Read Online Hot Ice (A Hostile Operations Team Novel - Book 7) by Lynn Raye Harris - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynn Raye Harris
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never done—never been able to do because of who she was—but this one… oh God, this one was in her house, under her roof, responsible for her safety. He was there anyway, and she could have him in her bed if she desired.
If she were brave enough to take what he was offering her.
That was the problem, wasn’t it? She wasn’t all that brave when it came to taking big chances. Maybe Jeffrey had been right—maybe she’d been more focused on her work than she’d been on him, and maybe that made her dull and uninteresting. He’d said she no longer excited him, that sex with her was like comfort sex—the kind of vanilla stuff you did when you wanted to get off, but nothing very exciting or interesting.
It still smarted.
But now, right now in Garrett Spencer’s arms, she felt alive and on fire. Like a living, breathing flame, ready to incinerate in his embrace.
He fed on her, drinking her in, his tongue stroking and sucking and licking her mouth. She arched her body against his, and his grip on her waist tightened. He was big and beautiful—and rock hard. She could feel the length and size of him pressing against her, and her belly did a slow flip.
Whatever this was, it wasn’t just her. And that thought excited her even more.
But then his hands at her waist stiffened—and he set her away from him, stepping back and looking down at her with stormy eyes. His jaw was hard, and his expression was harder—and her heart fell into a chasm as fresh heat bloomed over her skin.
It wasn’t the heat of desire this time, but of embarrassment. He’d found her lacking in some way—the same way Jeffrey had—and he’d pushed her away.
She told herself that was ridiculous, but she couldn’t shake the feeling as he closed his eyes and shoved a hand through his hair.
“Is he gone?”
Grace blinked, her lips still tingling and slightly swollen, her brain muddled and unsure. Gone? Was who gone?
And then it hit her that he meant Jeffrey. That he’d kissed her to make Jeffrey go away. She peeked around him—the hallway was clear. Even while she wanted to cry with frustration that the kiss wasn’t real and now it was over, she had to keep it together.
She nodded, and he took her hand and pulled her back toward the ballroom.
It was an act. Just an act.
He’d kissed her to make Jeffrey go away, and it had worked. Back to business.
And yet she wanted to ask him why he’d kissed her so thoroughly when it hadn’t been necessary. Why he’d been hard, because she hadn’t imagined that bulge under his tux.
All he’d needed to do was press his mouth to hers and pretend. Why the tongues? Why the heat?
It was a mystery she wasn’t going to solve. She stopped as they passed the ladies’ room and he let her go.
“I…I need to go inside and fix my lipstick.”
“Of course.”
He was back to being the iceman, the glacial bodyguard who had nothing but professional coolness to offer her.
Grace turned and hurried through the door, hot tears of frustration and embarrassment clogging her throat and pissing her off. There was no one inside the ladies’ room, and she sank onto a couch near the mirror with relief. It was quiet. Lovely, lovely quiet.
She looked at her reflection, gasping a little as she did so. Her mouth was definitely red and swollen. Her skin was flushed, and her eyes looked so wide and blue. She looked like a woman who’d lost her head just a little.
She worked to fix her mouth, refreshing her lipstick and liner, and then she got a paper towel and dampened it before running the coolness over her bare skin. She patted her face with it and threw it away before straightening her dress and taking a deep breath.
She had to go back out there, like it or not. And she had to go sooner rather than later, or Garrett would probably come looking for her.
Grace emerged from the restroom with her head held high and her veneer back in place. Garrett was leaning against the opposite wall, looking so
If she were brave enough to take what he was offering her.
That was the problem, wasn’t it? She wasn’t all that brave when it came to taking big chances. Maybe Jeffrey had been right—maybe she’d been more focused on her work than she’d been on him, and maybe that made her dull and uninteresting. He’d said she no longer excited him, that sex with her was like comfort sex—the kind of vanilla stuff you did when you wanted to get off, but nothing very exciting or interesting.
It still smarted.
But now, right now in Garrett Spencer’s arms, she felt alive and on fire. Like a living, breathing flame, ready to incinerate in his embrace.
He fed on her, drinking her in, his tongue stroking and sucking and licking her mouth. She arched her body against his, and his grip on her waist tightened. He was big and beautiful—and rock hard. She could feel the length and size of him pressing against her, and her belly did a slow flip.
Whatever this was, it wasn’t just her. And that thought excited her even more.
But then his hands at her waist stiffened—and he set her away from him, stepping back and looking down at her with stormy eyes. His jaw was hard, and his expression was harder—and her heart fell into a chasm as fresh heat bloomed over her skin.
It wasn’t the heat of desire this time, but of embarrassment. He’d found her lacking in some way—the same way Jeffrey had—and he’d pushed her away.
She told herself that was ridiculous, but she couldn’t shake the feeling as he closed his eyes and shoved a hand through his hair.
“Is he gone?”
Grace blinked, her lips still tingling and slightly swollen, her brain muddled and unsure. Gone? Was who gone?
And then it hit her that he meant Jeffrey. That he’d kissed her to make Jeffrey go away. She peeked around him—the hallway was clear. Even while she wanted to cry with frustration that the kiss wasn’t real and now it was over, she had to keep it together.
She nodded, and he took her hand and pulled her back toward the ballroom.
It was an act. Just an act.
He’d kissed her to make Jeffrey go away, and it had worked. Back to business.
And yet she wanted to ask him why he’d kissed her so thoroughly when it hadn’t been necessary. Why he’d been hard, because she hadn’t imagined that bulge under his tux.
All he’d needed to do was press his mouth to hers and pretend. Why the tongues? Why the heat?
It was a mystery she wasn’t going to solve. She stopped as they passed the ladies’ room and he let her go.
“I…I need to go inside and fix my lipstick.”
“Of course.”
He was back to being the iceman, the glacial bodyguard who had nothing but professional coolness to offer her.
Grace turned and hurried through the door, hot tears of frustration and embarrassment clogging her throat and pissing her off. There was no one inside the ladies’ room, and she sank onto a couch near the mirror with relief. It was quiet. Lovely, lovely quiet.
She looked at her reflection, gasping a little as she did so. Her mouth was definitely red and swollen. Her skin was flushed, and her eyes looked so wide and blue. She looked like a woman who’d lost her head just a little.
She worked to fix her mouth, refreshing her lipstick and liner, and then she got a paper towel and dampened it before running the coolness over her bare skin. She patted her face with it and threw it away before straightening her dress and taking a deep breath.
She had to go back out there, like it or not. And she had to go sooner rather than later, or Garrett would probably come looking for her.
Grace emerged from the restroom with her head held high and her veneer back in place. Garrett was leaning against the opposite wall, looking so
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