One Winter's Night

“There’s nothing going on between us,” she said, taking another sip of coffee.

Now she wanted to be in denial and he wasn’t going along with that, either. He leaned back in his chair and stared at her. For a long moment he didn’t say anything and then he said, “I want to know why you’re sitting there denying what is so blatantly obvious.”

Her lips began quivering, in anger or desire he wasn’t sure, but neither curtailed the electricity sizzling between them. “And just what do you think is so blatantly obvious?” she asked in a quiet tone.

He reached out and placed his hand over hers. The moment he did so, he felt what she wanted to deny. A heated spiral of desire flowed between them, and she gasped softly. He wanted her to feel it. He needed her to feel it. And he knew by the look in her eyes that she had.

“What is so blatantly obvious, Alpha, is that I want you and you want me.”

Alpha couldn’t stop the chaotic fluttering in her stomach. Nor could she slow down the beating of her heart. What was Riley doing to her? What was he making her feel? All these incredible sensations that she’d never felt before were swamping her all at once.

She tried to force herself to think logically. She needed to make him understand something about her. “I’ve never been a woman to engage in casual relationships, Riley.”

“There’s a first time for everything, isn’t there?” he asked, still holding her gaze as if he was looking deep into her very soul.

Yes, there was a first time for everything, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for what she knew would be nothing more than a fling. But another part of her was demanding to know why she wasn’t ready. She had moved from Florida to Colorado to start a new life. It wasn’t that she hadn’t gotten over Eddie, because she had. So what was the holdup? Riley was ultrahandsome, much too sexy, and he was attracted to her. Why was she afraid to go with the flow?

He leaned in close to her. “In that case, I propose we take some time to get to know each other, but …”

She’d known there was going to be a but in there somewhere.

“But that we enjoy each other while doing so.”

Her pulse quickened. She didn’t have to ask how they would enjoy each other. The man was pushing all her buttons, in ways she hadn’t known existed. He was making her consider doing things she’d never thought of doing before.

“With all of my affairs there are rules so we have a good understanding from day one,” he added.

She lifted an arched brow. “What rules?”

He smiled. “First, there needs to be a time limit on how long the affair will last. Definitely no longer than six weeks.”

She nodded. “What else?”

“There has to be exclusivity. I’m not into sharing. Neither am I into clinginess. This affair doesn’t give us the right to crowd each other. We need to respect each other’s space.”

Evidently he’d had issues in the past. Well, he wouldn’t have to worry about those issues with her. “Okay.”

“And if, for whatever reason, the rules are broken by either of us, the affair ends,” he said.

His rules were reasonable, but still … “I need to think about it,” she said. At least he was being honest by letting her know up front what he wanted out of a relationship. She could appreciate that.

“That’s fine. Since we need to meet next week to discuss some things regarding the party, you can give me your answer then. What about Monday? Hopefully the weather will be better and we can meet at my office. Let’s say around ten. Is that time okay for you?”

“Yes, ten o’clock will work.”

“Good.” He stood. “I’m sure you have a lot to do today, so I’ll be going. Thanks for the coffee and rolls.”

She stood as well, thinking how his height seemed to dominate the room. She never thought her kitchen was small until now. “You’re welcome.”

He took her hand and held it gently in his while they walked through her great room back toward the door. Handholding was something she’d always craved but something Eddie had never delivered. He wasn’t a touchy-feely type.

When they reached the door she turned to Riley, to again thank him for returning her scarf, but the words died on her lips. He had the most irresistible smile, one that showed his dimples. To distract herself, she looked over his shoulder at the picture hanging on her wall, but Riley lifted his hand to cup her chin and return her gaze to him. Then he softly trailed his fingertips along the lines of her jaw.

In that heated moment, when their eyes connected, she felt a sensual connection to him all the way to her toes. She wanted to take a step back but couldn’t. Like he’d said, she couldn’t deny what was taking place between them.

“I want to leave you with something to think about.”

She didn’t have to ask what that something was because she knew. The rippling of coiled anticipation in her stomach spelled it out for her. He was about to stamp his presence all over her, and she would do more than think about it, she would fantasize about it for years to come.

Her heart skipped a few beats when he released her chin to ease his arms around her waist and settle his hands right above her backside. Then he took a step closer while their gazes remained connected. There was a heated resolve in the dark depths of the eyes staring into hers. And when she saw him lowering his head, her feet—of their own accord—arched on tiptoes so she could meet his lips. All those amazing and incredible feelings she’d encountered since meeting him totally obliterated her senses.

The man had all but admitted the only thing he wanted from her was sex, but she hadn’t decided whether or not he would be getting what he wanted. All she cared about for the time being was locking her lips with his, taking in more of his scent and acquiring his taste. She was tired of dealing with all these crazy emotions and sensations. She wanted relief, and she knew one place where she could find it.

Right here, she thought, the moment Riley’s mouth aimed straight for hers.

His tongue entered her on impact, and she responded on instinct. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer to his. No kiss had ever made her feel like this. Riley was a master at using his tongue, and he was doing so with a skill that nearly brought her to her knees. He explored first one side of her mouth then the other. And he was doing it with such intimacy that she felt it deep in her bones.