request. Ari bit her lip harder to stop the smile that awoke inside her as Jai’s eyes narrowed with intensity at her husky demand.
“What?”
“I just want to see you. I miss you. All of you.”
“You want me to take my shirt off here? Where we could get caught?”
“If anyone walks in they’ll just think we’re training. I’ve seen you train without your shirt on before.”
He didn’t look convinced but as if deciding he wanted to cater to her whim anyway, Jai stood up with a grace Ari both envied and lusted after. His strong, masculine grace was one of the hottest things about him.
Ari’s breathing grew strained as Jai stared down at her. He was completely focused on her, his gaze never wavering as he offered her a little strip tease, reaching for the hem of his t-shirt and raising it inch by slow inch until it was up over his head and then discarded on the mat beside her.
She’d seen him shirtless before, but she’d somehow forgotten over the weeks just how… wow. He was honed and roped.
He had a warrior’s body.
So hot.
Taking hold of his hand, Ari started to rise and Jai’s fingers automatically tightened around hers as he helped her up. Standing now, Ari still had to tilt her chin to meet his gaze.
“Now what?” his voice was hoarse.
“I just want to touch you.”
His eyes flashed and he grew still, as if considering whether or not it was a bad idea. Finally he nodded. “Okay.”
Excitement pulsed through Ari as she tentatively let her fingers fall against his stomach. It rippled under the lightest of touch and Ari felt her lower belly tingle at the affect she had on him. That she had that much power over him. It made her insecurities over his sexual experience and her inexperience melt away. Feeling bolder, she ran her hand up the center of his six-pack, tracing the ridges of the muscle. His olive skin was silky beneath her touch, silk over pure steel. She’d read that somewhere in a cheesy romance novel Rachel had given her, but God, did it fit. She was finding it a little harder to breathe evenly as her touch reached his hard pecs. When her fingers brushed his nipple Jai moaned and Ari’s eyes flew to his. They were blazing down at her and Ari felt that look like an explosion in her lower belly. Encouraged, breathing completely ragged now, Ari leaned closer and pressed her lips to his chest, whispering butterfly kisses across his skin and reveling in the way his chest had begun to rise and fall more rapidly.
Some devil crawled inside of her and her hand backtracked, sliding slowly downwards, slipping over his abs until she hit the waistline of his jeans. At the same time as she tickled her fingers along his lower abdomen, Ari pressed a kiss over his nipple, her tongue tentatively flicking over it.
Jai cursed, his voice low and guttural. He grabbed her by the elbows and pulled her into him but before he could retaliate the sound of footsteps echoing down the staircase towards them stopped them. They froze for a second, and then Jai was pushing her away from him, turning his back and letting his magic crackle around him. A t-shirt covered his upper body but he refused to turn around.
“Almost done?” Caroline’s voice called out to them, and then she was there, peering around the doorframe. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
Jai looked like he was still brooding, staring out of the French windows. Ari was flushed, trembling, but somehow she managed to throw Caroline a tight
smile. “Yeah. We’re just finishing up.”
“Great.” Caroline smiled back at her and left after shooting Jai a curious look.
Ari listened to her footsteps fade and then turned to Jai. He shot her an unreadable look over his shoulder and she wished she understood what the hell it meant. “Are you mad?”
“No. I’m not mad. I… want you. Now.”
Ari grinned, relishing the possessive look in his eye. “Well, that’s good, right?”
“No, Ari,” he laughed despite himself as he brushed past her, careful to barely touch her. “Time and a place. Okay? There’s a time and a place.”
Hurrying to catch up to him, Ari disagreed. “Well, I thought it was incredibly hot. Maybe the time and the place was a factor in that.”
“Maybe you’re right. But if we’re going to keep a lid on this, then no more strip teasing.”
So unlike her, Ari found herself pouting. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
He caught her look and laughed, shaking his head.
“I love that sound though,” she admitted, the words just slipping out before she could stop them.