Reluctant Deception - Cambria Smyth Page 0,29

could she object to that? It wouldn't be on her lips, he conceded. She might not even feel it. He would bestow it as softly as a whisper.

Libby thought the change in position would eliminate the stirring of desire curling through her body. But, if anything, those exciting sensations were now heightened to an alarming degree. No matter where Chris touched her, Libby was surrendering to the sensual magic wrought by his capable hands. As he moved down her back, the passionate currents within her threatened to burst. And when he began to rub the back of her thighs, she had to stop herself from rolling over and pulling him down passionately on top of her. She moaned, knowing she was helpless to stave off the mounting desire.

Libby was shocked to realize that, with a mere touch of his hand, Chris had gained complete and total mastery over her. If he were to explore any further, she would surely lose what little control she had left.

Through half-closed eyes, Chris gazed with longing at the delicate neck partially hidden by waves of golden hair. Just a kiss, he thought, no more than a kiss. With a trembling hand, he reached out to expose the tender skin concealed there. So as not to alert her, he pushed the tresses aside with infinite languor and slowly leaned closer, his full lips pursed in anticipation.

"Mr. D.? Oh, Mr. D., are you up there?" Edwina yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

Chris pulled quickly away from Libby before she could discover his intent. Libby, with a swiftness to match his, bolted upright and looked at him with alarm, the spell broken by Edwina's voice.

"I'm up here, Edwina," Chris called out tersely.

"You said to let you know when the call from England came through. Mr. Bickers is on the line now."

"I'll be right down." Chris hastily stood up and wordlessly strode to the bedroom door. He turned and gazed intently at Libby, who remained on the bed, frozen in apprehension.

The intensity of banked desire radiating from Chris's eyes scorched her. Surely he knew the erotic effect the massage had on her? Couldn't he feel the desire coursing through her body in uncontrollable waves? Even now she was wet and slick and ready for him.

“I suggest it’s time for you to get back to work, Miss Reed. I trust you’ll feel better tomorrow.” Desire had been replaced with cold disinterest, his face now dark and dismissive.

Angry he could so easily flip-flop his emotions where she was concerned, Libby blurted the first thing that came to mind. “Thank you, Mr. Darnell,” she said with stiff politeness. “But, it was you who waylaid me, if I recall the chain of events correctly.”

“The ‘chain of events,’ Miss Reed, began when you decided to rest on MY bed this afternoon when you should have been working.”

“Believe me, it was never my intention to lure you into your bedroom.” she retorted. “I’m not so desperate for a man that I would resort to a tactic as school-girlish as that.” She could never admit that even though she hadn't been with a man, in that sense, for several years, she'd built up a wall of defense around herself that he managed to breach through a mere touch. He didn't know the shattering effect he was capable of wreaking on all her senses. Her momentary loss of control was frightening.

She tossed her head defiantly and continued, throwing all caution to the wind. “Why would I ever want to seduce someone whose goals are the polar opposite of mine?”

“Your reassurances comfort me,” he mocked, his lips a thin, hard line. Chris opened his mouth to say something more, but was so furious with himself, and Libby, that he abruptly closed it, fearing that if he said anything else he would lose the self-control he’d spent a lifetime cultivating.

He'd vowed never to get close to another woman again, particularly Libby, yet here he was mooning over her like a love-sick puppy. Gallantly offering her a massage, when he should've woken her up and ordered her back to work right then and there. She did have a deadline, after all. If he was upset with the way he handled things, he was equally livid—for reasons he didn’t care to examine or admit—with her response to the whole incident.

Chris threw her a look of contempt and stalked out the door.

Libby stared after him, wondering what he was going to say before he changed his mind. Oh, she'd made