Stealing Taffy (Bigler, North Carolina #3) - Susan Donovan Page 0,6

heard the door shut, then spun around in a near panic. “Oh, shit, oh, shit, oh, shee-it!”

What in the world did she think she was doing? She looked down at herself and realized she was in the process of stripping to her underwear and heels, that was what.

Tanyalee tossed her clothing to a chair, turned off the lamp, and opened the curtains wide. The city lights, intensified by their reflection in the river, became the room’s only illumination. She turned on the TV to a music channel, and heard the strains of soft jazz.

She breathed deeply and took a moment to decide how to set the stage. It was fortunate that she had worn perfectly lovely lingerie for traveling. The peach lace balconette-style bra put her cleavage to its best advantage and the matching panties were cut high on the leg and low on the hip, perfectly accentuating her curves. A spontaneous mood was best, she decided, and opted for one of her tried-and-true poses. She turned herself slightly away from the door, her long neck exposed, back slightly arched, one arm relaxed at her side while the other hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She had one ankle coyly crossed in front of the other. He would enter the room and catch her alluringly unawares.

While she held the pose and waited, the oddest sensation began to seep into her bones. Tanyalee felt awkward. Ridiculous. She untwisted herself, and though unsure what to do next, she was certain of one thing—she couldn’t simply stand there in the middle of the room in her underwear like an idiot!

I can’t let a man see me just being plain ole me …

The click of the card key in the door made her jump, and she ran across the room to hide behind the wall next to the bed.

“Taffy?”

“I’m here,” she said, her voice barely audible.

This was her last fling. Of course it was. This was her last fling before she went back to Bigler and took up residence in Chastity City.

Dan strolled into the room, put the ice bucket on the credenza, and turned her way. Tanyalee stepped out from the shadows, and his eyes immediately flashed. He chuckled, low and sexy. “Looks like you got a head start on me.”

Ooooh, how she loved the sound of his Yankee accent! Unbelievably, she didn’t really mind him calling her that hideous name, either—not with that voice of his! Tanyalee raised her arms and unpinned her hair. Then she messed it up. She licked her lips. This seemed to have the desired effect on Dan, who untied his tie, ripped off his jacket, and untucked his dress shirt while in a trancelike state. Next, he unbuckled his belt, kicked off his shoes, and yanked off his socks. She watched his chest rise and fall as he walked toward her, pants open, shirt loose, dark eyes sparkling.

What she saw on his incredibly handsome face was nothing but animal lust. It had been a long time since she’d had any animal lust in her life. For sure there was no lust at all, animal or otherwise, during the ten weeks she’d spent at Sedona Sunset. That place had been nothing but endless group therapy, crying, writing lists of people she needed to make amends to, and beating the tar out of a pillow with a whiffle bat. Before rehab, her last brush with lust of any kind had been with Wim Wimbley, her idiot of a fiancé, and that was a dehydrated, wimpy kind of lust she could manage only after receiving a new piece of jewelry. Even that seemed like eons ago.

The sound of a zipper jolted her to attention.

Dan was such a big man. His shoulders were so wide. Suddenly she couldn’t swallow. Maybe this had been a mistake. Maybe the big cheese stud wasn’t safe. Or sane. She could always tell him no, right? It wasn’t too late.

Right?

He pulled off his shirt as he stalked her.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Taffy. Please don’t be afraid of me.”

“Okay.” She gave him a brave smile, trying not to stare at his torso.

Sweet baby Jesus!

“But you know what I am gonna do to you, right?”

She heard herself pant. “What?”

“I’m gonna fuck you silly, all night long, right up until we have to leave for the airport in the morning. You gonna be good with that?”

“Oh, heavens yes.” It occurred to her that Dan’s accent had just kicked into high gear. It reminded her