the instinct. Her first inclination was to give him the reading of his life, something Angelo said she was good at when it came to men who were womanizers. He and Sam’s three male cousins had been the recipients of such a dressing-down.
She lifted her head, locked onto his gaze. “Read my lips, Blade. There weren’t any vibes. Anything you thought you sensed was a figment of your imagination. Contrary to what you believe, not every woman is interested in you. If you knew anything about me, the one thing you would know is that men like you turn me off. I can chew them up and spit them out.”
“Prove it. Prove that I can’t break through the defenses you have set up around yourself.” His voice was deep, controlled and sexy. The expression on his face was intense and just as sexy as his voice. She wanted to roll her eyes. But for the moment, she couldn’t move her gaze from his.
Defenses?
“Besides,” he continued, interrupting her thoughts as a cocky grin spread across his face. “I sort of like the thought of you chewing me up. You can even go ahead and bite me a few times and I won’t complain.”
He took a step forward, standing in front of her. “But what I will do, Sam, is retaliate in a way that will have you moaning for days and groaning for nights.”
A shudder passed through Sam’s body at his threat. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep and was still feeling tired. Or it could have been that Blade was standing too close to her and his scent, the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes were all getting to her. Or it could have been the fact that it had been more than four years since she’d been intimate with a man. And the last time had been so quick she would’ve missed it if she had blinked. Not only had it been rushed, it had been thoroughly unsatisfying.
She stared at him. “You’re sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
A soft smile touched his determined lips. “Yes.”
She shook her head. When they had been doling out arrogance, he had been first in line, she was sure. There was nothing wrong with being confident, but this man was as conceited as they came. “Sorry to disappoint you, but you’re wrong.”
“Then prove it.”
Famous last words, she thought. But he was beginning to annoy her. “I don’t have to prove anything. I told you how I feel. It would be so much easier on the both of us if you respected that.”
“And I will once you answer my question. Just what type of man does interest you, since I don’t? Based on what you said last night, you have no problem with a manwho’s not into long-term relationships, so just what turns you on, Sam Di Meglio?”
She glared at him. “A man who respects my wishes, for one.”
He took a step closer to her and put both hands on her desk, effectively pinning her in between. He smiled faintly. He smelled heavenly. And her heart was beating like crazy in her chest.
His mouth was inches from hers. “And I will respect your wishes,” he said in a silky voice that sent all kinds of erotic sensations through her body. “But first, since you won’t answer my question, let me give you my opinion and tell you what I think.”
She breathed slowly and deeply, inhaling his scent through her nostrils. “You really don’t need to bother.”
His smile widened a bit as he leaned closer to her. “Humor me.”
His breath was hot on her lips and she fought back the urge to do more than just humor him, to do something crazy like stick her tongue out and lick his lips from corner to corner. So she did something probably even worse; she concentrated on those lips. They were beautiful, firm and full, curved and clearly defined and shaped in a perfect bow.
She would be the first to admit she was one of those women who were drawn to a man’s lips. Even though he’d ended up being a deceitful ass, Guy’s lips hadn’t been all bad. But no one’s lips could compare to the ones she was staring at now,
Louis - Hopalong 0 L'amour