Savin' Me (8 page)

Erik grinned at all the ways he’d love to get
busy, but kept the thought to himself. “Absolutely.” He picked up
their plates and dumped them in the trash while Kat dropped to her
knees and began sifting through one of the boxes. Finished putting
the leftover pizza in the fridge and wiping off the counter, he
stood next to her, awaiting further instructions.

She pulled a mixer from the box and turned
toward him. “What—?” The question remained unasked as she found her
wide-open mouth level with his crotch.

His dick instantly recognized the advantages
of the situation and rose with vigor and enthusiasm.

Her gazed fixed on his fly, watching the
subtle shifts of his clothing caused by all the behind-the-scenes
action taking place. She licked her lips and the impact was as
powerful as if she’d physically stroked her tongue over his
flesh.

Every muscle in his body tightened in
response. Sweat popped out on his forehead and across the back of
his neck as her gaze began a slow, leisurely stroll up his body.
Her looking up at him—through dark lashes from this position on her
knees—caused his cock to swell to near bursting, and its throbbing
matched the whooshing in his ears.

No touching.

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes.
While taking a few deep breaths, he prayed she’d find the good
sense to get off the floor before she found herself flat on her
back with him buried to the hilt inside her.

When he finally opened his eyes, he found her
standing in front of him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth,
a tinge of pink coloring her cheeks. “That was a great view,” she
said, smiling sweetly.

He’d given his word on the no-touching
bullshit, but the little minx didn’t realize how close he was to
giving his fucking honor the boot. “I’d be more than happy to
provide you with an even better one,” he said, his voice raspy, his
tone clipped and harsh.

She sighed heavily as her shoulders slumped.
“That would be really nice, but I’m afraid it would be terrible…
just terrible”—she batted her eyes and did her best Scarlett
impression—“to have something so incredible to look at and not be
able to
touch.
”

Without waiting for his response, she turned
and bent over, reaching for the goddamned mixer she’d left on the
floor.

“Jesus Christ!” A man could only take so
much. She yelped as he snatched her up around the waist and sat her
on the counter. “Sit there and don’t move. Don’t bat your eyes.
Don’t lick your lips. Don’t get on your knees. And for God’s sake,
don’t bend over.” He snatched the mixer off the floor. “Where the
hell do you want it?”

The little she-devil clapped her hands
together, threw her head back, and laughed with abandon. The act
was more threatening to his emotional stability than all her sexy
moves put together. Laughing like this, she was absolutely radiant.
And he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone.

Including Lindsey.

Over the next hour, Kat sipped her beer and
did a point-and-direct, while Erik stashed everything away in the
cabinets. How it went from him trying to make her regret the
no-touching rule to him skating the slippery slope of becoming a
liar was beyond him. But sure as shit, it happened.

Kitchen finished, they moved to the living
room. Putting together a bookshelf kept his mind occupied while she
unpacked books and knickknacks. He made like a pack mule and moved
the remaining boxes to the guest room, then they arranged the
living room furniture to take advantage of the exceptional view her
upstairs apartment had of the river.

While Kat refolded and stacked the used
newspaper for recycling, Erik broke down the empty boxes and
carried them to the recycling container outside. When he returned,
he didn’t see Kat, so he followed the sounds coming from the back
of her apartment.

As he approached the end of the dark hallway,
she burst from her bedroom, rounding the corner at a fast clip.
They collided, hard.

He threw his arms around her waist to keep
her from stumbling back. In the process, every perfect curve and
dip of her body molded against his. The heat of her palms pressing
against his chest was like a sizzling brand, as she gasped to catch
her breath.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t hear you
come back in. Are you all right?”

No, he wasn’t even close to being all
right.

Through the filtered light of the living
room, he watched her eyes go from wide with surprise to a
heavy-lidded forest green as he continued to hold her tight. With
each labored breath, his chest brushed against her breasts. His
palm rested on the small of her back, and he fought the need to
pull her tighter against his jerking, straining erection.

“Fuck.” What was supposed to have been a
muttered curse came out sounding like a plea.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. Her
body melted further into his, and the pulse in her neck fluttered
wildly.

All the way to the dumpster and back he’d
lectured and coached himself like a parent would an unruly
teenager.
Come in, make sure she didn’t need any more help, then
get the hell out before something like this happened.
But right
now, primal instinct was in control, overpowering his good
intentions and his word, demanding he take what he wanted.

He thrust his free hand through the hair at
the nape of her neck and yanked her head back, careful not to hurt
her, but forceful enough to let her know she wasn’t going anywhere.
Surprised by his aggression, her eyes snapped wide and her mouth
dropped open, giving him the access he craved. His assault on her
mouth was as ferocious as a lion attacking its prey.

Rather than push him away, she accepted him
fully by wrapping her arms around his neck and dragging him even
closer. He backed her against the wall, wedged a knee between her
thighs, and with a feral growl, deepened the kiss even further
while she rode his knee.

And it still wasn’t enough for either of
them.

Their tongues clashed, twisting and tangling,
frantic for even deeper contact. His hand snaked up her side until
he reached the swell of her breasts. He used his thumb to tease her
taut nipple, and she arched her back, pressing her body more firmly
into his grasp.

His heartbeat pounded in his ears as his body
stretched tight as a rubber band about to snap. He wanted to eat
her alive, and if he didn’t stop now—which was already way beyond
the promised boundaries—he wouldn’t stop until he’d stroked her,
eaten her, and buried himself in her warm, wet body.

It was one of the hardest things he’d ever
done, but as his words—no touching—thumped inside his skull, he
forced himself to pull back and draw in a deep, shuddering
breath.

Her eyes screamed
don’t stop.
But he
had to; this wasn’t right. He’d given his word that he’d behave,
and although he may have a reputation for being a lowlife
scoundrel, he always kept his word.

Of course, when he made that promise he
hadn’t counted on extenuating circumstances making it impossible.
But he could still walk away at this point and not feel like a
total sack of shit. The look in her eyes, her response to his touch
all told him that one day soon he’d strip, lick, suck, and fuck her
senseless.

But it wouldn’t be tonight.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice raw and
choppy. “When I made that promise, I hadn’t considered the
possibility of you literally falling into my arms.”

Eyes wide and glassy, she ran a finger over
her lips and took a few shallow breaths. “Is it always going to be
like this?” Her voice was soft, desperate. “Every time we’re
together is it going to be a constant battle, like horny teenagers
trying to keep our hands off each other?”

He scrubbed a shaky hand down his face, then
proceeded to stare a hole in his shoes as he honestly considered
the question. He wanted to tell her no, that it was just a phase.
He wished he could give her a smooth-talking sales job that would
get her into bed and stick with his plan of working her out of his
system. Then, they would both move on with their lives.
Separately.

The problem was, he no longer believed it
would be that easy. His cat scratch fever was back with a
vengeance.

“I don’t know,” he said, running a thumb
across her red and swollen bottom lip. “All I know is that I want
you with a ferociousness I have never felt before.” And with that
admission, he turned away and headed for the door. “Maybe I should
swim home to work off some of this pent-up frustration.” He stopped
at the door, turned, and winked. “Sleep tight, baby.”

Chapter Five

Armed with an industrial-sized bottle of pain
relievers and a six-pack of caffeine, Kat stumbled out of her
apartment and down the stairs to the street. The mornings were
still cool enough that the three-block walk to work was a pleasant
way to start the day.

Most mornings.

This morning, the walk made her head throb
even more—something she hadn’t thought possible—and instead of
being three blocks, it felt like three miles.

Maybe if she got the same kind of enjoyment
and excited rush from her job that Erik took from his it wouldn’t
be a struggle to get going every morning. And while she enjoyed the
walk along the waterfront, watching the boats and waterfowl, it was
a struggle to force herself to go to a job she wasn’t passionate
about.

Today’s battle was amplified by last night’s
stupidity.

After Erik left, it would’ve been wise to go
for a run to rid herself of the sexual energy hammering through her
system. Not finishing off the beer and half a bottle of Southern
Comfort while watching Erik’s small boat lights disappear in the
distance as he crossed the river.

Once he’d gotten out of sight, she’d turned
into a big-assed chicken, afraid of going to bed for fear of lying
there, achingly aroused, and desperately wishing she’d begged him
to stay. She’d sat on the deck until the wee hours of the morning,
drinking and… drinking some more, until exhaustion rolled in and
carried her to the bed.

Last night, the plan had seemed brilliant.
This morning, it seemed like one of the worst, ever.

As she labored up the Victorian’s porch
stairs, Rusty pulled alongside the curb, exited his car, and with
his normal, clipped pace, met her at the front door. “Good morning,
Kat.”

“Good morning,” she muttered, trying her best
to make like she actually believed it.

He frowned. “No offense, but you don’t look
good. Are you all right?”

“No offense taken.” It was difficult to argue
with the truth. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

He had his hand on the front door knob, but
rather than turning it, he studied her. After a moment’s
hesitation, he said, “I was running on the waterfront last night,
and I saw Erik leaving your apartment.”

Oh, God. Her heart slammed into her throat
making it impossible to breathe.

“He seemed… agitated. I didn’t think too much
of it at the time, but now, looking at you… Is everything okay?
Really?” Rusty’s frown turned to a look of concern. “Erik didn’t
cross any lines, did he?”

Kat’s eyes popped wide open as she realized
what Rusty was thinking. “No! Heaven’s no. Everything’s fine.”
Sheesh, if Erik
had
crossed those lines, they’d both have
been better off. And wasn’t that damned ironic.

Rusty’s posture was rigid, his lips pressed
into a tight line, clearly unwilling to buy the “fine” routine.
Rational thought fled as a million and one excuses and explanations
fought to make their way from her mouth. She tried to swallow, but
the moisture from her mouth had rushed north and was breaking out
in a cold sweat across her upper lip and forehead. She opened and
closed her mouth like a fish on a line, but suddenly, all the good
excuses seemed hidden in the fog in her brain.

Rusty opened the front door, took her by the
elbow, and led her through the lobby. “Let’s go to your office and
talk.”

As soon as her office door shut behind them,
words exploded from her mouth. “Everything is fine with Erik. He
was a complete gentleman.” Especially for breaking the kiss that
was destined to end up in the horizontal shake-your-booty. “He knew
I had a lot of unpacking to do, and he offered to help. I told him
no, but he insisted on bringing dinner and helping move boxes…”

As the words flowed, she realized how weak
and pathetic they were. She was a big girl who could have said no.
And meant it. But she hadn’t. She wanted Erik’s company. And if she
was completely honest, she wanted a hell of a lot more than their
hot and spicy kiss.

She flopped into her chair and looked at
Rusty, who had taken a seat and was patiently waiting for her to
finish unloading. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths
before restarting. This time with the truth. “I sort of knew Erik
before I came to work here. I didn’t know he lived in Riverside,
and I certainly didn’t know he was a client. I was shocked to see
him at the open house.”

At the thought of how the next part would
sound, her heart rate kicked up, and she grimaced. “We met in
Charlotte. At a bar. He was there on business, and I was there
grieving the loss of my promotion. We… well… We spent the evening
together.” Rusty was a big boy; he could read between the lines and
figure out that meant they’d spent the night screwing each other
like wild animals. “I hadn’t seen him since, not until the night of
the open house.” She blew out a ragged breath. “Erik is interested
in pursuing… something. I told him absolutely not, that clients are
off-limits, but…” She laughed. “He’s not very fond of no.”

Rusty broke into a broad smile. “I’m sure
he’s not told no often, especially by a beautiful woman.” His
expression became pensive as he picked a piece of lint off his
black slacks.