Sapphire (24 page)

She didn’t bother to protest. Hell, it would only have encouraged him. He was already daring her to respond. Given the combination of passions gleaming in his eyes, he could as easily laugh at her as he could kiss her. The chance of him kissing her, or even coming any closer was the most frightening. Sapphire knew that was all it would take for her to give into the torrent of emotions that had her stomach in knots and her heart pounding in her chest. To her surprise, he put the offending necklace on the mantle behind her and reached for her hair.

Wrapping the long, gold-streaked tresses around one hand, he lifted it from her neck and twisted it in a careless loop, then nodded in satisfaction. Reaching in his pocket he removed an amazing diamond studded comb and explained.

“After I saw the earrings, it was clear you needed to wear your hair up. Not only will it show off the earrings, but also the collar on your lovely neck will be more apparent.”

Ignoring her gasp, he handed her the comb.

“Here, Sapphire. Do what you do when you wear your hair on top of your head. You know how I mean. With just enough abandon that every man who sees it imagines himself removing the comb and winding his hands in your beautiful hair as he pulls you toward him.”

Sapphire startled at the image he conjured up with his provocative words. Trying to contain the shivers that were making it difficult to breathe, much less do her hair in a reasonable manner, she reached for the comb. With a quick twist she wound it around her hand and managed to secure it with the sparkling comb. Jase studied her for a moment then tugged several tendrils of hair free. The effect was immediate. While her efforts had restrained the golden mass, his freeing a curl here and there around her face and neck added precisely the right touch of wantonness to her upswept, sophisticated twist.

Looking in the mirror, Sapphire shook her head in disbelief. She tried to appreciate his artistry but couldn’t squelch the pang of jealousy she felt knowing how many women he must have practiced on to become the sensual master that he clearly was. Unbidden, the memory of Diamond warning her about the highly experienced charmer who counted his conquests in the hundreds put his considerable skills in perspective. Sapphire reminded herself that she was but one among the multitude, a fact that was hard to remember, seeing the lust in his eyes flare as he looked at her and nodded in appreciation.

He reached for the small box holding the stunning earrings. He carefully inserted the loops into her pierced lobes then stepped back to admire the result. His voice was soft.

“Ah, yes. Perfect.”

He smiled at her then chucked her under her chin playfully.

“In the event no one has told you this, Sapphire, you should always wear your hair like this when you are setting out to entice a man. There is nothing quite as compelling as a beautiful woman wearing her in hair in a sophisticated manner but with just enough licentiousness to insinuate her passionate nature. Adding expensive jewelry only ups the ante. Making her more desirable
and
more untouchable.” He added, his smile widening ever so slightly, “Unless the man is clever enough, and presumptuous enough, to recognize her true nature beneath the refined surface.”

Sapphire swallowed as best she could. Her dry throat and mouth made answering him almost impossible. Determined to get on an even footing with him—if that was remotely possible, she responded archly, “And what, pray tell, master of manipulating women for your pleasure, is your prey’s
true
nature?”

A slight frown tugged at Jase’s brow, but he quickly chased it away with a disarming grin.

“In the case of the beautiful woman standing in front of me, and I might add the only woman I can imagine making me feel the way that I do, her nature is passion. Pure, unadulterated, wickedly intense, passion.”

At her gasp, he pulled her toward him and bent down to murmur in her ear. The tickle of his breath against the sensitive skin sent a flurry of electric sparks straight to her core. She almost swooned when he added, “The fact that she has spent a lifetime denying that passion makes her irresistible to the man who intends to free her erotic nature and teach her things about herself that she never knew or imagined.”

Before Sapphire could respond, Jase reached behind him and lifted the gold necklace from its box. He opened it and put it around her neck securing the notch clasp. Testing the fit with his finger to ensure that it rested properly against her neck he raised a questioning brow.

“How does it feel, Sapphire? Not too tight?”

When she shook her, he smiled and reached in the box and removed a tiny gold key. To her dismay he inserted the key in the lock and turned it. Testing the collar to ensure that it was locked, he dropped the key in his shirt pocket. Grinning at the chagrin Sapphire was sure was on her face, he murmured.

“There you go, Warrior Woman. Just in case you’re tempted to take it off.”

He glanced down at her and then took her hand in his.

“Come with me, Sapphire. I want to show you something.”

She frowned, not understanding, but followed him nonetheless as he led her toward the bedroom. At first startled, not sure what he intended, she was relieved when he took her over to the full length mirror. Positioning her in front of him, he placed his hands on her shoulders in front of the mirror.

His voice was low, seductive.

“Tell me what you see, Sapphire.”

Sapphire stared at the two of them in the reflection. She concentrated on his hands on her shoulders, knowing that if she met his gaze she wouldn’t be able to still her rapidly beating heart. It was hard enough not to give into the strength of his muscular body pressed up against her back.

When she looked down and didn’t answer, he reached in front of her and lifted her chin, forcing her to meet their reflection in the mirror.

“Shall I tell you what I see, Sapphire?”

Sapphire barely suppressed the groan that bubbled up in her throat at the passionate gleam she saw in his eyes. When she just shook her head, he continued.

“I see the most beautiful, sexiest woman in the world.” He added, “Not only is she drop dead gorgeous, but also has to be the single sexiest woman that’s walked this earth.”

When Sapphire shook her head, trying to negate his effusive praise, Jase shook his head.

“Don’t deny it, baby. You see it too. All you have to do is look into my eyes and see what I am seeing.”

Seeing the flush creep up her cheeks, Sapphire wondered with a start if her passion was as apparent to him as it was to her. The gleam in his eyes confirmed that it was. He ran his hands over her shoulders then traced them down her arms. Reaching for her breasts he cupped the lush mounds in his big hands and held them out to her. Unable to keep from groaning Sapphire closed her eyes and leaned against him to keep from falling.

“Uh uh, darlin’. Open your eyes and see what I see. Look what happens to your nipples before I’ve even touched them.”

Sapphire moaned at the sight of the tight tips poking out between his fingers. She shivered remembering what it felt like when he licked and sucked on the hard nubbins.

Jase nodded in agreement. “Ah yes, baby. I remember too what they feel like, what they taste like against my tongue and my teeth.”

Before she could do more than reach for his hands to encourage him to touch the distended nubs, he moved to her waist and reached for her hips Pulling her back against him, he pressed his hard erection against the crack of her ass.

Sapphire cried out at the storm of fiery sensations flaring between her thighs. She grabbed his wrists and held them, afraid she would fall without his support. She didn’t recognize the passionate moans seeping from her own throat.

“Oh God, Jase, I…I need—”

He interrupted her. His voice was low, husky.

“I know what you need, Sapphire. God knows, I need it too. But somehow, some way, we both are going to have to wait, wait until I can take you the way that I want to. That I intend to. That I need to.”

He brushed his cheek against hers, the rasp of his beard shadow raking across the sensitive skin, “And when I do, Sapphire, when I make love to you the way that I am going to, you and I are going to know what ecstasy is. A level of ecstasy that neither one of us has known before.”

Meeting her gaze in the mirrored reflection, his voice dropped a level becoming even more gruff, more intense. Reaching for her collar, he ran his finger under the gold rim.

“Do you know why I want you to wear this collar?
My
collar?”

When she pressed her head against his shoulder and shook her head no, he replied,

“Because it not only
tells
those fucking assholes that will be after you tonight that your mine, but also
shows
them”

His voice roughened to a growl. “Goddammit! Not even that fucking son of a bitch Roberto Ventrilo, who won’t stop until he takes you from me, will doubt that you’re mine.”

He nestled his lips against her ear and blew a puff of cool air against her heated skin.

“No, Sapphire, I want you to wear it for me, for you
and
me. A pledge between us both that no matter what happens, you belong to me. You’re mine.”

Sapphire struggled with the conflicting emotions that were tearing at her senses. She closed her eyes and then forced herself to open them and meet his impassioned gaze. Her voice was soft, tentative at first, but grew stronger as she regained her courage.

“And you, Jase? What about you? Do
you
belong to me? Are…are you
mine
?”

He closed his eyes for a brief moment as she had. When he opened them Sapphire swore she saw moisture in the dark emerald pools. His voice was husky with emotion.

“Yeah, baby. I do belong to you. I’m yours. I’m yours in a way I never believed that I could be with any woman. And just so you know, Agent Shaw? It scares the living hell out of me.”

Chapter 26

“I
an thinks we can use this…this
thing
between us, against Ventrilo.”

Sapphire stared at him across the seat of the Ferrari. His eyes were on the road, his hands on the steering wheel flawlessly guiding the elegant engineering marvel he called his car among mere automobiles.

She wasn’t surprised that she stuttered.

“What…what
thing
, Jase? And if you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about, how the hell does Ian know about it?”

Jase glanced at her from behind his Carrera sunglasses and shrugged.

“You may have forgotten, Agent Shaw, but our fellow agents Walker and Webb caught us in a somewhat compromising position last night. Granted five minutes later it would have been truly compromising, but given the worldliness of our colleagues, we didn’t leave much to the imagination. It’s not hard to imagine what they told Ian. Which, by the way, they should have. It is what I would’ve demanded of them if the roles were reversed.”

Sapphire wrestled with the thought of how she would face Ian Ross when she saw him or even Noah and Grayson, although they had made it clear that they wouldn’t harass her about the scene they walked in on. She hesitated, then spoke to what was bothering her the most.

“So…if Ian Ross knows, it’s likely that Diamond also does?”

Jase shrugged.

“Yeah, I would guess that’s likely.”

Seeing Jase’s apparent nonchalance about the issue, Sapphire debated whether she would tell him about the hard conversation she’d had with Diamond. Deciding he needed to know, she took a deep breath and blurted it out.

“Diamond warned me about you.”

Jase glanced over at her and shrugged. “Yeah? Hmm, she warned me too.”

Sapphire started in surprise.

“She…she warned you about me?”

He snorted. “No, about
me
. Apparently she ordered Ian to tell me…. Let’s see, how did she put it? Oh, yes. She indicated that I better keep ‘my gun holstered’ when it comes to you, or I would have to ‘deal’ with her.”

Sapphire gaped at him, amazed.

Jase huffed a hard sigh. “Sorry about that, Agent Shaw, but apparently I have something of a reputation with women.”

Stunned at the understatement and trying to ignore the pain it caused her, Sapphire managed to keep her response non-committal.”

“Yes, Commander Malone. You do.”

Jase reached across the seat for her hand and squeezed it. “Look, Sapphire, I won’t deny where I’ve been, what I’ve done—”

Sapphire interrupted him. As difficult as it was to acknowledge all of the things she’d heard about Jase’s prolific behavior, Sapphire was more concerned that she’d misjudged her boss.

“It’s not that, Jase. I know all about
you
. I had you figured out five minutes after I met you.” She shrugged, “You, I get. What I don’t get is Diamond.”

Jase frowned but wisely chose not to respond to her put down.

“How do you mean? What about Diamond don’t you get?”

“She predicted that you would make a play for me. She warned me that I shouldn’t misinterpret your actions. She said I shouldn’t think that you’d want any more from me than to get into my pants.”