Read Online Rub It In by Kira Sinclair - Free Book Online Page B

didn’t help.
    Frowning, she turned back to grab another handful of dishes and nearly collided with Simon. His hands were full of her favorite dishes, so he couldn’t reach out and steady her. Instead, he jerked the plates above their heads and pressed the line of his body against hers, giving her a solid surface to rest against.
    That rolling, bubbling sensation in her stomach erupted, spilling through her entire body. Her skin tingled from the inside out, the tiny hairs running down her arms standing at attention.
    She’d never in her life responded that way to a man touching her. It was overwhelming and she didn’t like it at all.
    Taking a step back, she put much-needed space between them. Simon simply followed, towering above her. She was sensitive to her small stature, sometimes overly sensitive. But she was used to people—especially men—looming over her. She didn’t let it bother her. She couldn’t afford that kind of weakness, not in the hotel business, where she had to handle not only prickly executives but also pushy guests.
    Simon bothered her. Standing in front of her, his body curved slightly as if he could completely engulf her at any moment… She wanted to fidget, to slip out from under him and stand on her tiptoes. But that would show her vulnerability and she refused to do that.
    Instead, she dropped her head back and stared up, up, up into his eyes. She would not let him intimidate her.
    He set the plates onto the counter on either side of her. His arms stretched around her as he leaned closer. Her lungs filled with that damn scent—crisp and clean and somehow wild… . Although tonight there was something new beneath it, floral and sweet. The combination made her picture the two of them together. Naked. She tried to hold her breath so she wouldn’t pull any more in. Surely now that his hands were empty, he’d move away.
    But he didn’t.
    Instead, he gripped the counter. The heat of his body melted into her. It should have been irritating, but instead, her muscles responded. They went lax and she was suddenly glad for the edge of the counter that pressed into the small of her back and kept her from hitting the floor.
    Marcy swallowed and looked up into Simon’s eyes again. Her throat went dry at what she saw there. They were dark, the smoldering blue almost completely obscured by his expanding pupils. Gone was the jovial, irreverent expression that seemed to be his constant companion, replaced by a calculating intensity that scared her senseless.
    She wanted to say something. To make him stop looking at her that way because it made her body do unfamiliar and uncontrollable things. A throbbing ache settled at the apex of her thighs.
    This was not good.
    She wanted to move, but she couldn’t. Her feet were frozen to the floor.
    His eyes searched her face, for what she wasn’t sure, but whatever it was he found it. Leaning closer, he nuzzled the curve where her neck and shoulder met. No, nuzzle was the wrong word. He didn’t actually touch her, but she could feel him there.
    The drag of air across her skin as he pulled it deep into his lungs was almost more devastating than if he’d actually touched her. That she could have fought against. At least, that’s what she told herself.
    “Lavender,” he whispered, the word stirring strands of her hair as they tickled her cheek.
    Her lips fell open. She couldn’t help herself. Her mouth tingled and pulsed with a need she didn’t want.
    His lips pressed against hers. He didn’t overwhelm her as she might have expected he would. He didn’t even press inside the open invitation of her mouth. Instead, he simply savored the connection, brushing his mouth lightly across hers.
    Her fingers tightened around the counter. She wanted to reach for him, but still had enough brainpower to realize that was a bad idea. One step a little too far.
    As kisses went…it was disappointing. Not because it wasn’t devastating, but because it was. It was so perfect