She was already running as he answered the phone, putting as much distance between them as possible and wondering if she would ever rebuild her defenses and have the control to simply tell him no. Even worse, she wished she wanted to tell him no.
COURAGE, STRENGTH, and sheer tenacity. Micah had seen each of those qualities in Risa that first night when she had sat at the club, battling her fears and the overriding certainty that she would be rejected.
It had taken her six years to get her nerve up to take a lover, but honesty compelled him to admit that she had taken that step far sooner than many women would have. She had the guts to do what she had to do. And she was doing far more than that when she stepped out of her bedroom in the chocolate silk tunic dress that whispered over her curves like a wet dream.
Matching four-inch-heeled pumps encased her small feet and made her legs seem to go on forever. Her skin shimmered with creamy translucence and the mounds of her breasts seemed in imminent danger of pressing out of the snug cups that made up the bodice.
Her long hair fell just below her shoulders, the multi-hued strands framing her delicate face as the subtle covering of shadow over her eyelids gave her a sensual, sleepy appearance.
Plump lips were covered with a hint of bronze lipstick, their natural pout intensified by the shimmering layer of color. It was enough to make a man pant in lust.
Hell, his cock was going to pound right out of his slacks and he swore his heart was going to tear through his chest as it raced in excitement.
She had a power over him that he couldn’t have anticipated.
He watched as she moved across the living room, the little matching purse she carried gripped in her hands. She shoved a key and a small leather wallet into the bag, then turned to him.
The look in her eyes broke his heart. Beneath the glitter of anger there were shadows of uncertainty. Feminine uncertainty, as though she were unaware of her effect on him.
“Remember that wall sex I mentioned earlier?” He watched her face flush as a hint of heat filled her eyes. “If we don’t leave, you’ll find out exactly what it’s like to grip my hips with those gorgeous legs while I pound into you.”
It was no less than the truth.
She inhaled slowly, deeply, lifting those luscious breasts against the silk as her nipples tightened beneath the material.
“I have a wrap. I forgot it.”
His teeth clenched as she moved quickly back to the bedroom. When she returned, it was with a thin silk wrap that covered her shoulders and breasts.
The whisper of silk was a seductive cadence as she moved past him and waited at the door.
Opening the door, he checked the hallway, aware of the backup weapon he carried at his ankle and the one he wasn’t wearing beneath his jacket. The rest of the team would be more heavily armed, but for Micah, there was only the weapon strapped to his ankle.
Holding his hand out to her, he drew her into the hall, checked each end once again, then moved back as the door to the opposite apartment opened and John moved quickly into Risa’s apartment.
“Have fun, kids,” he murmured as the door closed behind him and the locks snicked into place.
“This is ridiculous,” Risa hissed as Micah placed his hand on her lower back and led her to the elevator.
“No doubt,” he answered just as quietly. “Don’t worry, John doesn’t take up too much space.”
“No, he just cleans out the food in the refrigerator,” she stated. “Doesn’t Jordan feed him?”
“At least once a day,” Micah grunted as he shifted until Risa was protected on the far side of the elevator as the doors slid open.
“Well, hello, gorgeous,” Tehya murmured as she stepped into the hall, her long red-gold hair swishing around her as her green eyes filled with flirtatious humor.
Micah was aware of Risa stiffening beside him. She hadn’t seen Tehya coming and going from the other apartment, and had no idea who she was.
Micah nodded to Tehya, aware that her presence signified the all clear downstairs.
He escorted Risa into the elevator, ignoring her little glare as he pushed the lobby button and
stood slightly in front of Risa.
“You work fast,” she drawled behind him, almost causing him to wince.
“Be careful, sweetheart,” he warned her quietly. “Your pretty mouth is about to get you in trouble.”