rushed to the chair and gathered up her gym bag. Time to leave and regroup.
A hand hit the door, stopping her from opening it. “What time, Kat?”
He loomed right behind her, his body surrounding her. His voice was low and demanding. Striving for calm, she made a decision. Acknowledged the truth about herself. She wanted this with Sloane. When he touched her, kissed her, the sexually aggressive part of her that had been locked down and repressed for years, hell maybe forever, began kicking at the bars caging her. She faced him. “Six.”
He lifted his hand, tracing a lock of her hair, probably one of the lavender streaks. “It’s dark out now. I’m going to walk you to your car. But I’m not risking another kiss.”
She needed distance from him. Desperately. “I’m fine. I can walk to my car.”
He dropped her hair and stiffened. “When you’re with me, I will make sure you’re safe. Every damn time.”
Something raw and vulnerable shadowed his eyes. Hurt. Pain. An emotion so vicious, it sucked out all the light.
Her heart clenched in an ache for him. She started to lift her hand, needing to ease him to…
Sloane blinked. His face shuttered into stone. He reached past her and opened the door.
Kat dropped her arm.
But she couldn’t shake the sensation that Sloane Michaels had been to hell.
And he hadn’t found his way back.
Chapter Nine
Anticipation simmered low in Sloane’s gut. He’d been traveling all week and hadn’t seen Kat since Sunday night at the gym.
When she opened the door to her condo, he sucked in a breath. Her hair curled down enticingly over her bare shoulders, and she was wearing a turquoise sleeveless tunic with two long ties loosely knotted in the front. He wanted to wrap those dangling ties around his hand and pull her in for a kiss, but restrained himself. Kat was learning to trust him, he didn’t need to get his hands on her the first second he saw her. Those slim black pants clinging to her hips and thighs weren’t helping his resolve. And then her shoes…once he’d have sworn he loved women in stilettos, but Kat made flats sexy.
Lifting his gaze, he smiled. “You look beautiful. I half-expected you to cancel on me since you had a week to think about it.”
“It crossed my mind.”
He put his hand on her lower back, guiding her to his limo. Against his palm, her muscles worked harder than average to accommodate her right leg. He shortened his stride to make it easier for her.
At the limo, he waved away his driver and opened the door. Kat’s soft hair brushed across his arm like a slow, satiny caress. That sensation shot a wakeup call right to his groin. Settling in the car next to her, he couldn’t remember the last time a simple touch set him on fire.
As the limo smoothly pulled away, Sloane resumed their conversation. “Why didn’t you cancel?” He was damn glad she hadn’t, but still curious.
She met his stare. “I’m trying to figure out why I’m attracted to you.”
He stretched his arm over the back of the seat, stroking her hair. “Having any luck with that?” Because he wasn’t. Beautiful women in his world were common. So what was it about Kat that got under his skin?
Hell, since their kiss, she’d become an obsession. No woman had ever driven him to uncontrollable need so fast.
“Maybe it’s just my dry spell. You’re a very sexual man.”
He was, but she’d taken his appetite to a new level. “How long has it been for you?”
She started to turn away.
Oh no, he wasn’t having that. Bringing his other hand up, he cupped her face. “Don’t look away. Tell me to fuck off if you want, but don’t look away.” He stroked her lips with his thumb. Light gloss. He wanted to lick it off. “Your choice to tell me, but I am very, very interested.” His voice went husky with the need to know everything he could about her so he could give her as much pleasure as possible.
She parted her lips.
Her warm breath feathered over his
A hand hit the door, stopping her from opening it. “What time, Kat?”
He loomed right behind her, his body surrounding her. His voice was low and demanding. Striving for calm, she made a decision. Acknowledged the truth about herself. She wanted this with Sloane. When he touched her, kissed her, the sexually aggressive part of her that had been locked down and repressed for years, hell maybe forever, began kicking at the bars caging her. She faced him. “Six.”
He lifted his hand, tracing a lock of her hair, probably one of the lavender streaks. “It’s dark out now. I’m going to walk you to your car. But I’m not risking another kiss.”
She needed distance from him. Desperately. “I’m fine. I can walk to my car.”
He dropped her hair and stiffened. “When you’re with me, I will make sure you’re safe. Every damn time.”
Something raw and vulnerable shadowed his eyes. Hurt. Pain. An emotion so vicious, it sucked out all the light.
Her heart clenched in an ache for him. She started to lift her hand, needing to ease him to…
Sloane blinked. His face shuttered into stone. He reached past her and opened the door.
Kat dropped her arm.
But she couldn’t shake the sensation that Sloane Michaels had been to hell.
And he hadn’t found his way back.
Chapter Nine
Anticipation simmered low in Sloane’s gut. He’d been traveling all week and hadn’t seen Kat since Sunday night at the gym.
When she opened the door to her condo, he sucked in a breath. Her hair curled down enticingly over her bare shoulders, and she was wearing a turquoise sleeveless tunic with two long ties loosely knotted in the front. He wanted to wrap those dangling ties around his hand and pull her in for a kiss, but restrained himself. Kat was learning to trust him, he didn’t need to get his hands on her the first second he saw her. Those slim black pants clinging to her hips and thighs weren’t helping his resolve. And then her shoes…once he’d have sworn he loved women in stilettos, but Kat made flats sexy.
Lifting his gaze, he smiled. “You look beautiful. I half-expected you to cancel on me since you had a week to think about it.”
“It crossed my mind.”
He put his hand on her lower back, guiding her to his limo. Against his palm, her muscles worked harder than average to accommodate her right leg. He shortened his stride to make it easier for her.
At the limo, he waved away his driver and opened the door. Kat’s soft hair brushed across his arm like a slow, satiny caress. That sensation shot a wakeup call right to his groin. Settling in the car next to her, he couldn’t remember the last time a simple touch set him on fire.
As the limo smoothly pulled away, Sloane resumed their conversation. “Why didn’t you cancel?” He was damn glad she hadn’t, but still curious.
She met his stare. “I’m trying to figure out why I’m attracted to you.”
He stretched his arm over the back of the seat, stroking her hair. “Having any luck with that?” Because he wasn’t. Beautiful women in his world were common. So what was it about Kat that got under his skin?
Hell, since their kiss, she’d become an obsession. No woman had ever driven him to uncontrollable need so fast.
“Maybe it’s just my dry spell. You’re a very sexual man.”
He was, but she’d taken his appetite to a new level. “How long has it been for you?”
She started to turn away.
Oh no, he wasn’t having that. Bringing his other hand up, he cupped her face. “Don’t look away. Tell me to fuck off if you want, but don’t look away.” He stroked her lips with his thumb. Light gloss. He wanted to lick it off. “Your choice to tell me, but I am very, very interested.” His voice went husky with the need to know everything he could about her so he could give her as much pleasure as possible.
She parted her lips.
Her warm breath feathered over his
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