You can’t get another her.
As much as the last thought came as a warning—keep the business safe—it also rang true for his bed. He wanted no one else.
‘It’s getting late,’ he said tightly, aware of her fingers still upon his thigh and no longer finding her touch soothing or comforting. Far from it. They were urging on the part of him that still felt cheated and aroused by her earlier ploy.
But she deserves better than you... She pushed you away... Take the not-so-subtle hint.
Leaning forward, he reached inside his pocket for his phone. ‘I’ll give Colin a call and get him to take you home.’
‘Home?’
It wasn’t the first time she’d said that to him in that almost indignant tone, but what was she after this time? Did she want more misery out of him? Or was she after something else far more appealing, far more on his wavelength?
Don’t be an idiot. Only fools make the same mistake twice.
‘I think it’s time we called it a night.’
He stood and took their wine glasses to the drinks cabinet while his mind refused to play ball. It was teasing him with a multitude of possibilities, all of which heated up as he heard her move, closing the distance between them.
His back prickled with rising awareness but he refused to turn. He set the glasses down, purposefully avoiding her as he looked at his phone and unlocked it.
Just a few minutes. He just had to hold out long enough to get Colin.
‘Wait,’ she said, her voice so close, so coaxing.
Don’t wait. Just do it.
‘I’ll just—’ He broke off as she reached around him, his body coming alive as her hand smoothed over his, and then he felt the phone shift, slipping out of his hold as she took it from him and set it down next to the glasses.
‘Don’t, Jennifer.’ He tried to step away but there was nowhere to go. Between her and the cabinet he was locked in.
‘I’m really sorry.’
Sorry? She was sorry?
He twisted his head in surprise, getting her in his peripheral vision but not daring to focus. ‘You have nothing to apologise for.’
‘I do if I’ve upset you.’
‘Don’t be crazy.’
He turned to her with the ardent need to reassure and realised his mistake too late, the brush of her body against his front sending all hell breaking loose inside.
He breathed through it, thrusting his hands into his pockets. ‘I’m the arse in all of this.’
‘As much as I want to agree...’ Her smile was small and wavering, and her eyes lit on his mouth a moment too long before returning to his. ‘I can see I’ve upset you enough to want me gone, and I’m sorry for that.’
‘Christ, Jennifer, this isn’t about you upsetting me.’
Her eyes searched his. ‘It isn’t?’
She was so close. It would be so easy.
He let go of a ragged breath, his eyes lost in the intense green of hers, and he spied the moment it dawned on her, her breath catching, her teeth dragging in her bottom lip. The gesture was nervous a
nd endearing and sexier than it had a right to be.
‘Do I really need to spell it out for you?’ he asked as she stayed quiet, and she nodded, all innocent and curious and purposely teasing.