Dirty Sexy Saint (Dirty Sexy #1)(28)

That’s exactly what I need to do, Samantha suddenly realized with clarity—make her desires known and demand what she wanted, without taking no for an answer. There was no question that Clay was equally hot for her. One of them had to push past that steadfast control of his, and she knew it had to be her.

She shivered at the prospect of satisfying the sexual hunger between them, but, she admitted to herself, she hoped to gain more than just sex with Clay. She wanted an intimate glimpse into the man he really was. Based on what Katrina had told her and the few things Clay had shared, she already knew he’d had a rough life, and he quite obviously kept people at a distance because of it.

She ached to discover everything about the man. She’d glimpsed those darker shadows in his eyes when he’d talked about his past and told her about Jerry, the father figure in his life. What had happened to his real dad? As the oldest of three siblings, and clearly the responsible one, she suspected he’d taken on that role for his brothers. And what about his mother? Where was she now? Samantha wanted to know all that and more.

But right now, she’d settle for seducing him. Finally breaking down those physical barriers and experiencing the hot, dirty, sexual encounter he’d threatened her with in an effort to scare her away. Too bad for Clay, the new and emboldened Samantha Jamieson didn’t frighten easily.

She was in this for the long haul, whether Clay liked it…or not.

* * *

CLAY WAS BECOMING a Tetris champion and not by choice. No, he was playing the online game on his office computer as a way to pass the hours until his employees arrived. Normally, he’d be upstairs, taking a break and relaxing before the bar opened, but he’d deemed the place off-limits while Samantha was up there during the day.

As a result of his self-imposed isolation, he’d never been so caught up on inventory, payroll, and scheduling. His office was cleaner than it had been in months, and all the paperwork that normally piled up on his desk was cleared off and filed, all invoices paid, compliance reports signed and submitted. He had nothing left to do during the day, so Tetris had become his best friend.

He just didn’t trust himself to be alone with Samantha and not do something incredibly stupid, like touch her, or kiss her again, which would undoubtedly lead to stripping her naked and slaking the lust that smoldered just below the surface.

At every opportunity, Samantha tempted him, and he knew if he allowed his control to slip any further, things between them would get down and dirty, and very quickly. Every man had a breaking point when it came to sex, and he was inches away from his. There would be no stopping the inevitable, and once he was deep inside her, he’d dominate her pleasure, dictate her release, and own her body. He physically shook at the thought of possessing this woman, and a low, tormented groan escaped his throat.

But the visual didn’t stop there, as the scene played out in his mind. He’d f*cking demand everything she had to give, and steal even more, until she was too wasted to even think or move. Then he’d take her all over again. Harder. Faster. Deeper. That was the illicit fantasy that kept him tossing and turning on the couch all night long, his dick rock hard and throbbing for relief. Just as it was right now, he thought as he rubbed his palm over the growing bulge in his pants.


“Need some help with that?” a husky, feminine voice asked.

His eyes snapped back open. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating Samantha as a residual effect of the fantasy that he’d just entertained, but when she shut the office door and locked it behind her, he knew this woman was no figment of his imagination.

He also knew the moment of reckoning had arrived, and he sat up straighter in his chair, wondering if his dwindling willpower had any chance against the determination shining in her eyes or the purposeful way she strolled toward his desk.

He didn’t know if she’d dressed for seduction, but the outfit she wore did it for him in a major way. A pale yellow lace top, cropped just above her waist, exposed the soft, creamy skin of her stomach, and a matching layered lace skirt that ended mid-thigh showed off her long, sexy legs. Her silky blonde hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and as she closed the distance between them, he grew dizzy, as if all the air had suddenly been sucked out of the room.

She came around the desk and stopped right between his spread thighs. Close enough for him to reach out and stroke his fingers along the bare flesh of her abdomen or down her long, sleek legs. Or, if he leaned forward, he could easily dip and swirl his tongue into her navel. Just the thought had his mouth watering for a taste.

With effort, he kept his hands and mouth to himself and dragged his gaze back up to her face. There was no missing the seductive smile on her pink, glossy lips or the naughty intentions flickering in her gaze. He was so screwed.

“How long do you intend to avoid being alone with me?” she asked, tipping her head to the side as she asked the question.

As long as possible, he wanted to say, except it didn’t escape his notice that he was alone with her now, so it was a moot point. And she knew it, too.

“It’s for your own good,” he said gruffly.

“Why is it that everyone else thinks they know what’s best for me?” A small frown formed between her brows. “When does what I want matter?”

He heard the annoyance in her voice, and even understood her frustration, but that didn’t stop him from trying one more time to dissuade her. “Samantha—”