Strong, Sleek and Sinful - By Lorie O'Clare Page 0,92

her arms, her hands brushed over his bare chest. The heat from his body, his slightly moist flesh, and that perfect spray of chest hair tortured her fingertips worse than she imagined it could.

“I have as much of a problem with a camera spying on me when I want to come see you as I do with your unwillingness to admit you want to see me as much as I want to see you.”

There was no way she could comment. It hurt too much lying to him. Sucking in a deep breath didn’t do a thing to calm her frazzled nerves. “Then maybe if you called before showing up, I could turn it off just to appease your male ego.” She was proud of her flippant tone but couldn’t move her gaze from her fingers, which were stretched over roped muscle.

“Where’s the fun in that?” he growled.

She shouldn’t have looked up. But she did. And immediately drowned in those incredible dark green eyes that swarmed with all the emotions she was feeling. She was sure of it. She saw in Perry what she experienced inside her soul. Most definitely lust. But there was another emotion, darker, primal, unexplored. And it had surfaced in him the same way it simmered inside her. Maybe it was curiosity, or a mutual fascination, a craving to explore and learn more about not only each other’s bodies but minds and hearts as well.

“I was informed today that you weren’t attending dinner at my sister’s tomorrow night.”

“So was I.”

“I see.” That emotion she couldn’t label seemed to grow, dilating his pupils and making his hands, which rested on the small of her back, feel hotter the longer they rested there. “So you didn’t cancel. I wonder what Dani is up to.”

“She’s jealous.” Kylie didn’t mean to let that slip out and lowered her gaze. Staring at his muscular chest didn’t help clear her thoughts much.

“Jealous? Of you . . . being with me?” He paused for a moment, but his arm muscles twitched as if he anticipated her moving and didn’t want her going anywhere. “Interesting. I guess none of my nieces have ever seen me with another woman.”

“At least you have enough manners to keep them away from your family.”

His low baritone sent chills rushing over her flesh when he chuckled. And she didn’t like the twang of regret when he moved his hands from her back. He continued touching her, though, resting one hand on her shoulder and using the knuckles with his other hand to tilt her chin until her gaze returned to his. “They don’t see women with me because I don’t date.”

“Don’t let me disturb your routine.” Kylie needed space and pushed away from him.

“Too late,” he growled, pulling her back into his arms. He captured her mouth again, his method of attack proving a lot stronger than her ability to fight back.

Kylie wasn’t sure how long she’d been returning the kiss, leaning into him with her arms wrapped around his neck and making a feast of him. But a ringing in the background brought her to her senses and made her realize she’d completely surrendered and devoured all he offered.

She quit standing on tiptoes, which ended the intensity of the kiss.

“Who would be calling you after midnight?” Perry growled into her mouth, his question even more proof of how possessive he would be.

That is, if she accepted him as a lover. Which wasn’t an option, not to mention, if he learned the secret she kept from him, he wouldn’t want anything to do with her anyway.

“I don’t know,” she said, pushing away from him and hurrying down her hall. She was pretty sure she knew who was calling and had even less doubt why he was calling. “I’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder.

As she scooped her phone off her desk in her middle bedroom, frustration and embarrassment made her angry. Part of her believed she’d be smarter to let it go to voice mail. But that would lead to another slap on the wrist from John in the morning. The screen said: Paul’s Desk Phone, and she answered the call, dreading the chastising she was about to receive.

“Hello.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Paul said, his tone not half as amused sounding as she’d anticipated it being.

“I’m sure you are,” she said, rubbing her brow.

“You need to send lover boy packing,” Paul said. “We’ve got a situation.”

Kylie turned to shut the bedroom door and froze. Perry stood in the doorway,