Nudity was a big issue for her. Having been cut down by previous lovers because of her size, she’d developed an inhibition when it came to getting naked around men she desired. Experience had taught her that most men were not attracted to large women. And Claire was not small.
It was one thing arguing with Jack with her clothes on, kissing him with the cover of her shirt and skirt.
But the thought of him stripping them awayterrified her. In essence it would be akin to stripping her defenses away. Clothed she could be the confident, self-possessed woman she knew herself to be. Stripped bare she could focus only on her flaws and insecurities.
Much as Claire wanted to be free of her clothes, the thought of Jack seeing every blemish in her very flawed body ensured she stayed good and truly covered up.
He looked surprised. “You lust over the Rose Bay shop?”
“I want that shop. Badly.” Not quite as much as she wanted him at this moment, but badly nevertheless.
He lowered his voice. “Does it make you horny…like you make me?”
Claire cleared her throat, finding it difficult to talk. “I have no idea what I do to you so I can’t answer that.”
“Okay, lemme ask you more specific questions. Does the Rose Bay store make your blood race?”
She stared at him, not gracing his question with an answer. Her blood was racing all right, taking one-hundred-meter sprints whenever he spoke, but that had nothing to do with the shop.
“Does your chest get tight every time you look at it? As if taking another breath is a task too monumental to manage?”
“I’m not answering you.”
“Does it start your skin tingling? Or send goose bumps racing over your flesh?” As he asked, he ran his finger over her bare arm, and a million tiny goose bumps flared to life.
Jack noticed them and smiled a sinful smile. “Same thing happens to me every time I think about you, look at you, imagine your touch on my skin, or better yet — your tongue.” A shudder shook his body. “I break out in goosies.” His eyes were glued to the telltale bumps on her arm. “If you ran your fingers over my back now, you’d feel them.”
Claire raised her hand, intent on doing just that, on helping herself to handfuls of his firm, muscled flesh, then dropped it when she realized what she’d been about to do.
“Touch me, Claire.” Jack’s voice had dropped to a deep, slumberous baritone. “Run your hands over my back.”
He met her gaze, and Claire couldn’t look away, didn’t want to. “I-I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“I shouldn’t.”
“So you’ve said. But you should. You most definitely should. Stop pretending there’s nothing between us. There’s more to you and me than just properties and rentals. We’ve moved beyond professional. We hit personal the first time your lips touched mine.”
Again her hand fluttered in mid-air, then dropped back down to her side. No, she really shouldn’t. It didn’t matter how badly she wanted to. It wasn’t just about keeping things professional between them. For Claire there was so much more at stake.
Sharing kisses with Jack might be a huge boost to her ego, and it might make her pussy weep with need and excitement, but she wasn’t ready to face the disenchantment she was sure to see on his face when he got a look at her dimpled thighs and soft belly.
Claire preferred to let them both hold on to the fantasy that Jack found her attractive. Soon as he got a peek at her naked body, that fantasy would burst like a popped soap bubble.
“Claire,” he demanded. “Touch my back. Please.”
The huskiness in his tone could not be ignored.
Reaching up, she ran her hand over his shoulder, forcing herself not to squeeze, not to hold on and never let go. He was huge. Solid. Touching him made her insides all squishy and needy.
“No goose bumps.” Her throat was almost too dry to speak.
“That’s not my back.”
Her hand moved by its own volition, sweeping up to his neck,
It was one thing arguing with Jack with her clothes on, kissing him with the cover of her shirt and skirt.
But the thought of him stripping them awayterrified her. In essence it would be akin to stripping her defenses away. Clothed she could be the confident, self-possessed woman she knew herself to be. Stripped bare she could focus only on her flaws and insecurities.
Much as Claire wanted to be free of her clothes, the thought of Jack seeing every blemish in her very flawed body ensured she stayed good and truly covered up.
He looked surprised. “You lust over the Rose Bay shop?”
“I want that shop. Badly.” Not quite as much as she wanted him at this moment, but badly nevertheless.
He lowered his voice. “Does it make you horny…like you make me?”
Claire cleared her throat, finding it difficult to talk. “I have no idea what I do to you so I can’t answer that.”
“Okay, lemme ask you more specific questions. Does the Rose Bay store make your blood race?”
She stared at him, not gracing his question with an answer. Her blood was racing all right, taking one-hundred-meter sprints whenever he spoke, but that had nothing to do with the shop.
“Does your chest get tight every time you look at it? As if taking another breath is a task too monumental to manage?”
“I’m not answering you.”
“Does it start your skin tingling? Or send goose bumps racing over your flesh?” As he asked, he ran his finger over her bare arm, and a million tiny goose bumps flared to life.
Jack noticed them and smiled a sinful smile. “Same thing happens to me every time I think about you, look at you, imagine your touch on my skin, or better yet — your tongue.” A shudder shook his body. “I break out in goosies.” His eyes were glued to the telltale bumps on her arm. “If you ran your fingers over my back now, you’d feel them.”
Claire raised her hand, intent on doing just that, on helping herself to handfuls of his firm, muscled flesh, then dropped it when she realized what she’d been about to do.
“Touch me, Claire.” Jack’s voice had dropped to a deep, slumberous baritone. “Run your hands over my back.”
He met her gaze, and Claire couldn’t look away, didn’t want to. “I-I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“I shouldn’t.”
“So you’ve said. But you should. You most definitely should. Stop pretending there’s nothing between us. There’s more to you and me than just properties and rentals. We’ve moved beyond professional. We hit personal the first time your lips touched mine.”
Again her hand fluttered in mid-air, then dropped back down to her side. No, she really shouldn’t. It didn’t matter how badly she wanted to. It wasn’t just about keeping things professional between them. For Claire there was so much more at stake.
Sharing kisses with Jack might be a huge boost to her ego, and it might make her pussy weep with need and excitement, but she wasn’t ready to face the disenchantment she was sure to see on his face when he got a look at her dimpled thighs and soft belly.
Claire preferred to let them both hold on to the fantasy that Jack found her attractive. Soon as he got a peek at her naked body, that fantasy would burst like a popped soap bubble.
“Claire,” he demanded. “Touch my back. Please.”
The huskiness in his tone could not be ignored.
Reaching up, she ran her hand over his shoulder, forcing herself not to squeeze, not to hold on and never let go. He was huge. Solid. Touching him made her insides all squishy and needy.
“No goose bumps.” Her throat was almost too dry to speak.
“That’s not my back.”
Her hand moved by its own volition, sweeping up to his neck,
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