Love Handles (Oakland Hills #1)(104)

His vision went dark. In one swift move he slipped his free hand around the back of her neck and kissed her.



She broke the kiss to nibble on his ear. “Did you know that couch upstairs is a sofa bed?” She arched into him. “Took me a week to figure that out.”

His fingers found the hem of her shirt, slipped underneath, and roamed over her back. “Did you know my condo is five minutes away?”

“What about—” she gasped as he unhooked her bra. “—April?”

He palmed her breasts, his eyes going out of focus. “What’s with you always wanting to invite my sister?” Then he shoved her shirt and bra up to her chin and sucked the tip of her left nipple hard into his mouth.

Bev cried out. Tunneled her fingers through his hair. “We are not doing this in the conference room.” She stroked the blond hair in her fingers, gazing up at the popcorn ceiling panels. “Oh!”

His teeth found the other nipple. “She’s stranded at my mother’s.” His laughter tickled her tender flesh. “I’m taking you home with me.” His hands dipped under the waistband of her slacks, slipping down over each round cheek, pulling her against him. “Eventually.”

She pushed him away to look into his face. “This isn’t fair.”

Kissing and stroking, he moved his hand around her hips to the front. She felt him grin against her neck. “You can go first.”

“I mean to you.” She started to laugh, but her breath caught in her mouth as his finger slipped inside her. Whatever she was trying to say got scrambled in her bloodless brain. For a moment she gave herself up to it, but her worries wouldn’t melt along with her muscles. “You’ll always be wondering—”

“If you’ll ever stop talking?” He added a finger and she gasped.

With self-discipline she didn’t know she possessed, she wriggled away. “If I love you as much as you love me.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Yes—”

“I know you don’t. But that’s okay.”

She took another step back. “See? And you think I’m competitive.”

He laughed. “All right, I give up. You love me the most.” He went after her, eyes dark and fixed on her mouth.

“Now you’re just saying that.”

“No shit. Come here.”

Her heel caught on the protruding wheel of an office chair as she ducked out of reach and bolted for the door. Her purse was in her office, and she made a run for it.

“Bev!” He appeared in the doorway of her office just as she lifted Ball off a chair and into her arms. With the fur at her chin she twirled around to face him.

His frustrated scowl broke into a mocking smile. “Give me the cat and nobody gets hurt.”

She could feel her pulse in her throat. If he would just let her think. She needed a minute before she got swept up in everything he was promising, before she took everything she wanted, before it was too late to set the stage for a future that would stick.

She looked down at Ball, a silky lump of fluff in her arms. “That’s it,” she said softly. “I’ll give it to you.”

“Kidding. The cat’s yours.” He strode into the office. “Though I assumed you were a package deal.”

With Ball still in her arms, she jogged past him and out the door. “My stuff is all upstairs.”

He let out a frustrated sigh and followed her down the hall and up the stairwell, but by the time they reached her soon-to-be-vacated sleeping quarters he was looking cheerfully predatory. “Good idea. First we make the earth move, then you move into my place.”

Heart skipping around in her chest, she smiled at him. “You mentioned that before and I didn’t believe you.” She took in the sight of him, from golden head to broad shoulder to long, strong legs, then back up to the loving, patient look in his eyes. “You gave me a choice—personal or professional, not both—”

“Forget it.” He was there, taking Ball out of her arms. “I was an idiot.”

“I chose wrong.” She held up her hands to keep him from sweeping her away again. “So you left. You chose me over Fite. I’ll never, ever doubt you again.”

His hand hooked around her waist and pulled her hard against his body. “Excellent.” He buried his face in her neck.

“But you—”

His lips nibbled the pulse under her jaw.

She inhaled deeply, lost her thoughts briefly in the rich scent of him. “—you’ll always wonder.”

“Nah.” His tongue traced the path of her racing pulse up to her ear while his hands slipped up her body, touching everywhere, under her clothes, hot fingers on her skin.

“And so,” she gasped and sank into him, “I’ll—do—the same.”

“Sure you will.” He led her over to the sofa, pushed her back onto it, and climbed on top of her, heavy and everywhere. His hands dragged the hem of her shirt up to her bra and he dipped his head. Firm lips found her nipple through the nylon, and sparks of painful lust shot through her body while she stared at the blurry half-moon out the window over his shoulder and decided he was more than a fair trade. He could have Fite, she could have him.

She smiled and closed her eyes. He didn’t believe her, but she’d show him.