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Authors: Lexxie Couper
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her pulse, sending it off on a beat more frantic than her run ever could. With a silent snarl, she pushed open the door and walked into the living room of her small unit, throwing her keys onto the low coffee table before turning to face him. “Well, I’d like to have a shower, so if you don’t mind…”
He flashed her a wicked grin. “Not at all.”
“You can just leave,” she finished, crossing her arms.
“I’ll wait,” he said. And with that, he dropped onto her old paisley sofa and spread his arms along the back.
Ali gave him a cold glare. There was no way she was taking a shower with him in her home. The thought of Jack only a room away while she stood naked, water licking over her body…
A wanton shiver rippled through her, pinching her nipples into hard peaks. Good God, girl. Control yourself.
He removed his sunglasses, his gaze slowly taking in her old running shorts and sweat-soaked singlet.
“We have reservations for eight. There’s no rush though. Your current attire is quite fetching.”
Ali glared at him again. “I see you haven’t changed. Still expecting people to do exactly what you say.”
“And I see you haven’t changed. Still determined not to listen to what it is I say.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you never say anything worth listening to. My father was the one who thought the sun shone out of your—” Ali stopped the insult before it could finish passing her lips.
Jack’s easy laugh surprised her. “Well, Andrew always did know good advice when he heard it.”
“Oh, I see. Telling him I should be spanked was good advice was it?”
“You were a cocky seventeen-year-old when I said that, and yes, you did need a good spanking.” His eyes glinted with mischief. “Still do, in my opinion.”
“You know exactly what I think of your opinion.”
“Yes, I do. And it proves my point exactly. Seventeen or twenty-four, things haven’t changed one bit. You need to learn to respect those who know better.”
Ali cocked an eyebrow. “I’ve always respected those who know better, Mr. McKenzie. I’ve just never respected you.”
Jack laughed again, the warm sound reverberating around the small room. “Talking with you was always like trying to de-claw a tiger, Ali. God, I’ve missed this.”
“Then why did you leave?”
He returned her gaze, his eyes no longer sparkling with mirth. Now, a different emotion filled them. One she couldn’t comprehend. Regret?
“Come to dinner with me,” he finally said, breaking the charged silence. “We’ll talk about mainsails and reef knots and which GPS unit we prefer and why. Strictly neutral topics. I promise.”
Ali stood motionless. She hadn’t meant to ask why Jack had moved to the other side of the country only days after they’d made love—and Jack hadn’t offered an answer—but maybe it was time she found out. Perhaps it was the only way to remove the hold he had on her dreams. Her heart.
Really? Or are you just reaching for an excuse to be with him?
She didn’t know. Each breath she pulled was a burning reminder of his touch. Her body flooded with squirming heat, eager anticipation twisting into her stomach at the memory of their feverish, mind-blowing kiss. She gnawed on her bottom lip, looking at him as he waited for her response. Green eyes studied her, burning with a fire that made her skin tingle and her sex clench and spasm. There was no mistaking the emotion in that fire. Raw, elemental desire. She felt it as well. It ate her up and left her aching. Left her wanting even more.
But it was only asking for heartache. As a teenager, she’d fantasized about him night and day. Yet she’d barely survived when that fantasy had become a reality. Now at twenty-four, when she should know better, here she was, standing before him, pulse hammering, longing for that destructive, delicious fantasy once more. Damn, she truly was an idiot.
Crossing her arms, she shook her head. “No.”
He gave her a lop-sided
He flashed her a wicked grin. “Not at all.”
“You can just leave,” she finished, crossing her arms.
“I’ll wait,” he said. And with that, he dropped onto her old paisley sofa and spread his arms along the back.
Ali gave him a cold glare. There was no way she was taking a shower with him in her home. The thought of Jack only a room away while she stood naked, water licking over her body…
A wanton shiver rippled through her, pinching her nipples into hard peaks. Good God, girl. Control yourself.
He removed his sunglasses, his gaze slowly taking in her old running shorts and sweat-soaked singlet.
“We have reservations for eight. There’s no rush though. Your current attire is quite fetching.”
Ali glared at him again. “I see you haven’t changed. Still expecting people to do exactly what you say.”
“And I see you haven’t changed. Still determined not to listen to what it is I say.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you never say anything worth listening to. My father was the one who thought the sun shone out of your—” Ali stopped the insult before it could finish passing her lips.
Jack’s easy laugh surprised her. “Well, Andrew always did know good advice when he heard it.”
“Oh, I see. Telling him I should be spanked was good advice was it?”
“You were a cocky seventeen-year-old when I said that, and yes, you did need a good spanking.” His eyes glinted with mischief. “Still do, in my opinion.”
“You know exactly what I think of your opinion.”
“Yes, I do. And it proves my point exactly. Seventeen or twenty-four, things haven’t changed one bit. You need to learn to respect those who know better.”
Ali cocked an eyebrow. “I’ve always respected those who know better, Mr. McKenzie. I’ve just never respected you.”
Jack laughed again, the warm sound reverberating around the small room. “Talking with you was always like trying to de-claw a tiger, Ali. God, I’ve missed this.”
“Then why did you leave?”
He returned her gaze, his eyes no longer sparkling with mirth. Now, a different emotion filled them. One she couldn’t comprehend. Regret?
“Come to dinner with me,” he finally said, breaking the charged silence. “We’ll talk about mainsails and reef knots and which GPS unit we prefer and why. Strictly neutral topics. I promise.”
Ali stood motionless. She hadn’t meant to ask why Jack had moved to the other side of the country only days after they’d made love—and Jack hadn’t offered an answer—but maybe it was time she found out. Perhaps it was the only way to remove the hold he had on her dreams. Her heart.
Really? Or are you just reaching for an excuse to be with him?
She didn’t know. Each breath she pulled was a burning reminder of his touch. Her body flooded with squirming heat, eager anticipation twisting into her stomach at the memory of their feverish, mind-blowing kiss. She gnawed on her bottom lip, looking at him as he waited for her response. Green eyes studied her, burning with a fire that made her skin tingle and her sex clench and spasm. There was no mistaking the emotion in that fire. Raw, elemental desire. She felt it as well. It ate her up and left her aching. Left her wanting even more.
But it was only asking for heartache. As a teenager, she’d fantasized about him night and day. Yet she’d barely survived when that fantasy had become a reality. Now at twenty-four, when she should know better, here she was, standing before him, pulse hammering, longing for that destructive, delicious fantasy once more. Damn, she truly was an idiot.
Crossing her arms, she shook her head. “No.”
He gave her a lop-sided
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