Key of Knowledge
Page 42
Which meant, he deduced from his knowledge of her, that she’d been planning to work around the apartment, then had grabbed the first pair of shoes that came to hand because she’d been in a hurry.
And that meant the flower had done the job.
“The single-red-rose gambit is supposed to be romantic.” He smiled when he said it, just a little smugly.
She stepped into the room, skirted the suitcase. “You said it reminded you of me. Just what’s what supposed to mean?”
“It’s long and sexy, and it smells good. What’s the problem, Stretch?”
“Look, you went for the big splashy date Saturday. Good job. But if you think I can be taken in by a fancy meal and a rosebud, you’re sadly mistaken.”
He hadn’t shaved, she noted, and could have used a haircut. Damn it, she’d always been a sucker for that heading-toward-scruffy look on him.
Then there was the expression on his face when she stepped in the door, before he’d known she was there. Half dreamy, half gone. And his mouth had been sort of grim and determined.
She had to grip the doorjamb to stop herself from rushing over and biting that mouth.
And now he was just watching her, that cocky half smile on his face. She didn’t know whether to punch him or jump him.
“I’m not some starry-eyed kid this time around, and . . . what are you grinning at?”
“Got you over here, didn’t it?”
“Well, I’m not staying. I’m just here to tell you it doesn’t work.”
“I missed you. The more I’m around you, the more I realize how much.”
Her heart fluttered and was ruthlessly ignored. “That doesn’t cut it with me either.”
“What does?”
“You might try straight-up honesty for a change. Saying what you mean without any of the goofy touches. Which are clichés, by the way,” she added as he stubbed out the cigarette and got to his feet.
And clichés became clichés, she thought, because they goddamn worked.
“All right.” He stopped in front of her, hooked his fingers in the neck of her sweatshirt and tugged her forward. “Can’t get my mind off you, Dana. I can tuck you away in it for stretches of time, but you’re still in there. Like a splinter.”
“So yank me out.” She thrust up her chin. “Go ahead.”
“I like you there, which makes me a glutton for punishment. I like you here, curling your lip at me and smelling of rain.”
He reached up, tugged the band out of her hair and tossed it aside. Then he wrapped his fingers where the band had been. “I want to take you to bed, right now. I want to sink my teeth into you. I want to bury myself inside you. And when we’re done, I want to do it all over again.”
He angled his head, kept his eyes on hers. “How’s that for straight-up honesty?”
“Not half bad.”
Chapter Ten
HE stared at her, trying to gauge her mood. “If that wasn’t a yes,” he decided, “you’d better run for the door. Fast.”
“It—”
The rest of the words spilled down her throat when he swung her off her feet. “Too late. I win by default.”
She did her best to frown, but it wasn’t easy with the giddy thrill pumping through her. “Maybe I only want you because you’re one of the few guys who can cart me around like I’m in the featherweight division.”
“It’s a start. I like your build, Stretch. Lots of territory to explore. What are you carrying now?” He juggled her a bit. “About one-fifty?”
A dangerous glint sharpened her eyes. “You think a comment like that’s going to make me go gooey?”
“And every ounce exquisitely packed.”
“Nice save.”
“Thanks. I like your face, too.”
“If you’re about to say something about it being full of character, I’m going to hurt you.”
“Those deep, dark eyes.” He laid her on the bed as he looked into them. “I never could get the image of those eyes out of my head. Then there’s that mouth. All soft and ripe and tasty.” He nipped into her bottom lip, tugged gently. “I could spend hours thinking about your mouth.”
She wasn’t going gooey, exactly, but she had to admit something inside was definitely warming up. “You’re better at this than you used to be.”
“Shut up. I’m working here.” He cruised his lips over her cheeks. “Then there’s the dimples. Unexpected, capricious, strangely sexy. I’ve always loved the look of you.”
He took her mouth again, long, slow, and deep until the pleasure spread from that point of contact through her body and straight down to her toes.
Oh, yes, she thought, he was much, much better at it now.
“Remember that first time with us?”
She arched a little, shifted a little as he nuzzled at her neck. “Since we all but set the living room rug on fire, it’s a little tough to forget it.”
“All that pent-up passion and energy. It’s a wonder we survived it.”
“We were young and resilient.”
He eased back, smiled at her. “Now we’re older and smarter. I’m going to drive you crazy, and it’s going to take a very long time.”
The muscles in her belly quivered. She needed to be touched. She needed to be shared, and with him—always with him—she could have both.
She’d known they would end up here when she’d walked out of her apartment. Maybe she’d known, down deep, they’d end up here the minute she’d opened Flynn’s door and seen Jordan standing outside.
She wanted, he wanted. She could only hope that could be enough for her.
“It happens I have some time on my hands just now.”
“Let’s start . . . right here.”
His lips took hers with a kind of restrained urgency that shot shock waves of hot need through her system. Even as her heart leaped, he changed the tone, gentled it until that raging beat went slow and thick.
She floated back on the memory of what had been between them. The fire and the sinew of it. And forward again, to what was now. A kind of wonder and depth.
Helpless to resist either, hungry for the familiar and the new, she wrapped herself around him.
His body was familiar. The years hadn’t really changed it. Long, broad at the shoulder, lean at the hips. The play of muscles under her hands, so much the same. The good solid weight of him, the shape of his mouth, his hands, so much the same.
And that meant the flower had done the job.
“The single-red-rose gambit is supposed to be romantic.” He smiled when he said it, just a little smugly.
She stepped into the room, skirted the suitcase. “You said it reminded you of me. Just what’s what supposed to mean?”
“It’s long and sexy, and it smells good. What’s the problem, Stretch?”
“Look, you went for the big splashy date Saturday. Good job. But if you think I can be taken in by a fancy meal and a rosebud, you’re sadly mistaken.”
He hadn’t shaved, she noted, and could have used a haircut. Damn it, she’d always been a sucker for that heading-toward-scruffy look on him.
Then there was the expression on his face when she stepped in the door, before he’d known she was there. Half dreamy, half gone. And his mouth had been sort of grim and determined.
She had to grip the doorjamb to stop herself from rushing over and biting that mouth.
And now he was just watching her, that cocky half smile on his face. She didn’t know whether to punch him or jump him.
“I’m not some starry-eyed kid this time around, and . . . what are you grinning at?”
“Got you over here, didn’t it?”
“Well, I’m not staying. I’m just here to tell you it doesn’t work.”
“I missed you. The more I’m around you, the more I realize how much.”
Her heart fluttered and was ruthlessly ignored. “That doesn’t cut it with me either.”
“What does?”
“You might try straight-up honesty for a change. Saying what you mean without any of the goofy touches. Which are clichés, by the way,” she added as he stubbed out the cigarette and got to his feet.
And clichés became clichés, she thought, because they goddamn worked.
“All right.” He stopped in front of her, hooked his fingers in the neck of her sweatshirt and tugged her forward. “Can’t get my mind off you, Dana. I can tuck you away in it for stretches of time, but you’re still in there. Like a splinter.”
“So yank me out.” She thrust up her chin. “Go ahead.”
“I like you there, which makes me a glutton for punishment. I like you here, curling your lip at me and smelling of rain.”
He reached up, tugged the band out of her hair and tossed it aside. Then he wrapped his fingers where the band had been. “I want to take you to bed, right now. I want to sink my teeth into you. I want to bury myself inside you. And when we’re done, I want to do it all over again.”
He angled his head, kept his eyes on hers. “How’s that for straight-up honesty?”
“Not half bad.”
Chapter Ten
HE stared at her, trying to gauge her mood. “If that wasn’t a yes,” he decided, “you’d better run for the door. Fast.”
“It—”
The rest of the words spilled down her throat when he swung her off her feet. “Too late. I win by default.”
She did her best to frown, but it wasn’t easy with the giddy thrill pumping through her. “Maybe I only want you because you’re one of the few guys who can cart me around like I’m in the featherweight division.”
“It’s a start. I like your build, Stretch. Lots of territory to explore. What are you carrying now?” He juggled her a bit. “About one-fifty?”
A dangerous glint sharpened her eyes. “You think a comment like that’s going to make me go gooey?”
“And every ounce exquisitely packed.”
“Nice save.”
“Thanks. I like your face, too.”
“If you’re about to say something about it being full of character, I’m going to hurt you.”
“Those deep, dark eyes.” He laid her on the bed as he looked into them. “I never could get the image of those eyes out of my head. Then there’s that mouth. All soft and ripe and tasty.” He nipped into her bottom lip, tugged gently. “I could spend hours thinking about your mouth.”
She wasn’t going gooey, exactly, but she had to admit something inside was definitely warming up. “You’re better at this than you used to be.”
“Shut up. I’m working here.” He cruised his lips over her cheeks. “Then there’s the dimples. Unexpected, capricious, strangely sexy. I’ve always loved the look of you.”
He took her mouth again, long, slow, and deep until the pleasure spread from that point of contact through her body and straight down to her toes.
Oh, yes, she thought, he was much, much better at it now.
“Remember that first time with us?”
She arched a little, shifted a little as he nuzzled at her neck. “Since we all but set the living room rug on fire, it’s a little tough to forget it.”
“All that pent-up passion and energy. It’s a wonder we survived it.”
“We were young and resilient.”
He eased back, smiled at her. “Now we’re older and smarter. I’m going to drive you crazy, and it’s going to take a very long time.”
The muscles in her belly quivered. She needed to be touched. She needed to be shared, and with him—always with him—she could have both.
She’d known they would end up here when she’d walked out of her apartment. Maybe she’d known, down deep, they’d end up here the minute she’d opened Flynn’s door and seen Jordan standing outside.
She wanted, he wanted. She could only hope that could be enough for her.
“It happens I have some time on my hands just now.”
“Let’s start . . . right here.”
His lips took hers with a kind of restrained urgency that shot shock waves of hot need through her system. Even as her heart leaped, he changed the tone, gentled it until that raging beat went slow and thick.
She floated back on the memory of what had been between them. The fire and the sinew of it. And forward again, to what was now. A kind of wonder and depth.
Helpless to resist either, hungry for the familiar and the new, she wrapped herself around him.
His body was familiar. The years hadn’t really changed it. Long, broad at the shoulder, lean at the hips. The play of muscles under her hands, so much the same. The good solid weight of him, the shape of his mouth, his hands, so much the same.
