“Not really.” Parking at the sink again, she locked her hands together and flipped back her hair. “I guess you’d just have to meet Vanity to see what I mean.”
With no plans to head to Cali any time soon, he dismissed that possibility. “Let’s get back to your phone number.” The second he said it, her phone chimed with a text message.
They stared at each other.
Making no move to check the message, Yvette said, “Are you ready?” and she gave him her number.
After saving her in his contacts, he glanced at her phone. “Want me to put my number in for you?”
That got her feet moving. “No, I can do it.” She snatched up the phone, read the message, then clicked over to a new screen. “Okay, what is it?”
While reciting the number, Cannon moved closer. When she finished, he tipped up her chin. “Now. About tonight.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, then his chest, down to his abs and beyond. “Tonight?”
Keep it up, he thought, and I won’t last past the next five minutes.
CHAPTER SIX
WITHOUT REALIZING IT, Yvette went up on her tiptoes, drawn to Cannon, swaying in closer to his appeal.
The rough edge of his thumb teased under her chin, then up to her bottom lip again. He made a low sound of encouragement. “You’re begging to be kissed.”
That deep, affected tone stroked over her—until she realized what he’d said. Her heels landed back on the linoleum floor with jarring impact. “I— What?”
His sexy mouth quirked at her confusion. “Mindi called, remember? Did you want to meet with her tonight?”
Humiliation hit her like a dash of icy water. Good grief, she’d sent so many mixed signals, the poor guy was going to crash before she got her head on straight. “Right, sorry.”
“On second thought...” He scooped her in close and took her mouth in a warm, blessedly brief kiss. “I like your idea better.”
How could she resist so much temptation?
She could, because she had no choice. “Cannon—”
He shushed her with another, longer kiss.
With him moving at Mach speed, she couldn’t think clearly, especially when her bones turned to butter and his scent left her dizzy and he tasted so damn good.
Looping his arms loosely around her waist, he eased up but kept her against him. “You want some time, don’t you?”
An eternity, but grateful for the reprieve, she only nodded.
“I’ll try, all right?” His next kiss landed on her forehead. “Won’t be easy, though.”
She’d always known that Cannon was rock solid and sexier than any guy should be. But she hadn’t realized that being a fighter would ramp up his already considerable confidence and hone his appeal, both emotional and physical. “I could tell you about hard.”
“That should be my line.” He nudged into her. “Any more kissing and I’ll have a full-fledged boner.”
What she felt wasn’t full-fledged?
“Again,” he added.
Right. Of course she’d noticed earlier. Impossible to ignore, really, though she’d tried.
His amusement kicked up another notch. “Looking at me like that isn’t helping.”
Realizing that she’d been staring at him while thinking about his erection, Yvette tried to wiggle out of his arms.
Cannon didn’t let her.
“Settle down.” He drew her in closer, one hand between her shoulder blades, the other just above her behind. “We have a lot of ground to cover yet, and to be honest, I prefer to settle it just like this.” He nuzzled against her temple, sending gooseflesh up and down her arms. “Okay?”
“Do I get a say in it?”
“Sure.” He tilted her back, his expression serious. “I’m listening.”
What could she say? I don’t want to start something I can’t finish? That’d lead to more questions, and she didn’t have enough answers.
Without meaning to, she smoothed her hands over his chest. There were so many wonderful places to touch him, each more enticing than the other. “I need to know how we’re going to work this.”
“This, meaning us?”
“This, meaning both of us here in this house together.” She tipped her head to judge his reaction. “I’m fine with us being considerate. It’s true that I’m still a little jumpy over being here and I’d appreciate knowing when to expect you, or when...when I might be here alone.”
“Ditto.”
Right. Surely Cannon didn’t expect her to believe that being in the house disturbed him. He was so much stronger than her. “But I don’t want to step on your toes.”
“I don’t know what that means, honey.”
His use of endearments kept throwing her. “It means that you’re back in town and plenty of women want your attention. This is rightfully your home—”
“Yvette—”
“—and if you’re staying here, it’s inevitable that you might want to bring home...company.” Just saying it made her stomach sick. “When you do, you should feel comfortable about it.”
His hands moved up to her face, holding her steady for his uncompromising stare. “Let’s get something clear up front.”
He had such big hands that he left her feeling tiny. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant feeling, not with Cannon. “Okay.”
With no plans to head to Cali any time soon, he dismissed that possibility. “Let’s get back to your phone number.” The second he said it, her phone chimed with a text message.
They stared at each other.
Making no move to check the message, Yvette said, “Are you ready?” and she gave him her number.
After saving her in his contacts, he glanced at her phone. “Want me to put my number in for you?”
That got her feet moving. “No, I can do it.” She snatched up the phone, read the message, then clicked over to a new screen. “Okay, what is it?”
While reciting the number, Cannon moved closer. When she finished, he tipped up her chin. “Now. About tonight.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, then his chest, down to his abs and beyond. “Tonight?”
Keep it up, he thought, and I won’t last past the next five minutes.
CHAPTER SIX
WITHOUT REALIZING IT, Yvette went up on her tiptoes, drawn to Cannon, swaying in closer to his appeal.
The rough edge of his thumb teased under her chin, then up to her bottom lip again. He made a low sound of encouragement. “You’re begging to be kissed.”
That deep, affected tone stroked over her—until she realized what he’d said. Her heels landed back on the linoleum floor with jarring impact. “I— What?”
His sexy mouth quirked at her confusion. “Mindi called, remember? Did you want to meet with her tonight?”
Humiliation hit her like a dash of icy water. Good grief, she’d sent so many mixed signals, the poor guy was going to crash before she got her head on straight. “Right, sorry.”
“On second thought...” He scooped her in close and took her mouth in a warm, blessedly brief kiss. “I like your idea better.”
How could she resist so much temptation?
She could, because she had no choice. “Cannon—”
He shushed her with another, longer kiss.
With him moving at Mach speed, she couldn’t think clearly, especially when her bones turned to butter and his scent left her dizzy and he tasted so damn good.
Looping his arms loosely around her waist, he eased up but kept her against him. “You want some time, don’t you?”
An eternity, but grateful for the reprieve, she only nodded.
“I’ll try, all right?” His next kiss landed on her forehead. “Won’t be easy, though.”
She’d always known that Cannon was rock solid and sexier than any guy should be. But she hadn’t realized that being a fighter would ramp up his already considerable confidence and hone his appeal, both emotional and physical. “I could tell you about hard.”
“That should be my line.” He nudged into her. “Any more kissing and I’ll have a full-fledged boner.”
What she felt wasn’t full-fledged?
“Again,” he added.
Right. Of course she’d noticed earlier. Impossible to ignore, really, though she’d tried.
His amusement kicked up another notch. “Looking at me like that isn’t helping.”
Realizing that she’d been staring at him while thinking about his erection, Yvette tried to wiggle out of his arms.
Cannon didn’t let her.
“Settle down.” He drew her in closer, one hand between her shoulder blades, the other just above her behind. “We have a lot of ground to cover yet, and to be honest, I prefer to settle it just like this.” He nuzzled against her temple, sending gooseflesh up and down her arms. “Okay?”
“Do I get a say in it?”
“Sure.” He tilted her back, his expression serious. “I’m listening.”
What could she say? I don’t want to start something I can’t finish? That’d lead to more questions, and she didn’t have enough answers.
Without meaning to, she smoothed her hands over his chest. There were so many wonderful places to touch him, each more enticing than the other. “I need to know how we’re going to work this.”
“This, meaning us?”
“This, meaning both of us here in this house together.” She tipped her head to judge his reaction. “I’m fine with us being considerate. It’s true that I’m still a little jumpy over being here and I’d appreciate knowing when to expect you, or when...when I might be here alone.”
“Ditto.”
Right. Surely Cannon didn’t expect her to believe that being in the house disturbed him. He was so much stronger than her. “But I don’t want to step on your toes.”
“I don’t know what that means, honey.”
His use of endearments kept throwing her. “It means that you’re back in town and plenty of women want your attention. This is rightfully your home—”
“Yvette—”
“—and if you’re staying here, it’s inevitable that you might want to bring home...company.” Just saying it made her stomach sick. “When you do, you should feel comfortable about it.”
His hands moved up to her face, holding her steady for his uncompromising stare. “Let’s get something clear up front.”
He had such big hands that he left her feeling tiny. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant feeling, not with Cannon. “Okay.”
