"I had to see someone, all right?" He snapped out the words. "I told you that."
"A convenient dodge."
"It wasn't convenient at all, damn it." His expression was hard. "A guy from the platoon took a plane all the way out here from Philly. He had five hours in L.A."
Jane blinked. "A layover?"
"He just flew out here to see me, flew back. Can we drop it now?" He was sitting straight, his body tense, and his fingers flexed on his thighs as if he was trying to keep himself still. "Tell you what, let's go out. Do something. Get a drink. Cake and ice cream. Anything you want. It's your birthday."
His sudden agitation made her wary. "You don't need to do that. We're business associates, that's all."
"And friends or something close to it, don't you think?" He sent her a mock leer. "I've had my tongue in your mouth and your panties in my pocket."
Embarrassment now made her hot all over. "Stop that." She started to scooch away from him, except he caught her arm. "That was some weird aberration."
"Is that what they call it these days?" Griffin drew her closer. "C'mon, honey-pie. Birthday girls shouldn't lie."
"Just leave it alone, Griffin." She'd decided to pretend it had never happened, that frantic set of kisses in the restaurant storeroom. "Leave me alone."
"Then you'll go to your room and sit around feeling sorry for yourself. I bet you've been doing that all day, isn't that right?" He lifted her to her feet as if she weighed nothing. "We need to get out of here."
All at once, his mood felt dangerous. He wasn't squeezing her arm, exactly, but when she tried to get loose, he didn't release her. "I don't want to go anywhere."
His eyes were glittering. Tension was oozing from him. And then he smiled, and that was scarier, because it wasn't a lighthearted expression. It looked as serious as a heart attack. "The birthday girl at least deserves a birthday kiss."
"Absolutely n - " The last word was smothered against her lips as Griffin fixed his mouth to hers at the same instant that he released her from his hold. She might have retreated then, escaped the man and his dangerous mood, but instead she stayed where she was. A sound worked its way from the back of her throat. It wasn't a protest or a plea; it was, strange as it seemed, an acknowledgment.
Yes. Here's what I want for my birthday.
His kiss was like a switch. A key. It lit her up, it opened her up, and she felt as if she was in bloom when he touched her. She radiated heat and need, and just like before, her body clamored to imprint on his. With a little sigh, she moved into him.
His forearm clamped like a bar at the small of her back, lifting her into his hips. Her fingers went nerveless and limp as the front of her molded to the front of him. All the starch in her was gone. Were her feet on the ground? She didn't know.
His tongue pressed heavily into her mouth, and she opened for him, taking the thrust and twining her own tongue around his. His arm yanked her even closer, but he still managed to get a hand between them. He used it to cover one breast, gently molding, a stunning counterpoint to the aggression of the kiss.
Her whole body was quivering, her skin supersensitized. She pressed into that caressing hand as she tilted her hips to push against the thick ridge behind the placket of his jeans. His mouth lifted, and she gasped in air, then goose bumps raced everywhere as he slid his wet lips across her cheek to her jaw.
"Griffin." This explosive reaction was new to her, desire so bright and demanding it made a heady, impossible-to-resist experience. "God." She clutched at him now, bringing his head back so their lips were once again aligned.
He said something. Maybe "shh" or, knowing him, probably "shit," but she wasn't worrying about it. His hand left her breast, and she started to worry about that, until he ran his palm over her rib cage, her twitching belly and then down to her thigh. Still kissing her like a madman, he rucked up her skirt, and then his hot hand was on the triangle of her panties.
And then he was in her panties.
Two long fingers insinuated themselves between her plumped lips to brush the throbbing knob