensitive nipples met his lean, toned muscles. Even as she mentally warned herself to slow down, Samiah abandoned her chair and straddled his lap, her skirt riding up her thighs. His worn denim jeans felt like heaven against her skin, gently abrading her inner thighs as she positioned herself on top of him.
Pleasure surged through her, an intense knot that started deep within her belly, then fanned out like a wildfire throughout her body. She braced her hands on either side of his frame, flattening them on the table. Then she deepened their kiss, plunging her tongue in a rhythm that matched the rocking of her hips.
He palmed her ass, squeezed and caressed it, his deft fingers kneading her with just the right amount of pressure to elicit a strangled moan from deep in her throat.
Stop this, a warning voice rang out in her head.Not here. Not now.
“We have to stop,” Samiah said against his open mouth.
“I know,” he replied.
Yet neither of them made an attempt to break apart. Daniel shoved one hand in the hair at the base of her head while he used the other to pull her even tighter to him.
It would be so easy to take this to the next level. To pull her skirt up to her waist, draw her panties to the side, and invite him inside her aching body.
And that’s when she finally pulled away. She could not,wouldnot, go there.
Ragged breaths struggled to escape her lungs, which burned with the need for oxygen. Samiah knew she looked like she’d been hit with a boulder.
It was only fair. That’s exactly the way she felt.
Chapter Fifteen
Daniel pulled a pair of sweatpants over his basketball shorts and zipped up his fleece hoodie. He walked out of the bathroom, into the living room, and just shook his head. Quentin sat on the sofa in a short-sleeved T-shirt.
“Are you sure you’re not going through some kind of male menopause or something?” Daniel asked.
“I’ve always been warm-blooded.” Quentin looked over his shoulder and chuckled. “Dramatic much?”
“Nope.” Daniel forced the zipper all the way up and pulled the hood over his head, cinching the drawstring underneath his chin. “I freeze my balls off whenever you’re here.”
“Everyone knows I like it on the chilly side. They should have warned you before FinCEN agreed to this joint taskforce.” He held up several sheets of paper. “Did you notice how the Wi-Fi activity in most of the Uruguay properties escalated in July?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t find it unusual,” Daniel said, lifting the sheets from Quentin’s grasp. “That’s the heat of soccer season. Die-hard fans are willing to spend money to stream their favorite teams.” He grabbed his iPad. “But it’s worth making a note. The bad guys could be thinking that same thing. It would be smart to use a time when Wi-Fi activity is up to funnel more logins.”
“And we’ve already established that the people behind this scheme are smart,” Quentin said.
“Too damn smart,” Daniel grunted. The iPad dinged with a notification that the department meeting with FinCEN would be starting in another five minutes. “I’ve got my weekly conference with headquarters. How long you plan on staying?”
“I’ll be here a while.” Quentin gestured toward the kitchen. “I brewed a fresh pot of coffee while you were in the shower. Grab yourself a cup. Stay warm.”
He snorted a laugh. “Thanks.”
He could use a cup of coffee for both the warmth and the caffeine boost. Too many late nights of trying to find a way into Trendsetters’ security had him dog-ass tired. But a cup of coffee was no longer just a cup of coffee for him. There was an irrevocable association with a certain coworker tied to it. He doubted he’d ever be able to drink coffee again without thinking of his morning ritual with Samiah.
Not reaching for her again last night had been the hardest fucking thing ever. In retrospect, Daniel recognized that he should be grateful she’d had the presence of mind to slow things down. But another part of him—the part that had tortured him throughout the night by mentally continuing past the point when Samiah had stopped them—thatpart resented the hell out of the way his night had ended.
Moments after they’d pulled apart, Samiah had packed up her computer and hauled it out of the office. And he’d come back to this empty apartment. Alone.
Forgoing the coffee, he went into the computer room and fell into the rolling desk chair. He shut his eyes tight, trying his best to quell the barrage of images barreling to the forefront of his mind at the very thought of her. He couldn’t do this now. He had a video conference call in two minutes. He needed to funnel all his energy into delivering a credible explanation of why things weren’t moving fast enough on this job.
Not that anyone at FinCEN had expectations that weren’t being met. It was his own internal timeline that was pushing him to work harder and stress over the fact that he hadn’t been able to breach Trendsetters’ security.
The lack of movement on this job—on finding even one solid lead—was driving him crazy.
