right now.
He tried to see her face, to read her eyes, but she kept her gaze averted. “Brandi, I can’t pretend I don’t want you.” His low, husky tone grabbed her full attention. Her head swung around, her expression bordering on shock.
“Damn it.” Sebastian stood, then paced a few feet away. When he turned to Brandi again, she looked…almost fearful. He dropped to his knees beside her and tried to ignore the way she cowered back from him. “I’m sorry. Honey, you have to know how difficult this is for me. You don’t seem to realize it, but you’re a very sexy woman.”
“I am not!”
“Yes, you are.” He smiled now, some of his frustration giving way to amusement. “And here we are alone, in this love pit.”
She raised her brows and a smile hovered on her lips as she, too, started to relax. “Love pit?”
“The water bed? The Jacuzzi? The fireplace? This cabin is meant to seduce. Only I know that’s not what you want. And I gave you my word not to pressure you.”
“And you always keep your word?” When he nodded, she asked, “I’m the one in charge, right?”
He swallowed, not certain where she was going with her reasoning, but he had a few hopeful ideas. So did his body. “Absolutely.”
Her cheeks heated more, and once again her small teeth sank into her bottom lip while she peeked up at him. He wanted those sharp white teeth on him, wanted to soothe her lips himself. Then finally she straightened and looked determined. His thighs tightened in expectation. “All right. I’m in charge. And right now, I think I’d like a kiss.”
After making that bold statement, which seemed to take all her nerve, she lowered her lashes and whispered, “That is, if you wouldn’t mind? I mean, I know that probably wasn’t part of your original agreement, but…”
Sebastian’s brain felt like mush but his body was granite hard. He wasn’t at all sure he’d heard her right. “A kiss?”
“If you would.”
He would all right. Gladly. Even if it killed him, which it just might because a kiss was a far cry from what he wanted, from what he needed right now.
Watching her face for any sign of retreat, he whispered, “There’s kisses, and then there’s kisses. The kind you want may not be the kind I’m wanting to give you. Why don’t you be more specific so I don’t screw this up?”
With her fingertip, Brandi drew an idle design overthe rug. She peeked up at him, then away again. “Why don’t you just start with the one you think I want…then maybe we can try the one you want to give me?”
B RANDI WAITED , holding her breath, while Sebastian apparently considered her suggestion. He scooted closer and her heartbeat raced with a mixture of dread and excitement. She really wanted to enjoy his kiss and, so far, the only fear she felt was that she might make a fool of herself. The possibility always existed, and she didn’t think she could bear it if—
His fingertips touched her jaw, suspending all thought. Gently, he tipped up her chin and her vision was filled by him, the heat in his gaze, the tautness of his expression. Gentleness seemed a part of him, incongruous with his obvious strength, his massive size. The contrasts had intrigued her from the start. She could easily picture him defending a person with lethal skill, then soothing that person with his quiet, sure manner.
It was almost impossible not to trust him, because his power was tempered by genuine caring. All his life, he’d been taking care of others. Brandi wanted to take care of him. She just wasn’t sure she knew how.
His eyes closed and hers closed, as well, as she waited breathlessly for his kiss. Then she felt it, the brief, heated touch of his mouth on her own. His breath fanned her cheek, and his lips moved the smallest bit, coasting over hers, teasing.
She wanted to touch him, to put her hands on that broad hard chest, but she was afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of how he might react. Afraid of how
He tried to see her face, to read her eyes, but she kept her gaze averted. “Brandi, I can’t pretend I don’t want you.” His low, husky tone grabbed her full attention. Her head swung around, her expression bordering on shock.
“Damn it.” Sebastian stood, then paced a few feet away. When he turned to Brandi again, she looked…almost fearful. He dropped to his knees beside her and tried to ignore the way she cowered back from him. “I’m sorry. Honey, you have to know how difficult this is for me. You don’t seem to realize it, but you’re a very sexy woman.”
“I am not!”
“Yes, you are.” He smiled now, some of his frustration giving way to amusement. “And here we are alone, in this love pit.”
She raised her brows and a smile hovered on her lips as she, too, started to relax. “Love pit?”
“The water bed? The Jacuzzi? The fireplace? This cabin is meant to seduce. Only I know that’s not what you want. And I gave you my word not to pressure you.”
“And you always keep your word?” When he nodded, she asked, “I’m the one in charge, right?”
He swallowed, not certain where she was going with her reasoning, but he had a few hopeful ideas. So did his body. “Absolutely.”
Her cheeks heated more, and once again her small teeth sank into her bottom lip while she peeked up at him. He wanted those sharp white teeth on him, wanted to soothe her lips himself. Then finally she straightened and looked determined. His thighs tightened in expectation. “All right. I’m in charge. And right now, I think I’d like a kiss.”
After making that bold statement, which seemed to take all her nerve, she lowered her lashes and whispered, “That is, if you wouldn’t mind? I mean, I know that probably wasn’t part of your original agreement, but…”
Sebastian’s brain felt like mush but his body was granite hard. He wasn’t at all sure he’d heard her right. “A kiss?”
“If you would.”
He would all right. Gladly. Even if it killed him, which it just might because a kiss was a far cry from what he wanted, from what he needed right now.
Watching her face for any sign of retreat, he whispered, “There’s kisses, and then there’s kisses. The kind you want may not be the kind I’m wanting to give you. Why don’t you be more specific so I don’t screw this up?”
With her fingertip, Brandi drew an idle design overthe rug. She peeked up at him, then away again. “Why don’t you just start with the one you think I want…then maybe we can try the one you want to give me?”
B RANDI WAITED , holding her breath, while Sebastian apparently considered her suggestion. He scooted closer and her heartbeat raced with a mixture of dread and excitement. She really wanted to enjoy his kiss and, so far, the only fear she felt was that she might make a fool of herself. The possibility always existed, and she didn’t think she could bear it if—
His fingertips touched her jaw, suspending all thought. Gently, he tipped up her chin and her vision was filled by him, the heat in his gaze, the tautness of his expression. Gentleness seemed a part of him, incongruous with his obvious strength, his massive size. The contrasts had intrigued her from the start. She could easily picture him defending a person with lethal skill, then soothing that person with his quiet, sure manner.
It was almost impossible not to trust him, because his power was tempered by genuine caring. All his life, he’d been taking care of others. Brandi wanted to take care of him. She just wasn’t sure she knew how.
His eyes closed and hers closed, as well, as she waited breathlessly for his kiss. Then she felt it, the brief, heated touch of his mouth on her own. His breath fanned her cheek, and his lips moved the smallest bit, coasting over hers, teasing.
She wanted to touch him, to put her hands on that broad hard chest, but she was afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of how he might react. Afraid of how
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