Losing Control - By Robyn Grady Page 0,31

demanding to be freed. Scooping her that much closer, his chest rumbled as he thought of the pleasure that lay ahead. As she arched and began to move around his touch, he slid farther in between her thighs until he discovered that tiny ultrasensitive treasure at her rainbow's end.

With a soft groan, she wound her lips away from his, even as her body nudged down against him. He grazed his lips over hers. "The bed's just over there."

Her eyes closed, her brow pinched a little and then she reached behind and gripped his wrist.

"I'm sorry, Cole. We can't do this."

"Of course we can. This has been brewing since the day we met."

"We've known each other two weeks."

He nipped her lower lip. "Now we'll know each other better."

Her eyes dragged open. "Cole, this is a bad idea."

"Does this feel bad to you?"

He claimed her mouth again, and again she dissolved, this time to the point where her knees must have turned to jelly. When she sagged against him, he shifted to sweep her up into his arms. As she pulled herself higher and her breasts ground against his chest, he didn't lighten the kiss. Rather, relying on instinct, he navigated his way toward that bedroom door. But as he made it through, she stiffened and dragged her mouth from his again. Her eyes were glistening, pleading.

"Cole, will we regret this?"

"Trust me." He smiled gently. "We won't."

"You don't want to feel as if you gave me the okay on my show simply because we slept together."

"Don't worry." He lifted her in his arms and nuzzled her sweet-scented neck. "I wouldn't do that."

"You wouldn't?"

She smelled like flowers mixed with sunshine. Her skin was so smooth, he couldn't imagine she'd ever owned a blemish. She murmured his name and Cole remembered her question. Would this sway his decision regarding her show? If anything he was impartial.

He nuzzled more.

Or tried his best to be.

"Business is business," he murmured against her cheek.

"So you could kiss me, make love to me, then change back to being the boss? Being you?"

He shifted to look into her eyes. "What's so wrong with being me?"

"Nothing. Usually." She shrugged. "I suppose."

His head went back. "You sure know how to destroy a beautiful moment."

"I was about to say the same."

While his chest tightened, her eyes darkened and the focus of their intensity shifted then changed course. They peered into each other's eyes. Taryn's vision seemed to have gotten clearer.

"I think you should put me down," she said then proceeded to wiggle like a cat getting free from a bag.

His brain said to set her down. This union wasn't happening, or not happening now. But his arms were having a hard time understanding.

She stopped struggling and a shudder of something like panic filtered over her face. "Cole? Please..."

He set her down on both feet and she straightened her dress then her hair.

"I don't think we should do that again," she said.

"You're the one pushing up against me. I was only following orders."

"Don't use that excuse."

"I didn't pack a miniscule bikini."

"And that gives you the right to pounce on me?"

"Look, I put you down. But don't try to tell me that you didn't want that to happen."

"You didn't give me a choice."

"I think you're confused."

"Maybe I am. I know I need some time alone. Some space." Her cheeks flushed, and she nodded at the doorway.

"You want me to leave?"

"In the next five seconds would be good."

Cole dragged a hand down his face. She might not have meant for the situation to get out of hand so quickly, but he'd seen what she'd packed by way of a nightdress and, in his books, baby-doll white lace didn't say "not interested." If she wanted him to go now, he'd go.

But he'd be damned if he'd apologize.

And double damned if this was over.

Hearing Cole thump away across the wood floor, out onto the verandah and hopefully farther into the deep dark never-to-be-seen-again jungle, Taryn bit her lip. What rankled most was the fact he was right. She had wanted that kiss. She'd wanted his strong, steady arms around her. At one crazy point, she'd even wanted to fall into bed with him then and there. She examined the rattan ceiling fan, colorful shaggy rug, spray of side-table flowers and a frangipani-print quilt with a mountain of matching pillows. If she'd gone ahead, she and Cole would be on that bed right now, prying off clothes, rejoicing in the hot slick slide of each other's skin....

Taryn hauled herself