“I get it. You wanted to watch me so you could find out if I had any contact with operatives in the Middle East.” So smooth. So reasonable. He sounded like he really understood. He let his hand drift further up this time before coming back down to her feet. “Flex them for me. I want to make sure you didn’t lose circulation.”
“Jesse, I know you’re not in touch with anyone from that time.” She flexed her foot like a good girl, her voice tentative as though she wasn’t sure what to make of him. “I’ve watched you very carefully. I know you’re not involved in anything.”
Good. He wanted to keep her off balance. “Did you have to play me the way you did? I would have just been your friend.”
Honesty. She was right. A kernel of truth was always good when playing the spy game. It was something he’d had to learn the hard way. He’d always viewed himself as muscle, but maybe he could change. Maybe he could be more than the guy who took the first bullet.
She leaned over, her hands finding his hair as she forced him to look up at her. “It wasn’t like that. Not in the end. Li and Charlotte are right. I came to care about all of you. I got a little lost here. I liked who I was when I was around you. I just liked being with you.”
He stood and it wasn’t lost on him how close they were or how she’d been forced to move her legs apart to accommodate him. He didn’t give her any space. “I liked being with you, too, but you always put me off. I thought you wanted me to kiss you at first. The chemistry was there. It was there from the moment I saw you. Do you know what I wanted to do to you the first time I saw you?”
She shook her head.
“I wanted to eat you up. I saw you standing there that first day I came to McKay-Taggart and you were wearing a yellow dress and that little white sweater and I thought you looked like sunshine. I cornered McKay and asked if you had a boyfriend. That was the first day I brought you coffee, but what I really wanted to do was get my hands on you.” Definitely no lies there. He’d thought he’d seen pure sweetness. He’d wanted to cuddle her and kiss her and take care of her. He thought he’d found someone who needed him.
He still wanted to eat her up.
“That’s not a good idea.” The words came out on a breathy sigh, and he couldn’t miss how her nipples were hard against the filmy material of the dress she was wearing.
“No. It’s not, but then I’m not known for being an idea man. I have to follow through on the ones I do have.” He lowered his mouth to hers and hoped he could remember he was a man on a mission.
CHAPTER FOUR
Phoebe was pretty sure she couldn’t breathe. He was so close, his lips hovering over hers. All it would take to push him away or draw him closer was a simple raising of her hands, but she was caught. She knew what was right. Push him away. Don’t let this happen. Don’t let the last man to seriously kiss you not be James. Don’t.
But another voice seemed even louder in her head as he slowly moved toward her. Bring him in. God, don’t you want to know how it feels to have this man kiss you? Don’t you want his hands on you? Don’t you want to show him how worthy he is? Of love, of affection, of protection.
One kiss. Just one. Soon she wouldn’t see him. He would be as lost to her as Jamie was, and shouldn’t she have this one kiss?
His lips touched hers and she was through with arguing.
He’d kissed her before but it had been an awkward thing. He’d been tentative and given her too much time to think. Jamie had inevitably come between them, but this was different. His hands came up and caught her face, holding her still for his long, slow discovery. The word stuck in her head as he moved his mouth across hers. Discovery. Something new and fresh. Something with potential.
She was discovering him.
Her hands came up as though drawn to his body. She found his lean waist and did what came naturally. She explored over the soft cotton of his T-shirt as he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and gave her the gentlest nip. She shivered, though it wasn’t from the cold. Her body was hot, but then she was always warm around him.
His tongue demanded entry and she opened her mouth, feeling his triumph as he surged inside. He moved closer, placing himself firmly between her legs and letting her feel everything he had to offer.
His cock. Oh, god, that was his cock rubbing against her core. Her skirt had pushed up, and she could feel the denim of his jeans on her thighs. He moved in, spreading her legs further as his tongue glided along hers. Her body was melting. So long. It had been so damn long since she’d felt this electricity running in her veins.
“I told you I wanted to eat you up. Sweet. I knew you’d be so damn sweet.” The words rumbled along her lips before he devoured her mouth again.