His features were relaxed in sleep, the long, sharp blade of his nose more prominent now that it didn’t have to compete with his killer smile. His lashes rested against the top of his cheekbones and she had to resist the urge to run a hand over his curly hair. It wasn’t fair that he looked so beautiful and guileless in sleep when he carried such a lethal sexiness when fully awake.
“I would say ‘penny for your thoughts’ but I have a feeling that thought would cost more than I’m worth.”
Ridley ripped her gaze from the curve of his lips up to his now wide open eyes.
Oops.
“Hi. I was just…” she decided not to even address her blatant staring, “wondering if I could borrow something to sleep in?”
“Sure, sure. Of course.” He got up slowly, unfolding his long legs from the couch one at a time. “Follow me. Sorry I conked out at the end there. I guess I was more tired than I thought.” He waved for her to follow him up the stairs and she did, keeping her eyes on her own feet so she couldn’t ogle the way his jeans fit him as he walked.
She was in his room before she’d realized what she’d done. “Oh, I’ll just wait out in the hall,” she stammered.
“No. Stay.” Those two simple words halted her in her tracks. He smiled a slow, sexy grin before pulling open the second drawer in his bureau. He rummaged for a while, pulling out shirts and then pushing them back in. “I’m trying to find one of my shorter ones so it won’t swallow you up.”
“Oh, I like them longer. It’ll hang lower and cover my legs like a nightgown.”
He stopped digging and glanced at her. Then his eyes dipped lower to take in her bare legs exposed by the mid-thigh terry cloth shorts she wore. “Right.”
He held out a shirt and Ridley took it carefully, making sure their fingers didn’t touch.
“Well, thanks again. Goodnight.” She fled the room, racing down the darkened hallway, not stopping until she reached the door of the guest room. She turned the handle and opened the door but before she entered she looked back.
She had to.
Jackson stood in the same position next to his dresser. The heat of his gaze burned over her entire body and she shivered as her nipples peaked against her shirt. She didn’t know him well enough to interpret the look on his face but she could interpret her body’s response.
God, she wanted him.
He’d been nothing but a gentleman all day, seeing to her every need, listening to her vent and keeping her company. He hadn’t made any moves on her, hadn’t done anything suggestive or said anything provocative. Was he just being a good host and making sure she made it to her room?
Or was he imagining what she would look like when she stripped off her clothes and went to bed wearing nothing but his shirt?
Chapter Six
JACKSON WASN’T SURE who moved first, but a second later he was down the hall and Ridley was in his arms. Her hair flowed over them as he held her against the wall. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled, his libido instantly going haywire at the warm, seductive scent of her skin. There were no words spoken between them, just the unspoken desires in their eyes.
I want you.
I know.
I want you, too.
When he finally anchored a hand in her hair and tilted her face up for his kiss, it was both a pain and a relief. Her lips opened under his with a breathy little moan. He would kick himself later for his angry assault on her mouth. There was no gentleness, no finesse. He held her captive against him as he took her mouth, capturing her tongue and sliding it against his own.
She was warm and soft in his arms, her breasts pressing against his chest as he held her against him. He was holding her too tightly but she didn’t push away. She clung to him, her long legs snaking around his waist to hold him in the cradle of her thighs.
“Jackson,” she pleaded.
“Hold on, baby. Just wait.”
He groaned as she arched in his arms, rubbing her core against him. She was perfect, so soft and responsive. He worked her, angling so he could rub right against her sweet spot. Damn if she didn’t catch his rhythm right away, rocking her hips up as he ground against her.
“Jackson. Please, please, please—” She broke off with a strangled cry when he slid her down so she was riding his thigh.
She went rigid in his arms before her head fell back against the wall. Her eyelids drifted down as she shuddered beneath him.
“Oh yeah, that’s it,” he whispered.
That look. Damn if she wasn’t the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, with her head thrown back, ecstasy all over her face as her most intimate muscles clenched against his thigh.
He’d be seeing that look in his dreams.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he gasped, then took her mouth in another crushing kiss, kissing her deeply until he again had to pull away just to breathe.
He ripped his mouth from hers, the sight of her swollen lips almost making him dizzy.
“I told myself I wasn’t going to do this. You need someone to lend a helping hand not take advantage.” He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.
It should have been better with his eyes closed, when he couldn’t see the way she looked up at him, so soft and trusting. But even with his eyes closed, he could still see her face. The way she looked at him made him feel powerless. He could literally feel his self-control oozing out, drop by drop.
“Oh, that’s right. You’re supposed to stay away from me. I’m a vulture, remember?” She licked his bottom lip and he groaned.
“I would say ‘penny for your thoughts’ but I have a feeling that thought would cost more than I’m worth.”
Ridley ripped her gaze from the curve of his lips up to his now wide open eyes.
Oops.
“Hi. I was just…” she decided not to even address her blatant staring, “wondering if I could borrow something to sleep in?”
“Sure, sure. Of course.” He got up slowly, unfolding his long legs from the couch one at a time. “Follow me. Sorry I conked out at the end there. I guess I was more tired than I thought.” He waved for her to follow him up the stairs and she did, keeping her eyes on her own feet so she couldn’t ogle the way his jeans fit him as he walked.
She was in his room before she’d realized what she’d done. “Oh, I’ll just wait out in the hall,” she stammered.
“No. Stay.” Those two simple words halted her in her tracks. He smiled a slow, sexy grin before pulling open the second drawer in his bureau. He rummaged for a while, pulling out shirts and then pushing them back in. “I’m trying to find one of my shorter ones so it won’t swallow you up.”
“Oh, I like them longer. It’ll hang lower and cover my legs like a nightgown.”
He stopped digging and glanced at her. Then his eyes dipped lower to take in her bare legs exposed by the mid-thigh terry cloth shorts she wore. “Right.”
He held out a shirt and Ridley took it carefully, making sure their fingers didn’t touch.
“Well, thanks again. Goodnight.” She fled the room, racing down the darkened hallway, not stopping until she reached the door of the guest room. She turned the handle and opened the door but before she entered she looked back.
She had to.
Jackson stood in the same position next to his dresser. The heat of his gaze burned over her entire body and she shivered as her nipples peaked against her shirt. She didn’t know him well enough to interpret the look on his face but she could interpret her body’s response.
God, she wanted him.
He’d been nothing but a gentleman all day, seeing to her every need, listening to her vent and keeping her company. He hadn’t made any moves on her, hadn’t done anything suggestive or said anything provocative. Was he just being a good host and making sure she made it to her room?
Or was he imagining what she would look like when she stripped off her clothes and went to bed wearing nothing but his shirt?
Chapter Six
JACKSON WASN’T SURE who moved first, but a second later he was down the hall and Ridley was in his arms. Her hair flowed over them as he held her against the wall. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled, his libido instantly going haywire at the warm, seductive scent of her skin. There were no words spoken between them, just the unspoken desires in their eyes.
I want you.
I know.
I want you, too.
When he finally anchored a hand in her hair and tilted her face up for his kiss, it was both a pain and a relief. Her lips opened under his with a breathy little moan. He would kick himself later for his angry assault on her mouth. There was no gentleness, no finesse. He held her captive against him as he took her mouth, capturing her tongue and sliding it against his own.
She was warm and soft in his arms, her breasts pressing against his chest as he held her against him. He was holding her too tightly but she didn’t push away. She clung to him, her long legs snaking around his waist to hold him in the cradle of her thighs.
“Jackson,” she pleaded.
“Hold on, baby. Just wait.”
He groaned as she arched in his arms, rubbing her core against him. She was perfect, so soft and responsive. He worked her, angling so he could rub right against her sweet spot. Damn if she didn’t catch his rhythm right away, rocking her hips up as he ground against her.
“Jackson. Please, please, please—” She broke off with a strangled cry when he slid her down so she was riding his thigh.
She went rigid in his arms before her head fell back against the wall. Her eyelids drifted down as she shuddered beneath him.
“Oh yeah, that’s it,” he whispered.
That look. Damn if she wasn’t the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, with her head thrown back, ecstasy all over her face as her most intimate muscles clenched against his thigh.
He’d be seeing that look in his dreams.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he gasped, then took her mouth in another crushing kiss, kissing her deeply until he again had to pull away just to breathe.
He ripped his mouth from hers, the sight of her swollen lips almost making him dizzy.
“I told myself I wasn’t going to do this. You need someone to lend a helping hand not take advantage.” He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.
It should have been better with his eyes closed, when he couldn’t see the way she looked up at him, so soft and trusting. But even with his eyes closed, he could still see her face. The way she looked at him made him feel powerless. He could literally feel his self-control oozing out, drop by drop.
“Oh, that’s right. You’re supposed to stay away from me. I’m a vulture, remember?” She licked his bottom lip and he groaned.
