She leaned into him, anticipating, hoping…
“Jesus.” He took a breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, their gazes collided. She saw hunger in the dark green depths, combined with hesitancy and remnants of the pain she’d glimpsed earlier.
“We shouldn’t.”
He was right, but she thirsted too much to refuse him.
“You’re my client.” Possessively rather than painfully, he dug his fingers into her skin. “Mine to protect.”
His words fanned a feminine response she’d never before experienced. Her heart raced, and the floor seemed to sway beneath her. Jacob Walker was as dangerous as he was irresistible. And she had to know what he tasted like. “Kiss me?” It was an invitation as much as a plea.
“Elissa…” But even as he shook his head, he continued to hold her as if he’d never let go. “These are unusual circumstances, and your emotions are likely heightened.”
If the darkness of his eyes was any indication, he was not immune to her either.
“You might regret this.”
“I know what I’m doing.” The only thing she would regret was passing up this moment. “Kiss me.”
Fire flared in his eyes. Then, with a groan, he brushed his lips across hers.
The fleeting touch wasn’t enough. “Jacob…”
He drew her up onto her tiptoes and captured her mouth, seeking entrance.
This time there was nothing gentle about him. His tongue sought and found hers. Tasting of temptation, he staked a claim, feeding one hand into the strands of her hair to ease back her head.
In response to his silent demand, she opened wider, granting him the access he demanded.
As their tongues danced, her knees weakened. Desperate for the support, she reached up to entwine her hands behind his neck.
His arousal pressed against her soft belly. She was open, exposed, vulnerable in a way she never had been before, and for that moment, she was his for the taking.
The kiss went on forever yet ended too soon.
Before releasing her, he gently bit her lower lip, leaving behind a tiny sting that would remind her of this moment.
“You’re beautiful, Elissa. Everything I imagined.” He touched her swollen lips. “And now I need you to go to your room and lock the door. Or else I will tie you to my bed for the rest of the night.”
She gasped.
“Jesus. You have to leave.” He walked to the door and stood beside it purposefully.
For a shocking, horrifying moment, she considered disobeying him.
“Please.” His hoarse plea sounded as if it had been dragged through gravel, promising her he’d follow through with his threat if she didn’t leave.
Sleeping with her kidnapper would be insanity. She told herself it was the situation, or maybe the wine, maybe the lateness of the hour, but she’d momentarily lost her head.
Still, on her way past him, she paused.
“No matter what, don’t unlock your door for me.”
She shivered, as much from the threat as from the power of her own sexual response to him.
Chapter Three
Elissa needed tea. Or really, anything infused with caffeine, hot or cold, was fine.
She dropped her forearm over her eyes.
Even though the bed was comfortable, she hadn’t managed to sleep for more than a few hours. The bright Colorado sun blasted the room, despite the fact that the blinds were closed. And the deadline to get designs over to her client was only a couple of days away, creating anxiety. Not that she needed more of that.
In flashes, memories of the previous night rushed through her mind, from the strange attraction at the pub, to the hardness of his body as he’d swept her from the ground and tossed her over his shoulder. Then…the kiss. Her lower lip still tingled from Jacob’s passion.
What was worse was how close she’d come to asking him to tie her up.
As long as she could remember, she’d wanted to experiment with BDSM, but she’d never had a partner willing to explore with her. Jacob, on the other hand, had read her accurately, and she had no doubt he was capable of giving her everything she desired.
Yet he was the one man she dared not play with. It would lead to nothing other than heartache.
The craziness of the situation would be over soon, maybe in a few days. She’d go back to her life. No way could she become attached either physically or emotionally to another former military man who operated in the shadows.
But still, no matter how hard she tried to shove aside thoughts of last night or the stupidity of finishing what had started in his bedroom, the stronger and more tantalizing they became.
Frustrated, she flipped onto her stomach.
Despite her efforts to control her runaway fantasies, she imagined he actually had kept her in his room and tied her to his massive bed.
First, he would strip off her clothes and trail his fingers across her needy body. Once she was aroused, he’d pick her up and place her on the mattress. Then he’d exert his masculine dominance, securing her with ropes while she writhed, captured, unable to escape his sexual determination.
She’d gasp when he played with her pussy, and she’d silently beg him to take her. And when he did, it would be as powerful as a storm.
The pictures flashing like strobe lights through her brain made her clit throb.
She needed to orgasm.
Maybe that would put a stop to the stampede of impossible, tempting thoughts. Surrendering, just for the moment, she reached a hand beneath her pelvis and pressed against her clit.
She moaned into the pillow.
Then all of a sudden she was lost…in a fever of arousal, grinding her hips, seeking release. Elissa slipped two fingers inside herself, wishing instead that it was Jacob’s massive cock filling her.
Faster and faster, she moved, thinking about the sight of him holding his belt, the leather tantalizing.
Within moments, she climaxed, screaming his name, praying he didn’t hear her.
For moments afterward, she lay there, her breaths disjointed as she labored to return to reality.
The climax had been as swift as it was powerful. But shockingly, she was still thinking about Jacob.
What’s wrong with me?
Elissa didn’t masturbate often, and when she did, she was generally satisfied for days, maybe even a week. This internal hunger for a specific man was new. And she didn’t like it. She wasn’t the type of woman to think about sex all the time. Or, rather, she hadn’t been until the cowboy uprooted her life.
Determinedly she punched her pillow into a different shape while telling herself to focus on something else. Like work. That was always her favorite refuge. She had to decide on the colors and fonts to communicate her client’s brand. He was a motivational speaker, and she wanted something engaging, a bit bold to reflect his personality, but it also needed to invite trust. Meeting planners had to be confident when booking him.
In the distance, a door closed.
Did that mean Jacob had left the house?
If so, maybe it was safe to get her tea so she could hurry back to the sanctuary of her room.
Seizing the opportunity, she turned over, then climbed out of bed.
After pulling on a pair of leggings but not changing out of his T-shirt, she headed downstairs only to freeze once she reached the kitchen.
Jacob was there, leaning against the countertop, a mug in hand. He wore a skimpy pair of swim trunks and nothing else. His short hair was wet and slicked back, while droplets of water clung to his broad chest.