a caress—and she began imagining other things his hands could caress, strong hands that could lift her up, hold her down, flip her over, pin her against a wall . . . and she realized then that her mind was already so far down in the gutter she’d need an extension ladder to get it out so she might as well just give in to the whole darn fantasy.
They were just getting to the good part in her head—in her mind she had revised the scene from the other day when Jack and Wilkins came by to tell her about the surveillance, only this time it was only her and Jack (no clue how he actually got inside her house, useless details) and this time she had just stepped out of the shower (with perfect makeup and hair, of course) and he was waiting in her bedroom (an act that would be stalker-ish in real life but was necessary to advance the storyline) and he said some sly bit about was she going to be a cooperative witness and she said something equally sly back (she hadn’t come up with the exact line yet but at this point the dialogue became superfluous) and then she dropped her towel to the floor and walked over and without saying anything else they tumbled onto the bed and—
Pulled in front of her house.
The motorcycle came to a stop, and Cameron blinked as she came back to reality. She sat there, needing a moment to regroup, trying to focus on the fact that the man she was with was Jack Pallas, who had only meant trouble for her in their brief, but bad, history together.
Noticing that she hadn’t moved, he turned around and flipped open the visor of her helmet.
“You okay in there?”
Cameron snapped out of it. “Sure—I’m fine.” She pulled off the helmet, handed it over to him, and even managed a nonchalant look. Or so she thought.
Jack looked at her closely. “Are you blushing?”
Cameron shrugged. “I don’t think so. Maybe there’s a little color on my cheeks from the wind.”
“You were wearing a helmet.”
Right.
Time to go.
She climbed off the bike as quickly as she could in her dress and heels. Jack had parked the motorcycle next to the curb, and the added inches made it easier for her to get down. With an efficient nod, she said her good-bye. “Thanks for the ride. Good night.” She turned and headed toward her front gate.
“Hold on—I need to check out your house.”
She stopped, having forgotten about that. “Well, let’s hurry up, then,” she said over her shoulder. She got to the gate and reached for the handle when his hand came down over hers.
“Anxious to get rid of me, are you?” he asked.
Cameron turned around. “Yes.”
Jack paused, as if seeing something he hadn’t expected. He took a step toward her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Uh-oh . . . trouble.
She tried to play it off. “Like what?” She opened the gate and backed toward the front steps.
Jack continued to advance on her. “Like that.”
Cameron put her hand on the stone ledge and slowly climbed up the stairs. “You’re imagining things.”
He shook his head slowly. “No.”
“I must’ve gotten worked up from my first motorcycle ride,” she lied. And possibly from thinking about riding something else, too.
Shameless.
Jack clenched his jaw. “Christ, Cameron.” As he backed her toward the door, his expression was part angry, part . . . wow—something else entirely. “What the hell am I supposed to do when you look at me like that?”
“Ignore it. Stay focused on the fact that you hate me.”
“I’m trying. I’m really trying here.”
He had her trapped against the door. Cameron wondered if he could hear the pounding of her heart, it was beating so fast.
Jack put his hand on her hip. Such a simple touch, but Cameron’s breath caught nevertheless. With her back pressed against the door, the only movement of her body came from her chest, her breathing short and quick in anticipation.
Jack’s gaze fell on her parted lips. He slid his other hand to her nape and tilted her head, pinning her with dark eyes so hot she felt the burn in her stomach.
She knew she could push him away if she wanted to.
She didn’t want to.
His gaze softened. “Cameron,” he said huskily, and she felt as though she melted right there. Knowing what he was about to do, she closed her eyes and felt his lips brush lightly against hers right before he—