he said bluntly. “It occurred to me that you’re afraid to have me touch you.”
Fire flared in her emerald eyes. Her chin came up a notch. “I am not.”
“Liar.”
He spread his fingers into her hair and settled them against her scalp, rubbing gently. “Relax,” he ordered. “And close your eyes, too, while you’re at it. Go on.”
Lynn squeezed her eyes shut, determined to hold herself rigid in his grasp. She wouldn’t give in to him. No doubt everyone gave in to him—Erik theGreat, destined for big things. It was time he didn’t get his way. He needed to see he couldn’t win her over with a smile and a magic touch.…
But, dammit, it felt wonderful. He had found a spot with his middle finger that made her want to groan aloud, and when he brought his thumb against her forehead to rub at the knot of tension there, she did groan aloud, a soft soughing sound that slipped between her lips without her permission. Muscles loosened of their own volition and she relaxed, melting against the counter.
“That feels good, doesn’t it?” Erik whispered.
“Yes,” she admitted grudgingly.
Erik chuckled. “Why do I think you’d rather have gotten a migraine than proved me right?”
Lynn let her eyelids drift up to half-mast and looked up at him through the barrier of her lashes. His expression was soft, amused, sweet. Why couldn’t he have been pompous and arrogant? She regularly cut off pompous, arrogant men at the knees and sent them crawling home. But this one … this one was dangerous.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Lynn,” he murmured, the sincerity in his eyes almost enough to bring a lump to her throat.
“No,” she said, scrambling inwardly for a defense. “You’re here on a mission of mutual benefit.”
Irritation flashed in his eyes like lightning. His hand stilled, then slipped away from her and settled on his hip. “I thought we settled this point last night. I’m here because I want to help.”
“Why?” Lynn challenged, setting her coffee cup aside. “Yes, it’s a worthy cause, but Horizon was a worthy cause a year ago when the landlord was raising our rent and refusing to make repairs on the house, and we never saw you then. Admit it, Senator, you wouldn’t be here now if someone hadn’t deemed this situation not only worthy but
news
worthy.”
“I’m not the one who called the TV crew last night.”
“But you’re the one who got the publicity.”
“What difference does it make?” Erik shook his head and reined in his temper. He had a feeling she was deliberately provoking him, picking a fight to put more distance between them.
“This argument is pointless,” he said, sliding his hand back into her hair and renewing the massage. He inched a little closer, casually bracing his free hand on the counter beside Lynn’s hip. “You know what I do about pointless arguments?” He smiled as he bent his head toward hers. “I end them.”
It was the perfect opportunity for Lynn to draw a line and push him back across it. She should have.But she didn’t. She silently cursed her sudden immobility as Erik’s mouth descended on hers. As if she had suddenly lost control of her motor skills, she simply stood there and let him kiss her. And worse, she let herself absorb the sensations and enjoy them.
His lips were both firm and soft, warm and satiny. He tasted like coffee and sweetness. His morning beard rasped gently against her cheek as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. With the tip of his tongue he traced the shape of her lips, then gently asked for permission to slip inside. And while Lynn didn’t exactly grant it, she didn’t exactly deny it either.
Erik interpreted her nonresponse in his favor, taking what he wanted, easing his tongue into her mouth. He liked the taste of morning on her—coffee and toothpaste. She tasted fresh, as if he were the first man to experience her. The idea brought a rush of possessiveness and the primitive heat of the male need to
Fire flared in her emerald eyes. Her chin came up a notch. “I am not.”
“Liar.”
He spread his fingers into her hair and settled them against her scalp, rubbing gently. “Relax,” he ordered. “And close your eyes, too, while you’re at it. Go on.”
Lynn squeezed her eyes shut, determined to hold herself rigid in his grasp. She wouldn’t give in to him. No doubt everyone gave in to him—Erik theGreat, destined for big things. It was time he didn’t get his way. He needed to see he couldn’t win her over with a smile and a magic touch.…
But, dammit, it felt wonderful. He had found a spot with his middle finger that made her want to groan aloud, and when he brought his thumb against her forehead to rub at the knot of tension there, she did groan aloud, a soft soughing sound that slipped between her lips without her permission. Muscles loosened of their own volition and she relaxed, melting against the counter.
“That feels good, doesn’t it?” Erik whispered.
“Yes,” she admitted grudgingly.
Erik chuckled. “Why do I think you’d rather have gotten a migraine than proved me right?”
Lynn let her eyelids drift up to half-mast and looked up at him through the barrier of her lashes. His expression was soft, amused, sweet. Why couldn’t he have been pompous and arrogant? She regularly cut off pompous, arrogant men at the knees and sent them crawling home. But this one … this one was dangerous.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Lynn,” he murmured, the sincerity in his eyes almost enough to bring a lump to her throat.
“No,” she said, scrambling inwardly for a defense. “You’re here on a mission of mutual benefit.”
Irritation flashed in his eyes like lightning. His hand stilled, then slipped away from her and settled on his hip. “I thought we settled this point last night. I’m here because I want to help.”
“Why?” Lynn challenged, setting her coffee cup aside. “Yes, it’s a worthy cause, but Horizon was a worthy cause a year ago when the landlord was raising our rent and refusing to make repairs on the house, and we never saw you then. Admit it, Senator, you wouldn’t be here now if someone hadn’t deemed this situation not only worthy but
news
worthy.”
“I’m not the one who called the TV crew last night.”
“But you’re the one who got the publicity.”
“What difference does it make?” Erik shook his head and reined in his temper. He had a feeling she was deliberately provoking him, picking a fight to put more distance between them.
“This argument is pointless,” he said, sliding his hand back into her hair and renewing the massage. He inched a little closer, casually bracing his free hand on the counter beside Lynn’s hip. “You know what I do about pointless arguments?” He smiled as he bent his head toward hers. “I end them.”
It was the perfect opportunity for Lynn to draw a line and push him back across it. She should have.But she didn’t. She silently cursed her sudden immobility as Erik’s mouth descended on hers. As if she had suddenly lost control of her motor skills, she simply stood there and let him kiss her. And worse, she let herself absorb the sensations and enjoy them.
His lips were both firm and soft, warm and satiny. He tasted like coffee and sweetness. His morning beard rasped gently against her cheek as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. With the tip of his tongue he traced the shape of her lips, then gently asked for permission to slip inside. And while Lynn didn’t exactly grant it, she didn’t exactly deny it either.
Erik interpreted her nonresponse in his favor, taking what he wanted, easing his tongue into her mouth. He liked the taste of morning on her—coffee and toothpaste. She tasted fresh, as if he were the first man to experience her. The idea brought a rush of possessiveness and the primitive heat of the male need to
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