Chapter 7
“Hey, wake up.” Chris unceremoniously ripped the covers from Meg’s body and tapped the bottom of her cute toes. They had work to do.
She jolted into a sitting position, her tousled hair hanging over her face as she reached longingly for the blanket. Shaking her head, she glanced around confused.
She pushed her hair away and the loose top she’d worn to bed last night hung off her shoulder exposing the top of her breast. She swiftly hiked up the fabric then glared at him. He merely grinned back wishing she hadn’t been so diligent in replacing the material. The little peek was nice. He’d like even more--wait, why was he here? Oh, yeah.
“Come on,” he said, his hand clenching and unclenching with the contact it’d had on her, wishing it could have more. “Moreno’s on the terrace with someone and I’ve never seen this guy before. I have to get a picture so we can ID him but I can’t very well stroll out and take a shot. I need a diversion.”
“Throw Javier in the pool,” she suggested. “Then you can snap all the pictures you want.” She grabbed the comforter attempting to lie back down.
“No,” he said, sliding his hand down her arm, frowning at the bruises that were starting to fade. He circled his hand around her wrist and pulled gently until she was standing next to him. Awareness of her scantily clad body consumed him and he resisted the urge to pull her closer.
“I want to get pictures from up here. I can’t take the chance this guy will disappear by the time you get dressed and we get down to the pool. Besides it’ll be way too obvious from down there. We can do it on the balcony.”
Do it on the balcony. His mind raced straight to the gutter thinking of exactly what they could do. He wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea, not with the degree of heat he felt whenever she was near. But he had to exert control. This was a professional relationship. He started leading her toward the door.
She pulled back. “Give me a second to at least look decent. No one’s going to believe you have any interest in me when I’m a mess.” She glanced at her well-worn top and shorts then touched her uncombed and sleep-tossed hair.
“Be quick,” he answered. How could she not know how amazing she looked with her sleepy eyes and disheveled hair? Her long trim legs exposed by the tiny shorts were a man’s dream and the small peek he’d gotten of the top of her breasts, he had to stop thinking along those lines or he’d need a cold shower.
“I’ll be out on the other balcony talking on the phone. Come out and distract me with some flirting type stuff. While we’re doing that, I’ll take some pictures. Hopefully it won’t be too obvious.”
He turned and walked through the suite to the balcony as she headed to the bathroom. After setting his camera he began an imaginary conversation. It was barely a minute before she appeared. Her hair had been brushed but other than that he didn’t see any difference. He tried to keep his attention on the phone and his gaze glued to Moreno. But her eyes glowed with mischief. He was in for some trouble. The signs were flashing in neon.
“Hey, muffin,” she purred as she stepped onto the balcony. She glanced down to where Moreno sat and gave a quick shake of her head. She’d never seen this guy before either. “I thought you were coming back to bed to keep me warm.”
Sidling up to him, she slid her arms around his waist, her soft curves relaxing against his chest. He leaned back against the railing and inhaled deeply as she pressed closer. She smelled good, even without a shower.
He glanced down at her with appreciation. “In a minute, babe. I told you this call was important.”
She raised her eyebrow and mouthed, ‘babe.’ She didn’t like that, huh? Too bad. He wanted to get in with Moreno and he doubted the guy cared whether he treated women well or not. Probably called them a lot worse. Chris was supposed to be the kind of guy who wanted a lady to live with him for a few months simply to have sex. The language had to fit.
“But I need younow, muffin,” she whimpered, her pout huge and potent. “You know how excited I am when I first wake up. You don’t want to miss that peak, do you?”
She lifted her hands to unbutton the shirt he was wearing. Damn, she was good. His breath hitched when she ran her fingers through the hair on his chest. He clutched the phone tighter to his ear, afraid he might drop it. Wrapping his other hand around her waist, he said, “Only a few more minutes, babe, and I promise we’ll reach that peak together.”
He made a few more business-like comments as she tried to remove his shirt from his body. Allowing it, he shrugged it off his shoulders then turned around soshewas now leaning against the railing and he was facing the pool where Moreno was deep in conversation. She continued exploring his chest, his concentration shot to hell. He clenched his teeth trying to keep his mind on business.
She leaned in closer to touch her lips to the spots her hands had been traveling and he groaned. He’d said to distract him, not shut his brain down. He barely cared about Moreno.
Focus, ignore her hands and lips roaming freely, take a deep breath, get the job done. He moved the phone around her back, facing Moreno and clicked the button to activate the camera then snapped off several pictures.
Lowering his mouth to her shoulder, he nibbling on the skin exposed by her loose top. The taste of her was sinful and he wanted more. But he also wanted Moreno, so to hell with the riot she was causing in his gut.
Her hands caressed the muscles in his back and they trembled. She wasn’t as unaffected as he thought. Time for a little payback while still doing his job.
“Let’s hold it right here for a while,” he said into her ear. “Moreno’s got a laptop open and I might be able to get a picture. Maybe the lab guys can enhance it and get some of what’s on the screen.”
He lifted her, balancing her on the edge of the railing. She grabbed for his shoulders and he whispered, “Wrap your legs around my waist and you won’t fall.”
She wrapped her arms and legs around him. “You better not get so engrossed in what he’s doing that you drop me,muffin.” This time the word didn’t hold the typical honey-dripping lilt.
He grinned as he settled farther into the apex of her thighs. Maybe not the smartest idea if he wanted to stay on task. “You’d probably land in the pool and youdidsay you were a good swimmer.”
She narrowed her eyes, clinging tighter to his limbs. God, the images he had floating around his filthy little mind of her legs wrapped around him. He pulled her closer, his head lowering to within a breath of her lips. “We still have to make sure no one suspects anything other than two lovers enjoying each other up here. Moreno keeps checking out the area and has eyed us a few times.”
As his lips connected to her neck, Meg moaned.
