The Jarrods: Inheritance: Taming Her Billionaire Boss

His mouth drew down at the corners. “Those guys aren’t after you for your intellect.”

She screwed up her nose. “How nice of you to point that out.”

“You know what I’m saying.”

Yes, she did. Unfortunately she knew it was true. And that would have been fine if she’d been the least bit interested in the other men. As it was, she still felt a little guilty using them, though no doubt they were big enough to look out for themselves.

She tilted her head and knew she had to say this. “If I didn’t know better I’d think you were jealous.”

“And if I am?” he challenged without warning.

She felt giddy but she couldn’t let herself get her hopes up. “I’d have to ask why. Is it because you know I’m leaving soon and you only want what you suddenly can’t have?”

“What the—”

“Or is it because you might actually want me?”

For a moment he looked like he would move in close. “You ask me that after the kiss we shared?”

Her breath came quickly. “I—”

And then something changed in his expression and his jaw thrust forward. “This isn’t the time to discuss it. You need your rest. You should go lie on the couch.”

Her throat blocked with disappointment, but then understanding dawned and she realized he was pulling back for her sake. If it hadn’t been for her accident, she was sure he would be making love to her right now.

Frustration weaved through her, despite appreciating that he was doing the right thing. “I think I’ll go read in bed. It’s getting late.” He went to come with her and she put her hand up. “No, I can manage by myself. Good night, Blake. And thanks.”

He nodded. “Make sure you sleep in the spare bedroom. I still want you close to me.”

She could feel heat sweeping up her face. Did he have to say it like that? “Okay.”

He seemed mesmerized by her reddening cheeks. “I’ll be checking on you a couple of times in the night.” His voice had a gravelly edge to it now. “So I apologize in advance for disturbing you.”

She looked away; the thought of him coming into her room during the night was enough to disturb her now.

Then she went up to bed with stars in her eyes. And they weren’t from the hit on the head either. Unfortunately she knew he wasn’t about to take advantage of her while she was injured, and certainly not during the night when she was sure he’d remain a perfect gentleman. But he’d better watch out when she was back on her feet.

Six (#ulink_677548a2-9681-5bb4-90ae-53ca5472468b)

Blake looked at the bedside clock and grunted to himself. It was almost seven o’clock and still dark outside, but he needed to get up and check on Samantha before he did anything else this morning. Today he planned on working from Pine Lodge so he could keep an eye on her, but he needed to go to the Manor and get some things out of the way first.

He’d spent a restless night, getting up every couple of hours to check on a sleeping Samantha in the bedroom next door. Of course it was easy for her to sleep so peacefully. She didn’t have to stand over an attractive member of the opposite sex who wore satin pajamas and looked deliciously alluring in bed. And she didn’t have to reach out to touch that person’s shoulder to shake them awake, nor rigidly ignore the urge to slide into bed next to her warm body and pleasure her senseless.

He would have done it, too—if he hadn’t had to wake her and ask questions to make sure she wasn’t suffering any sort of confusion. Even now the thought of her having any sort of aftereffects from the head injury still managed to clench his gut tight. He’d hated seeing her hurt. If he hadn’t been so focused on getting her away from that Ralph, then none of this would have happened.

Not even the kiss.

No, that kiss would have happened—if not there, then somewhere else. There was something going on between them now. It had started happening the night she’d handed him her resignation and it hadn’t let up.

And it wasn’t one-sided either. She’d dissolved in his arms so quickly yesterday he’d thought the marrow had melted in her bones. No woman had ever reacted quite like that for him before. It certainly made a man feel good.

Remembering the feel of her lips beneath his, he was tempted to just lie there and think about her, but he knew he’d never get out of bed if he did. And then Samantha would be bringing him breakfast in bed. The thought was more than pleasurable.

Giving a low groan, he tossed back the covers and shoved off the mattress in his pajama bottoms, then headed for the bathroom to take a shower. But as he opened the door and went to reach for the light switch, the light flicked on anyway and Samantha came through the connecting door.

She jumped back with a gasp. “Blake!”

A lick of fire sizzled through his veins as his eyes slid down over her slim contours, registering that what he thought had been green satin pajamas was an emerald midthigh nightshirt. It looked so sexy on her, suiting her complexion and rich brown hair.

He lifted his eyes back up to her face. “How’s the head?” he asked huskily.

She seemed to become flustered. “Er … it doesn’t feel too bad.” Awkwardly she spun to face the mirrored wall, going up on her toes to stare at her reflection. “I came to see if it was okay.” She lifted her long tousled strands to check the injury. “Yes, it looks fine,” she chattered. “There’s a bit of a bump and no sign of bleeding.”

He appreciated that she was okay, but did she know that stretching up over the sink like she was, the side split of her nightshirt was showing him more of her long silken legs than he’d ever seen before? All the way up her thigh to the line of her panties.

Suddenly she seemed to freeze in position as she stretched up at the mirror like that, and he realized right then she was looking at him in the mirror, with a hungry look that drifted down over his bare chest and the pajama bottoms he’d worn last night for her benefit. He tensed with arousal and she must have noticed. Their eyes locked together in the glass.

And then she slowly pushed back from the sink and turned to face him with her body, her chin tilting provocatively, her eyes inviting him to take her. Caught off-guard by such an unfamiliar look from her, he swallowed hard. His assistant was certainly showing him a new side of herself lately.

“Samantha,” he said thickly, galvanized into taking a step toward her. “Do you know what you’re—”

“Yes, Blake, I do.”

He reached her and she tumbled against him, her hands flattening against his chest, her mouth seeking his, her lips parting beneath his without any pressure at all.

Their kiss was hot and urgent and demanding, their bodies pressing closer and closer together, reveling in each other. Then a soft moan of hers breathed into him, and in a haze of desire, he deepened the kiss until he finally had to break away to suck in air.

But only for a moment, until he began planting quick, soft kisses down that creamy throat, before coming back up again to her lips, needing to be inside her mouth once more, needing to breathe her in once more.

He pulled her harder against him, running his hands hungrily over the satin material and feminine curves. She quivered all over from head to toe, wildly gripping his shoulders like she needed to hold on to him.

Mouth to mouth, he backed her to the full-length sink and lifted her up onto a folded fluffy towel. Her thighs fell open and he heard a button pop from the front of her nightshirt. He gave a groan of approval and wedged himself between her legs ….

And the coldness of the marble touched his erection through his pajamas.

The shock of it made him still. Heaven knew he could do with cooling down … slowing down … but Samantha sat in front of him with her head tilted back and her eyes closed. Her cheeks were overheated, her breathing unsteady, and despite that come-to-me look she’d given him a short while ago, she appeared to be about to lose control. God knows he’d felt the instantaneous spiral of desire himself, but this was more and he really had to wonder just how inexperienced she actually was. He swallowed hard. Could she even be a virgin?

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but he did know he couldn’t continue this right now. His previous lovers knew the score but this woman may not. And if he was playing with more than her body … if her emotions were more than involved … he could cause her a lot of heartache. He didn’t want to do that to Samantha.

Yet this wasn’t the moment to talk about it, with her looking all sexy and ready for the taking. There was too much hunger in the air in here. It would only confuse things. He liked her too much to do this to her.

Unwrapping her arms from around his neck, he lifted her down off the bench, hating that he had to walk away from her. “I’m sorry, Samantha.”

Bewilderment spread over her face. “What’s the—”

“I just can’t do it,” he rasped. “Not like this.” As hard as it was to leave her side, he turned and went back to his room.

He badly wanted to turn right back around, sweep her up in his arms and carry her to his bed. He shuddered as he closed the door between them.