Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,98

to men verbalising their feelings. Although she liked it, the bluntness was going to take a bit of getting used to so deciding that attack was the best form of defence, she went with one of her usual sarky comments, hoping to hide some measure of her vulnerability.

“What if I wasn’t planning on getting naked?” she quipped, trying desperately to hide her lingering nerves and gather some courage. As she considered his suggestion, she realised that he had unwittingly upped the stakes – not only was he going to be taking her clothes off, his proposition required her to take his clothes off too and that was a whole different ball game. At present she was struggling to get her brain to complete even basic functions like breathing - she wasn’t at all convinced that she would be able to co-ordinate buttons, bow ties and laces. Did he wear lace up shoes? She had no idea.

He smiled wolfishly. “You and I both know that you will be getting naked. So whadda you say? And hurry up ‘cos I’m getting old sitting here!” His tone was light suggesting that he wasn’t actually irritated but she knew that she needed to give him an answer. She smiled up at him whilst he sat waiting patiently on the side of the bed.

“Well.... I didn’t want to point out the obvious in our age differences.....” she joked picking up on his last comment and then she suddenly realised that she actually had no idea how old he was. “How old are you, anyway?” she asked.

“You, Elise Grayson, are the mistress of diversion tactics!” he growled, “I will answer your question but then I fully expect an answer to mine – otherwise there will be consequences! I am thirty-three years old and, according to your employee records, you are thirty-one – hardly any age difference at all; so if you consider me to be old..........”

“Ok, ok, fair point.” She conceded and then making up her mind, she continued.

“Well then, Mr Granger, I find that I am prepared to take you up on your offer on one condition....” She waggled her finger at him as he rolled his eyes. “I want to go first and I get to choose which items of both mine and your clothing are removed.”

Vaughn laughed. “That’s two conditions, but hell, if it gets you and me naked then I’m beyond arguing!” His eyes glinted, looking ever darker and more dangerous in the muted light.

“So, do we have a deal?” she asked.

“Yes, deal. Are you always this bossy?” He grumbled good-naturedly.

“Why? Do you like it?”

“And why the hell do you never answer a question??!!”

She laughed. “Oh dear Mr Granger.... losing your patience?”

He leaned across her, bracing his arms one on either side of her, his face coming to within inches of hers. “You, woman, are driving me insane! Now would you just start before I totally lose the will to live!”

Finding it hard to concentrate with their faces now so close, Elise drew in a deep breath and focused, managing to deliver one final jibe before immersing herself completely in the potent web of his desire. “I’d hate to think that you might lose the will to live...it would be such a waste. And just when things were getting interesting....”

“Grrrr......” Vaughn lunged at her and pinned her to the bed with the weight of his body, fitting their lengths together as he had done that night at his flat.

“Enough, woman! No more! I need to get serious with you right now.” His voice had taken on an edge and he bucked a little, forcing her to feel his arousal against her thigh.

“Feel that? Feel what you do to me, Elise?” He asked roughly as he ground against her once more and then backed off slightly, allowing a small distance to open up between their bodies.

He smiled down at her, his eyes so dark that they were now almost indiscernible.

“So...which items of clothing are we going to be removing first?” he asked.

She pushed against his shoulders to get him to sit up and then sat up herself so that they were face to face.

“Well.....” She pondered, “I was thinking I would start with your bow tie and, then perhaps your jacket?” The two easiest items to remove, which would, hopefully, result in the least amount of contact between them. Her hands were not quite steady and she knew that she would struggle to manage anything more intricate at the moment, especially when she