Baby for the Billionaire(142)

“And I don’t like you,” she said, seized by a burst of unreasonable anger, “and I’m quite sure you don’t like me much either.”

“Liking has nothing whatsoever to do with sex, Victoria.” He drawled her name out slowly, deliberately, making her feel utterly Victorian and positively puritanical.

At the pale-silver gleam in those dangerous eyes she grew itchy, but forced herself to sit unmoving. “I need to actually like a man to make love with him.”

“So naive. You can’t have liked a great many men then.”

The implication took her breath away. “I’m not a misanthrope—I’m discerning. And it’s only you I’ve never liked. I’ve made love to enough men to know that I don’t do casual encounters.”

She’d even dated a guy for two years before breaking it off when he’d asked her to marry him. She’d gotten scared. It would never have worked—not even if she’d been more confident—he’d been easygoing and fun loving. A tumbleweed. He’d constantly nagged her to relax, to slow down, unable to understand that she was driven for reasons of her own to make a success of her life. Whatever the cost.

At least that was one thing she had in common with Connor—he’d worked hard to get where he was. Even though he’d expected her to take extended leave at the drop of a hat.

Shadows flickered in the silvery depths. “There will be nothing casual about our encounter. I can promise you that.”

She shivered deep inside. “You make it sound dangerous.”

He stalked closer. “We’ve always struck sparks off each other, and this will be no different.” He stared into her eyes, searching for something she was equally determined never to concede. “It will blow your world apart.”

It was so tempting.…

“I know there’s no one out there waiting for you. Just say yes, Victoria.”

Too tempting.

And the emptiness would be forever filled by Connor … and Dylan. A family. A chance to have what Suzy had had.

What she’d never dared hope for.

Before she could think better of it, she leaned forward and placed her lips against his.

He froze.

She parted her lips. Lightly, delicately she traced her tongue tip over his mouth. His chest lifted against her, rising, pressing against breasts that were suddenly tender.

She tasted him, sipped at him, until his breath escaped in short, jerky gasps. His arms came around her, engulfing her, holding her close. He was hard, all male. The snug fit of his jeans couldn’t hide the erection that had sprung to life, a rock-like ridge against her lower belly.

He cupped her bottom, pulled her up against him and took her mouth. It was her turn to shudder with desire. He thrust his tongue deep, and the act of possession sent a primitive thrill through her.

Stroking the inside of her mouth, his tongue searched out the smooth skin inside her cheeks, the highly sensitized roof-arch.

She groaned, a hoarse, wanting sound.

No longer aware of where they were—barely aware of how long it had been since the kiss began—she focused on the hunger that raged between them.

He moved closer, his leg pushing between hers, the harsh fabric of his jeans rough against her skin. But that was sexy, too.

Until Dylan mumbled in the cot behind her and she leapt away from Connor as if she’d been scalded.

Connor stood rigid. His eyes were wide and, for the first time since the night he’d come to tell her of Michael’s death, she recognized the emotion in his eyes.

Shock.

Her heart hammering, she balled her hands at her sides to stop them from reaching for him. “See what you made me do? That was monumentally stupid.”

He swallowed, and she fixed her gaze on his Adam’s apple, watched it bob up and down, avoiding his too-astute eyes. Hurriedly she added, “You irritated me.” And flicked her gaze up.

Then wished she hadn’t.

White-hot. That’s what his eyes were. Enough to incinerate her.

“I overreacted—and so did you.” Silence. “Don’t you agree?” More silence. “I don’t want to make love without it meaning anything,” she protested, more to convince herself than him, wishing she wasn’t having this wretched one-sided conversation with a man she simply didn’t understand.

“I’m not asking you to.” He sounded so reasonable. “I only asked you to marry me.”

Her heart sank. “So you’re proposing a marriage in name only? Absolutely no sex?” She risked a look at him. His expression was indecipherable.