“Oh.” The overwhelmed feeling subsided a bit. “Well, that’s really more your faith in Eddie’s judgment.”
“Eddie’s a smart guy. I respect his opinion, but once I reviewed the show, I agreed. Talent counts for something, but you’re too good at what you do to be the kind of person who lacks commitment and follow-through.”
Emotion threatened to swamp her again. She put everything she ha
d into her work, but she didn’t expect him to realize—or care. The compliment stunned her. She needed to find some perspective, because being this susceptible to his opinion left her feeling way too fragile. “You only watched the show to check out my tits.”
He stared at her for a long moment, and then lifted a corner of his mouth up in the subtlest of smiles. Tension slipped from her shoulders. He was going to let her get away with diverting the conversation.
“Every job has perks.”
“Speaking of which, do I get mine now?”
His smile went up a notch. He reached into the bag, drew out something about the size of an espresso, and presented it to her with a flourish.
Sweet Jesus, she really was going to cry. With shaking hands she reached out and touched the mini-cup of imported Belgian chocolate ice cream. “For me?”
“All yours. I’ve got another one in the bag for me.”
“Oh…come to mama.” She swiped the treat out of his hand before he could change his mind, and tore the small, wooden spoon from the side of the carton. An instant later the sweet, cold magic of dark chocolate and heavy cream melted on her tongue. She didn’t bother stifling her moan, but quickly scooped up another spoonful.
“You’re going to give yourself brain freeze.”
“I’m going to give myself an orgasm. Don’t ruin it for me. I’m almost there.”
He laughed and popped the lid off his. “Enjoy your reward, Quinn. You’ve earned it.”
She did. Every ounce of it, in about five seconds. All too soon, she was scraping the bottom of the container, and silently sighing. Ice cream orgasms—so good, but so fleeting. She looked over at Luke.
He was in the process of bringing a spoonful to his mouth. A big spoonful. As he parted his lips, he caught her looking. His eyes narrowed.
“No.”
Feeling playful, she batted her eyelashes at him. “Oh, come on. Sharing is caring.”
“No way. I’ve earned a reward, too, and this is mine…hey—”
He jerked back as she landed beside him on the chaise, and then sucked in a breath and dropped his gaze. “Aw. See what you made me do?”
Following his line of vision, she looked down at his bare chest, where his spoonful of ice cream now left a chocolate trail down the vertical gulley genetics and discipline had chiseled between his pecs. Without stopping to question the wisdom of the impulse, she lowered her head and licked it into her mouth.
A low groan rumbled from beneath her lips, alerting her to the fact that she was running her tongue over smooth skin at the same moment the hot taste of testosterone cut through the sweetness of the ice cream. A tingling sensation started at her lips and traveled to far-flung destinations like shockwaves from an epicenter. Slowly, she lifted her head.
…
Blue eyes burned into him like flames. He couldn’t look away, couldn’t swallow. Could barely breathe. Her lips moved, possibly forming his name, but no sound reached his ears except the harsh imperative of his own inner voice.
Quinn…
Slender fingers closed around the hand he still held suspended between them, the small carton of ice cream still locked in his fist. His wrist turned like a doorknob under the slight twist of hers, and then something cold and sticky drizzled along his abs.
Don’t…
Surely he’d said it out loud? Any other client, and he would have put a stop to this instantly, but Quinn blurred all the lines. She bent all his rules, and instead of finding it infuriating, he couldn’t wait to see how she’d test him next. But accomplishing what he’d been hired to accomplish meant knowing how to push back when she tested the limits—keeping her focused and motivated, not succumbing to her attempts at distraction. Over the last four weeks they’d reached a level of cooperation that was working for her, and letting her have her way with him would complicate their relationship, and risk disrupting the hard-won momentum.
Don’t…
Her gaze darted down. She licked her lips and lowered her head. Her mouth touched his skin—cool and hot at the same time—and her tongue slid down his stomach.