He grinned back.
Her heart stuttered. No. Definitely no. She could not fall for this guy any more than she already had. She knew it. He definitely knew it. “Don’t be charming.” She sounded way too breathy.
“Baby, I’m nowhere near charming.” His fingers twisted in her hair, taking control.
Her breath caught in her lungs. Baby? Nobody had ever called her that. From him, she kind of liked it. At least her body did. She was so accustomed to being in control, this was new. Exciting. A definite turn on.
“I’ve wanted you for months,” he admitted, voice raw.
“I know,” she whispered. “You flirted a lot.” But he hadn’t meant it. They wouldn’t be here, naked in the shower, both panting, if she hadn’t made a move.
He levered down and nibbled along her bottom lip, sinking his teeth in just enough to lightly bite. Fire lashed through her, pounding into her clit. “I like flirting with you.”
“You flirt with everyone,” she breathed.
He lifted his head, his eyes inches from hers, his nose nearly touching hers. “No, I actually don’t.”
She thought about it. Interesting. She hadn’t ever seen him truly flirt with anybody else. Why did she think he did? Just his reputation? Or just because he always had with her, and she assumed? “Why me?” The question was honest. “Just because you thought I wouldn’t take you up on it?”
He kissed her then, going deep, and taking over. Her pulse roared in her ears. Her body arched into his. The heat built until she thought she might combust from it, and her nipples sharpened to hard points. Way too hard. She understood anatomy, but she’d never ached like this. Hadn’t realized this was possible.
Ace Osprey was more dangerous to her than she’d thought. Her body was totally okay with that fact. Warning bells should be ringing in her head, but only flashes of need held her attention. Fiery, desperate, hungry need.
Outside, thunder cracked again.
He leaned back in the nick of time to save her lungs. “No. I flirted with you.” He kissed her again, hard this time, sending her senses reeling, “because I couldn’t help myself. You’re sweet and smart, sexy and a pain in the ass all at the same time.”
She blinked. Words. He was saying words, right? “But…but you didn’t mean it.”
“Sure, I did.” He licked along her jawline up to her ear, where he nibbled on her lobe.
Her knees almost gave out.
“I just wanted to get myself straightened out before I made a real move, but I was always planning on making one.” He pulled her hair back, his grip firm, and continued his exploration of her forehead, cheekbones, and jawline. With his mouth.
She tried to swallow. “Are you straightened out?”
He paused while nibbling on her other ear. “No.”
Huh. All right.
“I’m working on it, though.” Holding her in place, he moved to meet her gaze again, this time his face definitely above hers. “I’m probably still not a great bet.”
She wasn’t so sure about that. “Who are you trying to convince? You or me?”
His eyes darkened to the color of the forest depths at night. “Maybe I’m trying to keep my heart from being shattered.”
She leaned up, touching her nose to his. “You have a heart?”
His grin came quick. “Let’s find out.” His mouth took hers with a command that had her eyelids closing and her body falling into his. Trusting him. Feeling his rigid cock prodding at her skin. He kissed down her chin, over her clavicle, to her breasts, flicking one nipple and then the other with his tongue.
Then he kept going.
“Um,” she managed, tangling one of her hands in his thick mop of hair.
“Um, yourself,” he said against her abdomen, reaching her clit.
She couldn’t do this. Manage to stay upright.
