Despite the warning bells going off in his head, he dipped it, so that their lips were inches apart. Maybe if she’d pushed him away, he could have controlled the wave of need swelling in his body, but then her gaze flitted to his mouth, her eyes darkened to a smoky violet and Cole’s control snapped like a rubber band.
Growling low in the back of his throat, he tangled one hand through Jamie’s silky red hair and kissed her. She gasped, then parted her lips and let his tongue inside. His lungs burned from the lack of oxygen as he explored Jamie’s sweet, warm mouth. His hands drifted down to grip her waist, sliding under the hem of her shirt, touching bare skin. The heat of her flesh sent his head spinning, had him kissing her deeper, harder, and as much as he wanted to keep his mouth on hers for as long as he could, he wanted her naked even more.
She must have felt the same urgency, because the next thing he knew, they were pawing at each other’s clothing like reckless teenagers. Buttons snapped, zippers hissed, the soft thud of clothing hitting the hardwood floor. And then he was in nothing but a pair of black boxers, Jamie in a pale green bra and matching panties, and they tumbled back on the couch, their mouths and hands taking on minds of their own.
Cole groaned as Jamie pressed her mouth against his chest, as she lavished kisses over his feverish skin, as her hand circled his shaft and pumped him in a slow, lazy rhythm that had him seeing stars. And then she slid off the couch, got to her knees, and freed his erection. When she covered it with her mouth, the stars became a white haze that made it impossible to see, let alone think.
His head lolled to the side, too heavy to keep upright the longer she moved her tongue over him. His muscles tensed, chest tight with arousal as Jamie drove him wild with her mouth. When she rested one hand on his thigh, squeezing hard, he nearly lost control. It took every ounce of restraint he possessed to stop that rising release. Groaning, he tugged on her long hair and brought her back to the couch, his mouth finding hers once more.
This time it was his hands doing the exploring, his mouth peppering kisses over every inch of her slender body, over every curve, every secret place. He unclasped the front of her bra and his mouth went dry when her breasts spilled out, her dusky red nipples rigid and demanding attention.
Jamie sighed with pleasure as he covered one tight bud with his mouth and suckled gently. Her hands rested on the back of his head, keeping him in place, drawing him closer. As he feasted on her breasts, he tugged on her panties, scrunched them between his fingers and shoved them down her legs.
“This is crazy,” she whispered, then moaned softly as his hand moved between her legs and stroked her core.
Crazy. With his heart thrashing an irregular beat in his chest and his erection throbbing relentlessly against her firm thigh, he knew she was right. Forget lust. This was something entirely different. Something carnal and out of control and—
“We can’t do this,” he choked out.
As Jamie blinked in confusion, Cole practically dove off her, shoving his boxers up to his hips as he struggled for breath. The sight of her gorgeous body stretched out on the couch, the trust glimmering in her eyes, her tousled hair and bee-stung lips—it all succeeded in sending a streak of guilt through his chest.
What was he doing? He couldn’t sleep with this woman. Not with this black cloud hanging over his head, threatening to destroy him. Not while vultures circled Donovan Enterprises, watching the stock plummet and waiting for the opportune moment to snatch up the empire. He had to focus on saving his livelihood. On clearing his name. And no matter how badly he wanted Jamie Crawford, taking her would be a big mistake. He was in no shape to get involved with anyone right now. Call him a coward, but he had no intention of handing his heart over to another woman, only to have it ripped to shreds.
“Cole,” she started, her voice shaky. “I—”
“I’m sorry,” he cut in, breathing hard to steady his racing heart. “That shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have done that.”
She swallowed, then sat up, fumbling with the clasp of her bra. He glimpsed a flash of disappointment in her eyes, but within seconds, it faded, replaced by the same unease plaguing his own body.
“Oh God,” she whispered, suddenly jumping off the couch in search of her clothes. “You’re right, we shouldn’t have let that happen.”
They both dressed in a hurry, as tension and lingering heat sizzled between them like an electric current. Cole was buttoning up his shirt when Jamie finally spoke. “I didn’t come here for that,” she stammered. “I really just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I know,” he said in a gruff voice.
“But I meant what I said about being friends. Maybe I’m being foolish, but I don’t think you killed Teresa, Cole. I look into your eyes and I don’t see a killer.”
“Because I’m not.” A lump rose in his throat. “I didn’t murder my ex-wife. I can’t say I’m sad that she’s gone, or that I’m happy about all this so-called evidence against me, but I can promise you I had nothing to do with her death.”