Read Online Step Into My Parlor by Jan Hudson - Free Book Online

around her, pulling her close along his rock-hard length. Whimpering, she strained toward the wonderfully ravenous siege of his lips and tongue.
    Suddenly, he went still. His breathing ragged, his chest heaving, he pulled away and spat out a curse. "I've got to lock up." His brows drawn together in a single black slash, he thrust her away and stalked off.
    Five
     
    Anne sat at the yellow Formica table in the small kitchen, buttering toast and watching Spider beat eggs as if he held a personal grudge against them. His face was drawn into a fierce scowl, and he looked as if he hadn't slept any better than she had.
    Except for one or two grunts, he had said barely a word to her this morning, and he kept his back to her as he worked at the stove. Things couldn't go on like this. She poured coffee into each of their mugs and waited for him to sit down.
    When he did, she looked up from the food he'd set in front of her. He sat hunched over, fork poised, studying the heap of scrambled eggs on his plate.
    "Spider." she said quietly, "I think it would be better if I found another place to live."
    His head flew up, his swarthy scowl even more ferocious. "No!"
    She flinched and her fork clattered to her plate.
    He let out his favorite expletive of disgust and swiped his hand across his face. "Lord, Anne, I didn't mean to scare you. I wouldn't hurt you for anything in the world. And I'm sorry about last night. Hell, I don't know what got into me. I promised I'd take care of you, told you I didn't mess with married women, and damned if I didn't come on to you like a pumped-up bull."
    His hand swiped his face again, sliding over the dark stubble on his chin to rub across his throat as if he'd have liked to choke himself. "I want you to stay here with me so I can protect you. I swear-I ’ ll swear it on a stack of Bibles a mile high—that I won't touch you again if you'll stay."
    His face softened, and pale blue eyes implored. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she wasn't married and that she'd wanted the kiss as much as he. But something stopped her. He h a d frightened her. And she had frightened herself. She'd never experienced sexual feelings as potent as those unleashed by his kiss. Jolted to the core of her being, she hadn't known that emotions as intense as those existed. She'd wanted to rip off her clothes and make wild love to him on top of the gun case. She shuddered with the memory. Anne Foxworth Jennings just didn't do things like that.
    "Sugar?"
    She looked up from the paper napkin she'd twisted into a tight blue snake.
    "Please stay." He gave her a hangdog look. "Don't you like me?"
    "Of course I like you. Spider. You ’v e done so many wonderful things for me, how could I help it? But my life is complicated enough without—"
    "Without me hitting on you. I know. I'm sorry about that, sugar. Just as sorry as I can be. If I could take it back, I would. But don't let one slip screw things up. You're a lovely lady, and the truth is, I'm attracted to you. Damned attracted. I'd be lying if I didn't admit it. I just let myself forget for a minute that you're married and don't need anything from me right now but friendship. You don't have anyplace to go, and I'd worry about you out on the streets by yourself. Please stay. I ’ ll give you my word that i t won't happen again. You're safe with me."
    Anne hesitated. Maybe he did just want to be her friend, but, without even trying, he was the most seductive man she'd ever encountered. A six-foot-four hunk of animal magnetism. Raw sensuality seeped from his pores and invaded the air that she breathed. Even his hair was sexy. At this very moment, her fingers itched to run themselves through the enticing shock, thick and black as sin, curling over his forehead and down his nape. She wanted to rub her cheek against his jaw and feel the rough texture of his stubble against her skin. Her lips ached—
    "I promise." He made an X on his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die."