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Timeless Devotion SEDUCTION SCENE 1 She took his hand in hers. Her hands were small against his, which were strong, large, and rough—an outdoorsman’s hand. Her heart pounded as she started lathering it. She wrapped her fingers around each one of his and slowly rubbed each to the tip. She washed the sensitive skin between his fingers. There was intimacy in the simple act that was a little unsettling. A weird sensation invaded her lower region as she imagined his hands on her body, slowly stroking it. Her body temperature shot up a notch. When she heard him take a deep breath, she didn’t dare look up. Who would have known that something as simple and mundane as washing a hand could be so intimate, so arousing. “There…done,” Cat mumbled in a breathless voice. “Thank you.” The husky timbre of his tone made her look up. His eyes were hot. She felt their pull to the tips of her toes. He shifted his body. Only then did she realize how close they were. All he had to do was move an inch, and they would touch. The look on his face indicated that he wanted to kiss her. The heat from his hard body beckoned her, his masculine scent teased her senses, and the longing in his eyes tugged at her heart. And she was sure that the excitement and the need in his eyes were mirrored in hers. When his hand reached up to pull her closer, she leaned forward too. Jamie let out a screech, and the moment was lost.
SEDUCTION SCENE 2 Taj’s arm tightened about her waist and her body landed smack against his. “Where are you going, sweetheart?” he murmured huskily. “To sit on the couch and rest my feet,” she whispered. He looked down at her feet. “Are the shoes the problem?” He went down on his knee and started to undo her sandals. “What are you doing, Taj?” He looked up and grinned naughtily into her eyes. “Removing the offending shoes,” he replied. He lifted her feet, one at a time, and slowly released the straps. She had worn no panty hose or tights, and his palms were drawn to her warm, walnut-brown, satin skin. He caressed her calf, her heel, the arch of her foot, and her toes. Her toes were painted scarlet, matching her nails and lipstick. Cat knew she was going to fall flat on her face with desire. She wanted to stop him, but couldn’t voice her thoughts. Speech had deserted her as soon as he’d gone on his knee. When he’d lifted her first foot, her hand had gone to his head for support. Now she moved her fingers, enjoying the feel of his black, curly mane against her palm. At the back of her mind, a voice tried to remind her that Taj was too bold, was bad for her, and oh-so-naughty. But she’d stopped caring. She wanted him, desperately wanted to be in his arms. When she was shoeless, Taj got up. Cat, who was about to remove her hand from his hair, found her hand trapped under his. He pressed her palm into his scalp, moving it in his hair seductively. Then she looked into his eyes and froze. I have to flee. Her hand clenched and her body tensed. There was need, and there was need. What she saw in Taj’s eyes scared the hell out of her. “Taj?” she whispered achingly. He stared at her lips. “Yes, sweetheart?” Cat’s nerves went wild at the predatory look in his eyes. She wanted to push him away, but didn’t seem to have the strength. Her mouth went dry and her stomach tightened with desire. “Don’t start anything we’d both regret.” His eyes roamed her face. “I could never regret claiming what’s mine.”
A Trail of Secrets SEDUCTION SCENE 1 He followed her back to the kitchen and waited. When she came back with a vanity purse and a light wrap, he placed it around her shoulder. His muscles tensed when she turned around to face him and her body slightly brushed his. His nose flared as he took a deep breath and filled his senses with her soft, feminine scent. Although it was killing him not to pull her in his arms, he stepped back and thrust his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t prepared when she took a step toward him, reached up to press a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.” The feel of her warm lips on his skin seared through him. Every muscle in his body tensed as desire rippled through him. It took every effort he had not to turn his head and capture her lips with his or open his fisted hand and draw her closer. “For what?” She didn’t step back, but her lips curved into a provocative smile. “The flowers, of course, and for gallantly coming to my rescue earlier.” Her hand reached up to brush the lapels of his coat. “Jade,” he spoke slowly. “Yes, Vince?” Her sultry voice reeled him in. “Do you know what you’re doing?” She smiled innocently at him. “Just giving you a friendly peck, sweetie. Thanking you for being such a gentleman.” He noticed that she still didn’t move away. In fact, she was close he could see the rays radiating from her pupil. So this was her revenge, Vince mused, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t start a game, professor, unless you know the stakes.” “Maybe I do,” she challenged, her gaze locking with his. At her words, desire sent blood churning and roaring in his ears. He wanted to take her, there and then, fast and furious. “Just how high are you willing to go?” “How far are you willing to go?” she quipped with a slight catch in her voice. He studied her. Her eyes were wide and her breath a little uneven. She was strong and yet vulnerable. If she only knew how the mere thought of her filled him with erotic images of them together, she would run in the opposite direction whenever she saw him, not tempt him. Instead of answering her, he reached out and caressed her cheek. “So soft,” he murmured. “Are you this soft all over?”
SEDUCTION SCENE 2 They didn’t speak during the drive to Jade’s house, but the air in the car was charged with sexual tension. Twice, when they stopped at traffic lights, their glances collided, held, and separated. He could see that she was nervous or getting there. He would take it slow with her, Vince decided. It might be the hardest thing he ever did, but he would do it to ease her worries. The problem was it had been too darn long since he had made love to a woman. The past, mindless, quick sex with women looking for one-night stands didn’t exactly qualify as making love. “I suppose you’re planning on going back tonight to catch up with Bouchard,” Jade commented, breaking into his thoughts. “Maybe,” he said as he pulled up outside her house “If anybody can get a response fronm him, it would be you,” Jade added as she left the car and walked toward her door. “Why is that?” “You’re relentless, or as some people might say, a one-man army. A lone warrior.” “Can’t say I agree with you there. You’ve been by my side at the crucial moments.” She laughed. “Yeah, right. I’m just window dressing.” The sound of her laughter slammed into him like a tidal wave, increasing the ache in his loins. Outside her door, he placed a hand on her hip and drew her body toward his. “You are the other half of this team, the other half of us.” Her breath caught. “I didn’t know there was an ‘us.’ ” He pulled her closer until they fitted perfectly as two halves of a whole. When her body trembled at the contact, he asked, “What do you call this?” Jade stammered, “I, uh, I don’t know.” He laughed as his head swooped low. His lips touched hers, rubbed left then right. When her tongue sneaked out between her lips and touched his lips, a bolt of lightening surged through him. “Neither do I, but whatever it is, it’s feels wonderful,” he murmured hoarsely. “Yes it does,” she sighed softly. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, a low hum sounding from deep down her throat. The feel of her arms, of her body against him robbed him of breath. He sunk his hand in her hair, held her head in place, and fused his mouth with hers. The taste of her, rich and succulent, plunged through him, leaving him light-headed. He assaulted her mouth like a man long starved and had to get his fill. It took shear will to finally pull back and deny himself what he wanted most, which was to lose himself in her forever, to be surrounded by her lushness, her laughter, her zest for life. Some of that could wait until they were inside. Others were for dreamers. She buried her face on his chest and murmured, “Oh my.” Vince grinned. This woman belonged in his arm, the thought crossed his mind. “You’d better open the door before your neighbors call the police.” “Don’t you mean the firemen?” she said as she turned to unlock her door. “We can take care of the fire ourselves, baby.” Then he noticed that she had stopped, her hand frozen in midair. “What is it?” “My door…it’s opened.” “What?” “I think someone’s inside my house, Vince.” Her voice came out shaky.
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