reaction to him.
She lusted for Mike. Oh, God did she ever lust for him.
But that’s all she felt. That’s all she would ever feel. On some elemental level she realized that Mike Nottingham was way, way too much for her. That while he was gorgeous and desirable and exciting as hell, he wasn’t the kind of man she could ever have a relationship with.
Not the kind of relationship she craved.
Not the kind of relationship she wanted.
Like the kind she wanted with Seth.
Oh, God.
Seth.
Mike moved his mouth from her lips to her neck, licking her pulse point and making goose bumps pop out all over her skin. He inserted his hand and slipped down the front of her skirt, cupping her pussy. She damn near came.
This had to stop. She felt guilty!
She palmed his chest and pressed against him, subtly at first, then a little harder.
“Mike, stop.”
He rocked his palm against her clit, and she fought the sensations. She was close, so damn close she almost thought about coming, of tossing aside her convictions and letting it all loose.
But she couldn’t. Goddamit, she couldn’t. Damn scruples.
“Mike, please stop.” She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand out of her skirt.
He lifted his head and looked at her, a confused frown lining his brow.
And in that moment, she knew exactly why. Because she was panting, her breasts heaving against his chest, her body shaking all over. And though his cock was hard as he rocked it against her thigh, there was something in his eyes that told her he wasn’t as invested in this as she was. A detachment she’d noticed before.
Something that wasn’t there when she looked into Seth’s eyes. With Seth there was sex, but she could look into his eyes and see clear down to his soul. When he was with her he was wholly engaged in the two of them, in the experience.
Mike felt no emotion in this. It was pure lust and nothing more. He and Abby didn’t have the emotional connection she and Seth did.
“What’s wrong Abby? You’re so damn close I can feel you trembling.”
“I know. God, I know. I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”
“We can go to my place if it bothers you. I wasn’t thinking about the lack of privacy here.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that. I . . . I don’t even know where to start.”
Mike blew out a breath and stepped back, putting distance between them. He tilted his head to the side and studied her. “It’s Seth.”
Her eyes widened. “How did you know?”
“He said as much about you last night.”
“He did?” She couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face. She didn’t mean to, really. It just appeared. And she felt really shitty about it and tried to wipe it off, but she couldn’t.
“You’re people who fall in love. It’s sickening the way it’s written all over your face.”
He was teasing her. She saw it in the half curve of his lips, the way he tilted his head a certain way.
“I’m sorry, Mike.”
“Don’t be.” He pulled her to him and hugged her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He paused for a few seconds, then whispered, “I envy your ability to love.”
She was going to ask him what he meant, but he pushed her back and grinned. “I’m going to drop you off at Seth’s. I might have mentioned to him that you and I had a date tonight, and he’s probably tearing his house apart in jealousy right now.”
“You didn’t.”
Mike shrugged. “Hey, I’m a prick. Everyone knows that.”
seth paced his living room, downing the last of the rum and staring down the wet bar, contemplating another drink.
Bad idea. He had surgery early in the morning. Besides, the alcohol hadn’t even touched the irritation burning inside him all night. Screw all night—try ever since earlier today, when Mike had casually mentioned on his way out of the clinic that he was picking up Abby tonight.
Which meant she’d no more left his place last night, left his bed last night, than she’d gone home and agreed to a date with Mike tonight. Maybe she’d even called Mike when she’d gotten home.
Either way, he knew what it meant. She didn’t care about him.
Which kind of annoyed him. Okay, it really hurt, goddammit. And he hadn’t gone into this to get hurt again. But didn’t it just figure it had happened anyway? He’d closed his heart to loving a woman after his ex had stomped all over it