He contemplated the answer as theBlackGold’s hot water tank disgorged its contents over the top of his head. When Maddy had suggested he hop in the shower to warm up because “it had to be colder than a witch’s tit down there”—she was cute as a button, a fact Bran seemed to be well aware of—Leo hadn’t wasted a minute taking her up on her offer. He’d needed some time alone. To think. To try to solve the jigsaw puzzle that was Olivia Mortier.
Unfortunately, after washing the expensive, fruity-smelling shampoo from his hair—at least hehopedit was shampoo; the words on the bottle were printed in French so he couldn’t be sure—he was no closer to figuring out the riddle than he’d been before. He wiped a hand across the steam on the shower door, peeking into the well-appointed bathroom with its gray slate tiles and deep mahogany cabinetry. Nope. The clues to what was lurking in Olivia’s head weren’t out there.
Then, as if his unhappy thoughts had conjured her up, her husky voice drifted through the bathroom door. “Leo?” The sound was muffled by the water hitting the tiles at his feet.
“What?” he barked. Then chastised himself for his harsh tone. The woman had ajobto do. He couldn’t fault her for that. But he could fault her for not at leasttryingto make some time for him. And, okay, right, so he’d made it sound like all he wanted from her was a one-night stand, and why would she be willing to put her career on hold forthat, no matter how amazing it would undoubtedly be? But, surely,surelyshe knew there was more to it. Surely she could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her.
“I…uh…I just wanted to check on you,” she called. “Make sure you’re still feeling okay.”
He opened his mouth to tell her he was fine. Hot. Horny.Frustrated—and maybe a little heartbroken. But otherwise fine. Then a thought occurred. A devilish, devious thought. It made him grin. “No!” he yelled, his voice dramatically hoarse. “I-I’m feelin’ a little dizzy! I can’t…can’t…” He wheezed like a two-pack-a-day smoker.
The door to the bathroom burst open, and Olivia blew in like a hurricane. Hair flying, long legs churning. Shemorethan liked him. She cared for him. It was written all over her face when she whisked open the shower door.
Satisfaction and…happiness…washed through him. He promptly yanked her inside.
“Wha—?” She blinked up at him, the ceiling-mounted rain showerhead soaking her and turning her khaki shorts brown. Her long hair plastered itself to her cheeks and forehead.
He didn’t give her time to say more before slamming his mouth over the top of hers, ravaging her and punishing her for thinking to leave things undone between them. Again.She softened, her tongue eagerly meeting his. Then she stiffened and pulled back.
“I thought you said you were dizzy.” Her eyes searched his face, sleek brows drawn together. She pressed two fingers to the pulse in his neck. Lifted his wrist so she could keep time using his diver’s watch.
She was adorable when she was in drenched mama-bear mode. Her teeth worrying her bottom lip and silvery drops of water clinging to her long, thick eyelashes.
“I lied,” he admitted, smiling lecherously when her delightful, biteable chin jerked back. He gently brushed her fingers away from his carotid, shuffling her backward until her shoulders hit the tile wall. The water continued to fall behind them, a constantshhhhhhof sound that, combined with the steam, cocooned them inside a private, hazy oasis.
“You. Giant.Asshole!” she spat, blue flame shooting from her eyes as she pushed her sopping hair away from her face.Christ, she’s fierce.And hot. She made his head spin. His whole frickin’worldspin. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“Mmm,” he hummed, not apologizing, simply bending to kiss the frown from her lips. “It was the only way I knew to get you in the shower with me.”
She turned her cheek with a huff. No matter. He’d satisfy himself with nibbling on her delectable ear. She sighed when he sucked the soft lobe into his mouth, then caught herself and cut it off so it ended on a little squeak. “Leo.” Her tone was scolding, breathlessly scolding; he fought a grin. “The c-contractors arrived and—Oh God, that feels good.”
“Mmm-hmm,” he growled, swirling his tongue into the delicate shell. “And so what? Can you help ’em fix their boat?”
“N-no,” she conceded, squirming under his assault. Not trying to get away necessarily, just trying to ignore the heat sizzling between them.Right.Like he was going to letthathappen. “But I need to give them the case with the capsules in it.”
“They may look about as smart as a box of rocks, but I assure you my guys can handle that without too much trouble.” He moved his lips to the pulse point of her throat. She liked it when he sucked on that spot. It always made her whimper.Bingo.A throaty mewling sounded in his ear. His dick throbbed against the fabric of her shorts where he’d pressed himself against her.
“But—”
“Don’t you want this?” he asked, interrupting her protest. “If we can’t have tonight, then at least we can have this. These couple of hours before Doc and Romeo arrive.”Andalltheonesafterthatwhenyoucomerunnin’ back to me for more.
He intended to love her so well that she’d have no choice but to return to him time and again, pulled inexplicably like the moon tugs the tides. And once she returned to him enough times, he’d tell her he wanted her tokeepreturning to him because, you know, helovedher. He would have confessed as much now if he thought it would do him any good. But something in her demeanor, something in her eyes, said she wasn’t ready to hear it. And he’d learned long ago to trust his instincts.
“I don’t think—”
“Good,” he rumbled, peppering the corner of her mouth with quick, darting kisses. “I don’t want you to think, Olivia. I just want you to feel.This.” He palmed her face, sealing their lips. The immediate suction of her mouth—as if, despite all her protests, she’d been waiting for him to kiss her—sent a thrum of sensation all the way through him, swirling in his stomach, tugging at his balls. His shaft pulsed and ached until it was nothing but a rod of hot, hungry flesh.
She stabbed her tongue into his mouth, a delightful intrusion of wet, silken heat. He caught it between his teeth and sucked, just like he’d sucked on her sweet, pulsing center. She must have recognized the technique. She moaned into his mouth and went boneless in his arms, the skin on her cheeks flushing bonfire hot against his palms.
Shoving his bare thigh between her legs, he kept her where he wanted her, reveling in her sultry heat. She was steamier than the shower. Hot enough to singe his fingers, burn his tongue.
God, I want to taste her again.And again and again and again. Just feast on her like a glutton. And he would. For the rest of his life, he vowed he would. But first he had to show her what she would be missing if she tried to hightail it back to DC.
“Andthis,” he growled, grabbing her hip bones and forcing her to ride him, rubbing her back and forth over the hard muscle of his thigh until the friction made her gasp.
He could feel the struggle in her. The need to give in to the electricity and power that sizzled between them as if they were connected by live wires competing with…whatever it was that was making her hold herself back. Luckily, he’d been through enough battles to know how to maneuver things so she’d end up on the winning side.Hisside.
“Andthis.” He grabbed her hand, guiding it to his raging shaft, hissing when her fingers wrapped around him. His hips bucked of their own accord, the muscles of his ass clenching. His sac drew up tight when her cool palm hit the heated skin over his head.
