The Tycoon's Tender Triumph Page 0,42

slamming the door behind her. “You race out of my house earlier today after dropping that bomb, then you show up this evening looking like you were smoking something funny.”

Chloe laughed. “You know I wouldn’t ever do anything as stupid as drugs.”

He put his hands on his hips and glared at her. “Twenty-four hours ago, I would have agreed with you. So you’d better explain what happened this afternoon and where you’ve been.”

She looked across the family room at him, so tall and strong, so confident it made her knees weak just to look at him. “You’re very handsome, Sam,” she replied, not bothering to tell him anything about her afternoon. But she’d definitely changed. Her discussion with Joe had done something to her and she really liked it.

She had no idea if the feeling would last, or even if she would go through displaying her photographs in his restaurant, but it was a magical feeling to know that someone else liked her work.

“Okay, what gives,” he said forcefully, walking towards her and running a hand through his hair. “You’re driving me nuts, Chloe.”

In response, she reached up and touched his jaw gently, her fingers caressing him and taking her time touching him, experiencing what that scruffy cheek felt like and satisfying her curiosity.

She was about to let her hand drop but Sam’s larger hand covered hers, keeping her hand in place. “I’m not really sure what’s going on here, Chloe.”

She smiled gently, then stood on tip toe and kissed his jaw, the only place she could reach.

In response, his eyes flared and he took a deep, shuddering breath. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” he asked and pulled her closer.

“Yes.” She didn’t smile but kissed the middle of his chest, fascinated by the man standing so still. He’d never been still before and she was taking advantage of the moment. She moved from his chest to his arms, loving the way the muscles flexed, the way her fingers could make things happen underneath his rough shirt.

“Chloe!” he growled and picked her up, lifting her so she was eye level with him and her feet were dangling a foot off the ground. “God help you if you didn’t want this because I can’t stop after your touch,” he explained a moment before his mouth covered hers, ravaging her mouth.

Chloe wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, clinging to him even as he held her in his strong arms, carrying her to her bedroom and laying her down on the bed. He looked down at her but she wouldn’t let him change his mind. Her own was made up and she kissed him with everything she had, encouraging him with her mouth, her hands and her body.

When she felt his body’s reaction, she knew she’d won and there was a not so subtle change in their lovemaking. Before, she’d been doing all the kissing while he’d participated, but was holding back. With her body’s permission, he took charge, his body covering hers, pressing her back while his hands explored, pulling her clothes off while his fingers found secret places, smiling slightly when he got a reaction from her, a flinch, a gasp or a moan of pleasure. He was relentless in his pursuit of her pleasure and when his fingers unbuttoned her jeans, sliding them down her legs, she was pushing them off right along with him, then pulling him back into her arms.

As his fingers explored her body, she tried to do the same to him but he was so merciless, she couldn’t focus enough to do anything more than grasp his shoulders as he played her body like a master, eliciting a mixture of gasps and sighs which she didn’t even try to control. She reveled in the freedom she was feeling right now.

Sam couldn’t believe what was happening. Just this morning she’d rushed out of his house, terrified because she’d admitted he made her feel things other men hadn’t been able to make her feel. Now she was giving him free reign over her beautiful body. It was like he’d been given a glimpse of heaven and he was going to enjoy it while it lasted, getting answers later from this woman he’d wanted for so long.

When his fingers slid between her legs, there was no hesitation, no embarrassment and he wondered slightly if he’d misunderstood what she’d told him this morning. Her reactions were not that of a virgin, although