Read Erected (Erector Set, Book One) for Free Online Page B

fast they left skid marks in her hallway. Been there, done that, not interested in doing it again.
    Except her brain and her body were engaged in a massive battle, due she was sure to her weakened defenses from the accident. Joshua McMann was hotter than hot, smoldering sex on the hoof, and her hormones were giving her fits. He was delightfully rumpled, his tie gone and his shirt partially unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up and the tails hanging loose. As stressed out as she was, it would take every thread of self-control she had to resist him.
    Her most recent betrayal was still too fresh for her to even think of taking a chance again. Whatever happened to men who actually wanted to get married and settle down with one woman? She didn’t think she was such a bad catch, although her biological clock was certainly ticking faster. And you could only cozy up to a corner office so many hours a day.
    Her entire body tensed when he lay down next to her, on top of the covers. “Just making sure you fall asleep again,” he told her.
    “Um, Josh…”
    What was the matter with her? She should be shoving him off the bed and demanding that he go home. Instead, when he leaned on one elbow and grinned down at her she found herself lost in those hot blue eyes, her mind totally nonfunctional.
    “Close your eyes, Ness.”
    His deep voice with its Texas drawl was more soothing than the pills she’d taken. When his fingers stroked her cheek, tiny shivers skated over her skin. It had to be the aftereffects of the accident. That’s the only reason she figured she was acting so unlike herself, with this man she hardly knew caressing her with an intimate touch and looking at her like he wanted to eat her for his next meal.
    “I—I’m okay,” she repeated yet again, this time in a whisper.
    “I know.” His voice was low and set her pulse throbbing. “Relax, Ness. I’ll chase away the nightmares.”
    His stroked her cheek and her forehead, pushing away errant strands of hair. Gradually the tension began to ease from her body and she found herself drifting on a feathery cloud. Had she taken leave of her senses to be lying here in her bed with a man who was a virtual stranger, albeit a smoldering hot one? But somehow in the circumstances it all seemed so natural.
    She was so lost in his eyes it was impossible to close hers. They stared at each other, gazes locked, for what seemed an interminable amount of time as he continued the feathery caresses on her face. Then he leaned a little lower and kissed her, his lips warm and firm against hers, his touch light at first then the pressure increasing. Ness forgot to breathe as Josh traced the seam of her lips with his tongue before easing it into her mouth.
    What am I doing? Where’s my brain?
    Chased away by the heat rolling through her body, obviously.
    His tongue stroked across hers and licked the insides of her mouth like a soft flame. Ness just lay there, powerless to move, lost in the sensuality of the moment. Forgotten were her aches and pains and the heavy, dragging cast on one leg. Her breasts tingled and the throbbing pulse in her cunt ratcheted up in intensity.
    When he lifted his head his breathing was as unsteady as hers and the look in his eyes scorched through her all the way to her toes.
     
    What in hell am I doing? This woman has just been in an auto accident and all I can think about is sex.
    Earlier his intentions had been of the very best. Just make sure Vanessa Bowen wasn’t hurt. Get her home. Feed her dinner and make sure she got into bed. Settled for the night. No residual fallout. He was definitely a gentleman to his dates but he’d learned long ago not to put himself out there too far, or before he knew it he was in a trap he had to fight to escape.
    But wasn’t it a damned good thing he’d followed his instincts and done what he had for Ness? Lying next to her in the bed, all he had in mind was to soothe her nerves and relax her back to sleep. Then he’d head back