hairs on the back of her neck lifted. Goose bumps speckled her skin, her body’s way of warning her what her heart didn’t want to accept. Despite all of her blustering to the contrary, she knew she wasn’t ready to deal with someone as sensuous and as strong-willed as Storm Hunter.
Before she could give voice to her second thoughts, he was standing in front of her. She felt frozen to the spot, unable to move, watching him. Gently he lifted a hand and stroked her face with the knuckles of his fingers, letting them travel down her cheek, her chin, stopping only to settle at the slender column of her throat.
Shock waves of desire coursed through her body. She closed her eyes and gasped at the shuddering impact of his soft touch.
The sound shattered the strained silence.
Suddenly the mood shifted, letting the pent-up gates of tension explode wide open. A primal growl of frustration sounded low in Storm’s throat. With a ragged breath, he slipped his fingers behind her neck and pulled her roughly toward him.
Her hands were caught between them, pinned against the solid strength of his body. She felt winded, her breath stolen by the quickness of his actions.
Before she could protest, he took her mouth with a savageness that both scared and aroused her. His kiss was hot, possessive. Impatiently he stroked her lips with his tongue, forcing her to open to his demands. She was unable to stop him. He plundered and took with a fierceness that sent heat and awareness throbbing through her.
His big hands slid up and down the length of her body, grazing her breasts, cupping her derriere. Her sweater slid from her shoulders, falling in a silken puddle to the floor. Pulling her snug against him, she felt the hardness of his body, the strength of his arousal. His touch was intimate, turning her muscles to jelly and setting her blood on fire. She clung to him, feeling weak with undeniable desire.
But this wasn’t what she’d intended.
She’d thought her first time with Storm, with any man for that matter, would be different. She had wanted it to be special, not a groping match in a hotel room. The embrace felt wrong, sullied in its intent.
“No,” she whispered, dragging her mouth from his. Knowing she’d been the catalyst to this onslaught of passion, she turned her head, unable to meet his gaze. Greedily, he took advantage. His lips brushed her neck, nibbling the sensitive spot behind her ear. His breath felt hot against her skin, his tongue warm and moist. Her body trembled at his probing caress.
Shamed by her lack of will power, she tried to push him away. But she couldn’t find the strength to accomplish the task.
He seemed unaware of her change of heart, holding her tighter, his hands growing even bolder. He fumbled with the top snap of her dress.
Desire and fear rose up inside her as she heard the rasp of her zipper. She felt torn by the clashing emotions, weakened by her own inability to think, or to act. Finally, a whimper of a plea escaped her lips. “Storm, stop… please, stop.”
Through the fire storm of passion crackling in his ears, he barely heard the soft whisper of her voice.
“No, Storm. Not now, not like this.”
As if drugged by the intoxicating lure of her body, he struggled with his own desires. He forced himself to pull away, to put an unwanted distance between them. His body burned, aching with a need for release. With the loss of her body heat, cool air slapped against his hot skin, chilling him, making him realize just how close he’d come to losing complete control.
Even now, as he stared down at her and saw the evidence of his mindless assault, he knew he still teetered on the edge of repeating his lapse in judgment. Her lips were red and swollen, her hair and makeup mussed, her clothes rumpled. She was trembling. Self-consciously she wrapped her arms around her waist and held herself tightly. She looked so young, so far out of her element.
Jasmine had taken him up on his challenge. Wisely or not, she’d come here to prove herself mature enough to handle him. He’d intended to teach her a lesson. To show her that there was a difference between tempting a man and a boy. Only the lesson had back fired. He’d been the one to be seduced. Holding her in his arms, he’d lost all sense of restraint. If she