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  Reveling in the freedom evoked by her thoughts, she faced Brad. Moonlight spilled through the open curtains on the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting the room in a dim, sensual glow.

  Brad flipped the dead bolt into place before latching the chain. Somehow, the act screamed of dominance and control. Control she wasn’t willing to let him have. Not this time.

  He leaned against the wall, one booted leg over the other, one hand in his pocket. The laid-back stance might have been convincing if not for the predatory gleam in his eyes. He watched, waited.

  Sliding out of her jacket, she threw it onto the chair in the corner, knowing the message she was sending. Knowing her discarded clothing confirmed his expectation of what would come next.

  “Nothing leaves this room,” she said, cautious as always. Her inner vixen might be out to play, but the good girl had a few conditions.

  He nodded. “What happens here stays here.”

  Her fingers went to her blouse, attracting his gaze. The mood shifted with her action, crackling with anticipation. One by one, she released the buttons, the more skin she showed, the more the air seemed to thicken, the harder it was to breathe.

  Brad didn’t move, didn’t openly react. Yet, she could feel his hunger, his desire, a tiger ready to pounce. That pleased Amanda, encouraged her to test her seduction skills.

  She shrugged out of the blouse, displaying her sheer, pink bra. She could feel his stare on her breasts like an intimate touch, and her nipples tightened into hard peaks. Never before had Amanda found herself so aroused by the look in a man’s eyes.

  Excitement coursed through her body. She reached for her skirt, letting it fall to the floor.

  Wearing only a thong, high heels and her barely-there bra, Amanda struck a sexy pose. One hip out, hands on waist, she confronted him.

  He ravished her with his eyes, and she sensed that he was on edge, ready for her. And she liked it.

  Slowly, she walked toward him, closing the distance between them, watching him watch her. With each step her body pulsed, anticipated the moment he’d put those big hands on her.

  She didn’t stop until only a few inches separated them. His gaze flickered to her breasts. “You’re beautiful, Amanda,” he said, raising his eyes to hers.

  The way he’d said the words, laced with arousal and desire, nearly did her in. Spurred her to speed things up, to push for satisfaction, for more Brad.

  “And you,” she purred, “are wearing far too many clothes.” She crossed her arms, framing her breasts. “Take them off.”

  BRAD FOUND this bossy side of Amanda beyond sexy. If Amanda wanted him naked, he’d damn well get naked.

  He tugged his shirt off, throwing it aside. But when he reached for his jeans, her hand covered his. “Not yet,” she ordered.

  Slowly, he eased his hands to his sides. “Good,” she said. “Keep them there until I say otherwise.”

  That was a difficult request when the urge to take what he’d wanted since the first moment he’d met her was like rocket fuel shooting through his veins.

  Her hands, soft and warm, settled at his waist. For a moment, he shut his eyes and absorbed the feel of her hands on his skin. Brad could barely breathe as she began to explore, tracing the lines of his body, teasing him with sensation after sensation. The simplest of acts became incredibly erotic.

  She shifted and her legs touched his. That damn flower scent stirred his hunger while it tested his willpower. He tilted his head, letting the soft strands of her hair tickle his chin and cheek.

  The scrape of her teeth on his nipple, a sharp dart of pleasure, set him into action. He reached for her, filling his hands with that lush, round ass and molding her hips against his erection. He left no doubt how hot and hard he was for her.

  Her hands gripped his biceps. Defiance flashed in her eyes. “I told you no touching.”

  “A man only has so much willpower, sweetheart,” he drawled. He didn’t give her time to argue, just claimed her mouth in a kiss that held nothing back. His tongue swept into her mouth, taking what he wanted, what he craved.

  For several seconds, she held herself stiff, as if she would resist. The need to demand her submission drove him to deepen the kiss. One of her arms slid around his neck, while her hand framed his face. Her body formed to his like a soft blanket of sensual heat covering him.

  Just when he thought he’d won, she surprised him. Suddenly, Amanda met his passion with a fiery response, her tongue battling his for supremacy, for the ultimate control. Stroke for stroke, demanding, taking, turning his victory into a wicked battle for dominance. And damn, the battle tasted good. Like honey mixed with cinnamon, the sweetness of her blended with the spicy woman who’d come out to play.

  He swept his hand downward and, shoving aside the thin strip of her thong, trailed his fingers in her most intimate places. A sexy little sound erupted from her as she tore her mouth from his.

  She stared at him, lips slightly parted and swollen from his kiss. Her fingers went to his waistband. “You are not listening. No touching unless I say so.”

  Tugging him forward, she angled him toward the bed. He didn’t fight her. A second later, she pushed him down to the mattress.

  Immediately, she was there, too, straddling him, that lush backside settling on his erection. He moaned, desire tearing through him. Amanda smiled in response, a spark of pure mischief flashing in her eyes.

  She reached around, unhooked her bra, and tossed it aside. One look at her bare breasts, and he was ready to come unglued. Screw the hands-off rule. He wanted to touch her and he intended to. But before he could make his move, Amanda arched her back, and planted her hands on his thighs behind her. With her rosy red nipples thrust in the air, she swiveled her hips against his cock, her breasts bouncing with the action.

  Hungrily he took in the sensual sight she made. Primal need drove him to take more. He sat up, one arm sliding behind her back, anchoring her against his chest. His other hand covered her breast, fingers teasing the erect nipple. For several seconds they sat that way, bodies intimately connected, the mood simmering, becoming more intense.

  “Why don’t you want me to touch you?” he demanded, his thumb stroking her nipple. His cock jerked at the sexy sigh she gave. “You know you want me to.” His lips lingered near hers, their breath mingled. “You like when I touch you, don’t you?”

  “I do the touching,” she whispered, but she shivered as he gently tugged on the erect tip, her hips arching into him ever so slightly, as if she tried to stop herself but couldn’t.

  He reveled in the knowledge her resistance was fading. “That’s not what I asked.” His lips brushed hers before sliding along her cheek, her neck, her shoulder. Such soft skin she had. “I asked if you like my touch,” he said, his tongue lapping at her nipple and he blew on it. She shivered and whimpered.

  “Tell me what you want.” He blew on the stiff peak again. “Tell me.”

  She hid her breast with her hand, dislodging his. Brad wanted to roar with frustration. He covered her fingers with his hand, forcing her to caress herself with every shift of his own fingers and he rocked his body against hers, reminding her of the pleasure he had to give. “You’d rather do it yourself than tell me what you want?”

  He pinned her with his stare. “Is that right, Amanda?”

  Her lashes fluttered before she buried her face in his neck. One second. Two. Her body relaxed into his, edging them closer and more susceptible to the intense emotions spinning around them. Her hand moved, allowing him direct contact with her breast again. Then she guided his fingers with her own, telling him without words what she wanted.

  Victory roared inside him, coursing through his veins like lava. Slowly, he slanted his mouth over hers, taking her mouth in a deep kiss. He branded her with a sudden possessiveness he couldn’t explain. She tasted like perfection, and her touch fed his addiction. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  Brad took her with him as he reclined on the mattress, settling so t
hey faced one another. He continued to kiss her as he shoved her panties down, tossing them aside. Pulling her leg up over his hip, he opened her to his touch. He slid his fingers into the wet heat of her core, stroking her sensitive flesh, absorbing her soft sounds of pleasure with his mouth. His cock expanded, throbbed in response to her arousal.

  As if she’d read his mind, felt his urgency, she said, “Get undressed.”

  “You love giving orders, don’t you?” But he wasn’t ready to do her bidding. Instead, he dipped a finger insider her, and began a slow rhythm back and forth.

  She gasped with the touch, her hand going to her face. “Brad.” Impatience laced the word. “You’re driving me insane. I want you.”

  He continued his teasing, fingers caressing her inner wall, loving how her hips moved with his hand, arching against him.

  “You have me,” he told her. “Don’t you feel me, Amanda?”

  Her lashes fluttered and then lifted. “No. I mean…yes.” A soft moan. “I meant…I want…you. Inside me.”

  And with the words, she gave him what he wanted most. Her admission of desire. Why this was so important to him, he didn’t know. “Not as much as I want to be inside you,” he murmured, stealing one last kiss before shoving his pants down his legs. He was urgent to return to her, to feel the hot, wet heat of her take him in.

  Amanda touched him everywhere. His arms. His chest. His stomach. Her hand circled the hard length of his cock, and he ground his teeth against the fire it evoked. Her fingers played along the tip of his cock, sending shock waves of sensation through his body as she spread the slick wetness there, an erotic form of torture given that he was so ready for her.

  With a guttural groan, he pulled her close. His fingers tangled into the strands of her hair, his mouth slanted over hers, desperate for another taste of her. He savored the tantalizing sweetness of her tongue brushing across his, the flavor of her so addictive. He lifted her leg over his hip as he’d done before, filling his hand with her ass as he angled her body to his, settling his cock between her legs. A groan of pure pleasure escaped him as he nestled his hard length in the slick wet heat of her core.

  “You feel so damn good,” Brad murmured, his lips traveling down her jaw, her neck, her shoulder. He simply couldn’t get enough of her. “I need to be inside you.” His teeth scraped her shoulder. “Now.”

  “Yes,” Amanda said, her voice raspy. Full of urgency. She reached between them, her hand circling his shaft. “Now.”

  “Wait.” Brad’s hand slid over hers. “Birth control.”

  “Pill,” she said. “And I don’t sleep around.”

  Her gaze went to his, as if in question. “I always wear a condo—”

  He lost his words as she slid his length along her core, readying her body, teasing them both with how close they were to joining. He released her hand, all thoughts of birth control gone.

  The room filled with the sound of their breathing, with the sizzle of anticipation. Her skin was hot against his. So hot. So perfect.

  Body taut and ready, he couldn’t bear another moment of waiting. He positioned his cock and entered her. One deep thrust and he sunk deep to her core. Amanda cried out, her fingers digging into his shoulder. For several seconds, they stayed that way, foreheads pressed together, bodies joined. Lost in each other. Feeling emotion with each breath they took. Intense. Potent. What flared between them went beyond simple sex.

  Brad moved first, his hand sliding up her back, molding them together, as if they were one. It wasn’t close enough. He wasn’t deep enough. Wild need flared inside him, but he held himself in check. No rushing. He didn’t dare succumb to the demands of his body. Not yet. She wasn’t where he wanted her. Wasn’t quivering on the edge of orgasm.

  He began a sensual rhythm. Not just hips moving, but their entire bodies. Kissing. Touching. Tasting. Fully engaged sex until she was as wild as he was. Until they simmered. Until their movements became frenzied.

  And Amanda demanded more.

  She pushed him until he was on his back, clearly not satisfied with facing each other. She straddled him, wasting no time before she started to ride. Hips bucking against his, she slid back and forth, side to side. Her hair teased his face, his neck, his chest. She was beautiful. As wild as he had wanted her. On the edge, driven to tumble over. His hands settled on her hips, guiding her, helping her reach for more. Helping her find that perfect spot she sought. And he knew the moment she did. He could feel her muscles contracting. Taking. Felt her move faster. Harder.

  She cried out. “Oh. I…Brad, I…” But she never finished the words. He felt her first spasm of release and the jerk of her body that followed. Then her orgasm rippled, grabbing at his cock, pushing him over the edge he’d been clinging to. He lifted his hips, pumping them upward as he pushed her down to meet his body. Once. Twice. Three times and he felt the rush of release, spilling himself inside her. Shaking with the intensity of white-hot lightning ripping through his body.

  They collapsed together, pressed chest to chest, exhausted. Satisfied. His hand slid over her back, into her hair, and he found himself smiling. He couldn’t remember the last time sex had taken him so far. Couldn’t remember any woman ever drawing him into a challenge that felt so completely absorbing. And one thing was for sure.

  Sex with Amanda had only made him want more.

  10

  AMANDA LAY DRAPED across Brad, little shock waves—the aftermath of her orgasm—still shooting through her. She could stay here forever, blissfully sated after the best sex of her life.

  Nothing had prepared her for how intense this night would be. For the potency of her response to Brad. She’d thought once would be enough. But what woman would stick to such a proclamation when the sex was this good?

  In the distance, a low sound registered in the back of her mind, but she ignored it, savoring the last bit of pleasure dancing along her nerve endings. Reveling in the feel of Brad’s hand stroking her back, her hair. The man knew exactly what to do, and when to do it. But the hum became louder, more insistent.

  “Amanda,” Brad said, his mouth near her ear. “Your phone. It could be about your car.”

  “Oh, crap,” she said, sitting up, instantly alert. How had she forgotten about her car? She slid off Brad and tried to grab the comforter to cover herself, but Brad was on top of it. In the midst of her struggles, her cell stopped ringing. Amanda let out a frustrated breath. “I need my car.”

  She headed across the room for her phone, nudity forgotten as her mind raced with worries. Worst case, she didn’t get the replacement vehicle and she’d have to take a cab to work. She doubted the paper would cover both the rental costs and cab fare, which would no doubt cost a fortune.

  The bedside phone rang. Amanda sprang into action, climbing back onto the bed and crawling over Brad. He grabbed the receiver and handed it to her.

  The front desk informed her she had a visitor, a rental agent. “I have to get dressed,” she said. “I need about ten minutes.”

  She handed the phone back to Brad. “They brought my car.”

  “I figured as much. I’ll go take care of it so you don’t have to get dressed.” He started to get up.

  Her response was instant panic as she grabbed his arm. “No!” But even in her current state of urgency, she managed to get distracted by his delicious body, her gaze flickering down those sculpted pecs and nicely defined abs. She cleared her throat. “You can’t go for me.”

  Brad’s expression hinted at irritation. “Why not?”

  “What if someone sees you?” she asked, and then felt a bit guilty. After all, he was trying to be polite. “Not that I don’t appreciate the offer.”

  He stared at her, those too-blue eyes unreadable. “No problem, sweetheart.” He propped himself against the headboard, and stretched out his long legs in front of him. “Glad to kick back and let you do all the work.”

  She felt confused. And irritated. On one hand, she liked his chivalry. On the other, she didn’
t like his quick change of mood. It seemed as though his charm lasted only until he didn’t get his way. Didn’t he understand that she could rescue herself? She didn’t always need him riding in to save the day. Plus, what if someone did recognize him coming out of her room? Yes, it was a remote possibility, but it would be a disastrous one.

  Amanda clenched her teeth. “Think about someone like Jack finding out about us, Brad. He’d rip me to shreds over this. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if he ripped you along with me, given the right angle. Word would get around. And just how much respect do you think your teammates—or any professional athlete, for that matter—would give me if they thought I screwed people to get stories? I have a lot to lose.” Her words were strained despite her best effort to hide how emotional she suddenly felt. She didn’t want to regret this night, and hoped he didn’t make her.

  Shoving off the bed, she didn’t give him time to respond, hating the fact that her clothes were all the way across the room. Suddenly, she felt more than naked. She felt exposed.

  With a detour to the bathroom, she grabbed a towel and a little privacy. She did a quick job of cleaning up, then inspected herself in the mirror, finding her hair in disarray, her lips swollen. Her eyes looked a bit drugged, satisfaction rooted in their depths.

  The man knew pleasure—that was for sure.

  She grabbed an extra towel and headed back to the room. She tossed the towel at Brad, who remained where she’d left him. Still gloriously naked. Evidently, he had no intention of getting dressed. Furthermore, he appeared to have every intention of watching her as she did.

  She gave him a look, intending to protest his ogling. But his eyes danced with mischief, and one dark blond eyebrow arched in challenge. An amazing thing happened. She smiled, amusement replacing her anxiety. Okay, maybe her reaction was over the top for the circumstances.

  Lifting her chin, she decided to meet his dare. She dropped the towel, then began to dress, as if it were no problem at all that he watched. First she slipped into her skirt. Then her bra and shirt. Her shoes. Damn. Where were her panties?