Coveted (16 page)

With that same maddening
smile on his face, Aiden circled her, almost but not quite touching, then strode
across the room. He lingered by the bed. Shayla stared at his broad back, her
heart thundering at the image of him lying there, all primed and ready for her.

Only when he continued
past was she able to breathe again, trying to rationalize why the bed was such
a bad idea.

Aiden seated himself
on a high-backed chair, his large frame dwarfed the thing. He slouched back,
legs splayed, every inch of him on display for her to admire. He waited, as if
he had all the time in
the world.

And from the way he studied her reaction, she
suspected his nonchalance was done on purpose. He was trying to seduce her. Heat
flushed through her at the realization. It should’ve made her wary.

Maybe it would have if she hadn’t noticed the stiff set
of his shoulders.

Like it took all his restraint to let her take
control.

There was no going back. He
wouldn’t allow it,
and she wanted that blasted kiss. Anything to stop thinking about it. The
suspense would only worsen the longer she put it off.

Aiden watched the
sway of Shayla’s hips as she neared…and he nearly called a halt, would have if
his tongue hadn’t become stuck at the way her gaze swept over him. He hardened
in a painful instant, his clothes became suffocating, a barrier he wanted gone.

The only thing that
kept him from pouncing on her was the smell of sweet, unadulterated lust. He
never expected to be so turned on by her reaction.

Energy thrummed under
his skin, but he remained frozen for fear that one small move on his part would
send her fleeing. She peered down at him, her gaze leaving trails of heat
everywhere she looked. Then her eyes narrowed as if noticing a problem.

“Sit up.”

“No.” Aiden eased back
further, linking his fingers and resting his hands on his chest. To reach his
lips, she’d have to lean over him…which the dress didn’t allow.

That only left her
with one recourse.

To crawl onto his
lap.

He was having fun
testing her boundaries, discovering how far he could push her. He waited for
her to call his bluff, storm away from her promise. He’d be out of the chair to
claim that kiss before she could so much as twitched. Instead, she slowly
gathered the dress into her fists, drawing the fabric up her silky-smooth legs,
one gorgeous inch at a time.

Any further thoughts
of teasing her, tormenting her, vanished as the dress rose above her knees and
kept on rising. Aiden slowly straightened, unable to tear his gaze away from
the lush flesh. He tightened his fingers, not daring to lower his arms lest he
reach for her. By the time her skirt hit mid-thigh, he was leaning forward for
a better view.

The edges of the
dress dropped back toward the floor.

“Wait!” His head shot
up in protest.

Soft, delicate hands
cupped his face, tipping his head back. Her fingertips skimmed along his jaw,
and the world around him stilled at the light touch. His heart skipped a beat
as she closed the distance between them, and he ignored the betraying tremble of
pure lust when her breath feathered his chin.

The instant her lips
touched his, he wrapped his arms around her waist and launched out of the
chair, taking command of the kiss, ruthlessly plundering her mouth, unable to
get enough. His hands fisted into the fabric of her dress and he pulled her closer,
wanting to feel her everywhere.

Instead of retreating
in fear, she pressed into him, seeking more. Her lips and tongue dueled with
his, and one taste simply wasn’t enough.

He wanted more.

Everything.

He dragged his hands down
her curves, thrilled by the way she leaned into his touch. He slowly gathered
the skirt in his fists and drew it up, remembering her little striptease.

He wanted the dress
off her.

Now.

The ties to the dress
shredded, and smooth skin met his palms.

Shayla drew back, the
dress barely clinging to her curves.

Chest heaving to
catch a breath, catch another scent of her, he forcefully uncurled his fingers
from the mangled fabric.

But he couldn’t make
himself step back.

Hell, it was all he
could do not to devour her on the spot.

He expected her to
run, slap him and cry rape like his wife. He waited for her to berate him for
his brutish lack of control, pawing at her like a filthy beast.

The last thing he
expected her to do was reach for the hem of his shirt and tug it over his head.
He stood, stunned, as her eyes traced the contours of his chest.

And that was when it
finally sank in that he wanted her for more than sex or a means to track his
kidnappers.

He actually liked
her.

 Chapter Seventeen

T
he pained expression on
Aiden’s face brought Shayla up short. Here she was, panting after the guy, practically
molesting him, while he was in pain. Horror quickly overpowered her lust, and
she thrust his shirt back toward him. “I’m sorry. I think it’s best you leave.”

“No.”

Shayla raised her
brows at his blunt refusal. Something very predatory about the way he watched
her put her on alert. He noted every subtle shift, watched her heart beat at
the base of her throat. Shayla knew without a doubt that if she ran, he’d be on
her in an instant.

She should be scared.

Would have if she hadn’t
wanted to be caught.

“Supper.” She gasped
the word when he took a step toward her. “We’ll be late.”

“Doesn’t begin until
after dark.” Then he smiled, and she very much felt like the waiting feast…ready
to be devoured.

Shayla whirled, the
primitive part of her brain urging her to flee. Running was a mistake, but before
she could tell her brain to stop, it was too late. She managed only one step
before she went airborne. A startled shriek tore from her, and became muffled
when she landed face-first on the soft bed.

As soon as she rolling
to her back, she was riveted by the sight of Aiden. Shirtless. It completely shut
down her brain. He seemed equally occupied. Curious to know what had so
captured his attention, she looked down.

The ripped dress
barely clung to her breasts, leaving her nearly exposed. She hastily tugged up
the bodice, but the trapped material wouldn’t budge under her weight without
some serious wiggling.

“Tell me to leave.”

Shayla blinked. She’d
expected him to pounce. Take what he wanted. It would’ve been so much easier if
he had. Instead, he gave her a choice. A funny flip-flop in her stomach made her
uncertain which way to jump. She hated feeling indecisive. Things in her life
were always black and white. He muddled things. Made her doubt what she wanted.

She didn’t do
impulsive. Maybe that was her problem. Her stale life bored her to tears. Aiden
was anything but stale.

He stood before her,
all but vibrating with restraint. His hands were fisted at his side as if he
knew the outcome and waited for her to send him packing.

Shayla slowly rose to
her knees, pulling the skirt up her legs so she could move freely. The band of
indecision around her chest eased, and a new boldness took hold.

She wanted him.

She had a week, and
she planned to enjoy herself until she had to go back and face her old life.

The thought of
touching him tingled through her. She licked her lips, almost drooling over all
those lovely muscles. “Stay.”

That same stillness stole
over Aiden once more, as if he were afraid to even breathe lest he scare her
off. Silly man. Now that she’d made up her mind, Shayla was determined to enjoy
every minute. Still on her knees, she edged toward the end of the mattress, pausing
when only a foot separated them.

With her eyes on his,
she stood on the bed. A small tug snapped the last few threads, and the remains
of her dress slithered down the length of her body, until she stood before him,
dressed in only her panties.

She expected his eyes
to drop.

Waited for him to
reach out and ravish her.

Nothing.

Fingers trembling,
Shayla traced his face, marveling at the texture of his skin and the luxury of
touching him. She slid her fingers into his hair and leaned forward, stopping just
short of kissing him. “Tell me to stop.”

Something in him snapped.
He took one step, wrapped his arms around her, and smashed his mouth to hers.
He forced her lips apart, no finesse, almost brutal. Heat flickered through her
at his loss of control, and she returned the kiss, nipping at him when he tried
to pull back.

Her aggression
spurred him into action. He whirled, sweeping her clear off the bed. Shayla
quickly wrapped her legs around his hips, gasping at the feel of his arousal.

He took advantage of
her distraction, trailing his lips down her throat. When he dragged his teeth
against the sensitive spot under her ear, she arched into him. His hands
tightened on her hips, clutching her closer, and he bucked against her.

She couldn’t stifle a
hum of pleasure. When his mouth wandered lower, Shayla leaned back, trusting
him not to drop her as she offered herself to him. As soon as his mouth moved
to her breast, all thoughts stopped but the need for more.

She scraped her nails
over his shoulders, dragging him closer. She felt herself being lowered and shivered
at the brush of a plush rug against her back. The fire in the grate snapped,
the heat of the flames bathing her skin.

When he released her,
she groaned in complaint. His palms brushed over her skin, a barely-there touch,
his callused hands against her flesh ratcheting up her need to an unbearable
level. She never expected him to be so gentle. He traced the lace edges of her
panties, and a wave of longing speared through her.

She quickly grabbed
his hand, halting further exploration. His eyes flicked toward hers. He didn’t
protest. He didn’t show any emotion at all.

* * *

Aiden froze. Her
action spoke louder than any scream of protest. But he couldn’t move as he
battled the urge to just take. His late wife used to drive him to the edge,
take her release, and then often left him wanting. That was when she let him
get anywhere near her.

He waited for Shayla to
pull away in disgust, his muscles trembling as he tried to haul himself back.

“I can give you
pleasure.” The plea escaped unbidden. It didn’t matter. He didn’t have any
pride left. He needed the taste of her more.

When Shayla scooted
out from under him, the last of the warmth in his chest shattered at her
rejection. He closed his eyes, unable to bear watching her walk away.

So when he felt the
brush of her lips against his chest, all breathing stopped. He didn’t dare move,
terrified that she’d stop. She nipped at him, then licked the spot as if to
soothe it.

His eyes snapped
open. He looked down to see her watching him. “But what if I want to give you
pleasure?”

He swelled at her words,
almost spilling himself in his jeans. Shayla gave a seductive smile, then went
back to driving him mad. Her lips trailed over his chest. Each kiss, every little
nip, drove him closer to the edge.

Small hands skimmed up
his chest, then pressed against his shoulders. A little uncertain, he allowed
himself to be pushed to his back. She straddled his hips, grinning in triumph,
and his heart thumped painfully at her playfulness. The women he did business with
enjoyed themselves, but he had always been the one in control. They never
sought more.

He wanted to take command,
shower her with pleasure, but her touch slayed him. He couldn’t deny himself of
the novelty of it. Just the soft feel of her hands skating over his ribs, then down
to the waistband of his pants made his body arch up in expectation.

Nails skated over his
skin, light at first, then sharper when he inhaled abruptly.

“You liked that.” It
wasn’t a question.

Aiden gripped the rug
to hold himself still, struggling not to take everything she offered in a rush
of need. She leaned over him, her breasts brushing his chest. Instead of
kissing him, she stretched to whisper in his ear. “You’re wearing a lot of
clothes.”

She nibbled at his
earlobe then his neck, working her way down his body until she was seated
between his legs. She gave one last, sharp bite to his stomach that made him
swallow hard.

Then she
straightened. Anticipation twisted through him until every muscle went taunt, dying
to know what she’d do next. Those clever fingers touched the fastening of his
jeans, and smoothly undid the button. Then she slowly, ever-so-carefully, lowered
the zipper.

Breathing stopped
being important when his erection sprang free. He throbbed, aching for even the
softest brush of her fingers.

But she wouldn’t
grant him his wish. She avoided his erection, tugging at his clothes until he
was naked. Then she knelt between his knees, gazing up at his body.

Scars covered him,
some decades old, the majority of them too vicious to heal properly. They weren’t
a pretty sight, and he moved to cover them. “Shayla…”

“No.”

His heart dropped. He
gritted his teeth to keep from begging, and cursed himself for being a fool.
For forgetting why he never let women close.

“Lie back down. I
wasn’t done yet.”

Aiden’s head snapped
up, and a little grumble vibrated in his chest. He didn’t want to. Each second
he didn’t have her beneath him was torture. He wasn’t sure how much more he could
withstand.

But the thought of
what she might do to him triggered instant obedience. She ran her hands along
his legs, tracing the scars, healing old wounds with just a kiss. Her breasts
brushed tantalizingly against his thighs.

He opened his legs
wider at her nudge. When her mouth hovered over his erection, her breath nearly
set him off, and he couldn’t keep his hips from lifting toward her beautiful
mouth. Instead of complying with his silent demand, she ignored the part of him
that needed her the most…and continued on her journey up his stomach.

“You missed a spot.”

Shayla paused. Her
lashes slowly lifted and she gazed up at him. She gradually straightened, her
brows furrowed. “Did I?”  

Aiden could only
swallow and nod, surprised that he’d dared interrupt her. More surprised that
she didn’t storm off in a huff and leave him to suffer.

“And where would that
be?” When she leaned back, the silk of her damp panties nestled over his
erection.

Aiden growled at the
waiting heat denied him. He sat abruptly and dragged her against him.

Shayla inhaled deeply
at the feel of him between her legs, the crisp hair of his chest rubbing
against her breasts. “No fair. I wasn’t done.”

Aiden gathered a
length of her hair and tugged her head back until she was looking up at him.
“Much more and we’ll both be done before we’ve even started.”

Shayla gulped at the
sheer lust in his voice. She wiggled, and his hands clamped down on her hips, but
instead of stopping her, he guided her against him.

Shockingly fast,
Shayla was on the verge of release.

“Not so quick.”

She felt herself
being lifted and set away.

“Wha—”

He pushed her onto
her back, crawling over her body, careful to not touch her in any way. Then he
smiled. “My turn.”

Pure desire shot straight
to her core, and Shayla smiled, reaching for him. “No need. I’m very ready.”

Good lord, she was
more than ready.

Instead of falling
into her arms and taking what she offered, the bastard only smiled. “How can
that be? You’re still wearing clothes. Let’s make sure.”

Her eyes nearly
crossed. He knelt between her thighs, draping her legs over his hips. He ran
his hands up past her knees, over her outer thighs, his fingers tracing the elastic
of her panties.

Then he casually
shredded the fabric, leaving her completely vulnerable. He avoided touching her
intimately and simply gazed at her. Then, as if he’d finally decided on a plan
of attack, he leaned over and gave his complete attention to her breasts.

The action settled
his erection against her core. Shayla couldn’t keep still, thrusting up against
him, the length of him rubbing her in all the right ways.

He growled and lifted
his head. “Do that again.”

Unable to resist,
Shayla slowly tightened her thighs until she rode his hips. As soon as she
moved, he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Every time she slowed, he’d nip
her.

Shayla clawed at his
shoulders, desperate for the release hovering just out of reach. “Aiden.”