His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
‘So you thought that once you’d got me here, you could convince me in person?’ she asked.
‘I thought it might help if I was mostly naked but that idea seems to have backfired.’
She noticed his grip on the back of the chair. His knuckles were white and his breathing, while even, was a little too quick. A trickle of power flowed through her veins. This was good, because he was too mesmerising and held too much of her attention.
‘You’ve been away.’ She made herself breathe.
‘Yes. On business.’
She stepped closer. ‘But you went to a party. In Paris.’
His eyes widened but he remained abnormally still. ‘How do you know that?’
‘There were pictures.’
‘You searched for me on the Internet?’ A teasing—smug—smile flashed on his perfect face. ‘You set up an alert for me?’
‘I didn’t need to,’ she informed him loftily. ‘The village has been keeping an eye on what you’ve been up to and no less than three customers took the time to show me that picture of you with that model.’
‘How kind. You must be so pleased with your decision to live in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone.’
‘I’m not ashamed. I don’t mind them knowing I spent time with you. I’ll never regret what happened between us.’ She kept her head high. Never was she going to be embarrassed about that.
‘But?’ he prompted softly.
‘I’m not going to be your booty call. You can’t just have me when you’re home.’
‘This isn’t my home,’ he said calmly. ‘And that’s not what I want either.’
She waited for him to explain.
He sighed. ‘I was wrong about one night.’
‘Oh?’
‘Gracie.’ He shook his head. ‘You said you didn’t play games. You said you’d be honest.’
And she had been. ‘You said you never wanted more than just sex.’
‘And I’m still saying that. It’s just that I want more than one night.’ He drew in a breath. ‘I don’t want to resist you. You’re all I can think about.’
It had been that good for him too? She bit her lip to stop herself smiling in a smug Rafe-like fashion. ‘Yet you ran away.’ She couldn’t help teasing him softly. ‘You left Italy. And it wasn’t for work.’
‘I thought it might help. It didn’t.’
Goosebumps rippled over her skin. She was shockingly, pleasurably aware of his intensity.
‘You left the country to escape me.’ She took another step closer. ‘I don’t know whether to be insulted or flattered.’
‘Flattered,’ he growled. ‘And you missed me. You know you did. I saw it in your face the second you saw me again. I see it in the way you’re looking at me now. Don’t even try to lie.’
‘You know I’m not going to,’ she said simply, and stopped still. ‘But we also both know this shouldn’t happen again.’
‘Why?’
‘We want different things. You don’t want a relationship.’
‘Why does this have to be a relationship? You’re inexperienced. Why not get some?’
‘Experience?’ she echoed innocently.
‘There is so much you haven’t done, Gracie.’ The promise in his eyes was unmistakable. ‘You wanted that wildness in amongst the precious. Why not just live in the moment?’
‘Are you coming over all mindful?’ She chuckled, her gaze dropping to his knuckles again. Heat stole over her as she registered just how tense he was.
‘Don’t make this into anything more than what it is,’ he said with that roughness again. ‘That is your inexperience showing.’
‘But if it isn’t anything all that, why did you have to leave?’
He closed his eyes briefly, huffing out a strangled laugh at the same time. ‘Because it’s strong. And in my experience, that’s rare. I want you. I can’t think of anything else.’
She knew that problem. The frustration. The desire that was inexorably drawing her closer now that he was back. And she saw the resistance within him. He was holding back—not touching her. Not letting his natural dominance be unleashed.
‘Please, Gracie.’ He was asking nicely and she was lost.
Slowly she walked closer. ‘Who was the woman in Paris?’
‘Isabella. I’ve known her since college. She’s in a long-term relationship. We’ve never been lovers.’
Wow, so much information from one question. ‘Did you want to be?’
He shook his head. ‘She’s not my type.’
A model who wasn’t his type?
‘I’m not a walking hormone, Gracie.’ He glared at her. ‘I don’t want every woman I meet. Right now you’re the only woman I want.’
She was hit by another rush of primal satisfaction. It served only to melt the last of her rational resistance. ‘If we do this again, we’re exclusive. I won’t tolerate you sleeping with anyone else while you’re doing that with me.’
‘Doing “that”?’ He half laughed. ‘I’m insulted you’d think I would. I might’ve had a lot of lovers, but only ever one at a time. And when we’re over, you’ll be the first to know. For the record, I never use the next woman to end my relationship with the previous one. Don’t you use another man against me either. Not even a seventy-year-old.’
She smiled. ‘Alex is my friend and he cares about me. That’s different.’
She walked the last few steps and knelt up on the chair right in front of him. His knuckles whitened.
‘Gracie,’ he groaned, and leaned closer. ‘This isn’t going to be only one night again. It
’s going to take more than that.’
‘What happened to short time frames?’
‘You want this,’ he whispered, not answering her question. ‘You want me.’
He was right. She’d been unable to think about anything else in these last few days. He’d completely dominated her thoughts. She couldn’t even enjoy Alex’s roses without thinking of him now.
‘Absolutely,’ she admitted. ‘I adore you.’
‘Adore?’ He cocked his head like he wasn’t sure what he was hearing.
‘Don’t panic.’ She laughed weakly. ‘It’s just a phase. Like a crush. It’ll pass and I’ll get over it.’
He breathed out. ‘You’ll get over it more quickly if we let it run its course. The more we try to ignore it, the worse it’s going to become.’
‘I don’t think it can get much worse,’ she whispered.
He kissed her. His hands lifted. Somehow she was on that big kitchen table and she was soaring with every sweep of his tongue.
‘Why are you wearing trousers?’ he muttered thickly.
‘I didn’t trust myself. I thought it might slow things down. I regret it now.’
He laughed and slid his hand beneath the waistband of her trousers. He drew in a deep breath. ‘You’re not ready for slow, Gracie.’
‘No.’ She arched breathlessly as he played her. ‘I’m not.’
So not slow.
* * *
When she could think again, she reached up to touch him, but he grabbed her wrists and held them from him. ‘Stay the night with me.’ He smiled winningly. ‘I’m asking nicely.’
‘While holding me captive,’ she teased.
He released her but stayed too close for her to think straight.
‘You’re saying no?’ he asked.
She sat up and trailed her fingers down his chest and then grabbed his lean hips. ‘Maybe we could do something more before I leave.’
He cupped her face gently. Too gently—it made her heart race unevenly.
‘Why do you have to leave?’ he asked. ‘Life is precious, right? Why can’t we be wicked and wild all night?’
She looked into his eyes and saw unspent passion blazing. Her bones trembled. He made her feel so good but this was more intense than she’d expected—which ought to have been impossible given what had happened between them the other day. She shouldn’t stay, she felt a vulnerability curling within. ‘I have an early start tomorrow.’