Part 22 (2/2)

”Talley seems to like me,” Ross bragged.

”Yeah? Don't take it personally. He likes pretty much everyone.” What Mo didn't tell Ross was Talley generally didn't like men; he didn't trust men. So Talley's attention to Ross was unusual. ”I thought you were allergic.”

”I don't need to sneeze so the traumas of the day must've cured me.”

Even after the day's horrors and wearing that horrible t-s.h.i.+rt, he was gorgeous. A magnificent knight in tacky Bubbaland armor. He was a much better hero in reality than the Stephen Dagger fantasy of her teen years. The real person challenged villains and saved cats. What more could a girl want?

Mo hovered in silence near the bathroom door for a few moments.

”Don't be afraid,” Ross finally said. ”There are two beds. Yours is over there and mine all the way over here. You don't have to worry I'm going to jump on you or anything.”

”Great.” Maybe a girl could want someone not quite this gallant. Apparently she didn't look like the poised s.e.xy woman she had been hoping to project. Probably more like a frightened doe.

”What does that mean? I a.s.sure you that I can behave like a gentleman.”

”Oh yes. You're being a perfect gentleman. You offered me the bed in your hotel suite earlier, with you taking the sofa. And now you're a.s.suring me you'll keep to your bed while I'm in mine. Thanks very much.”

Ross shook his head. ”I don't understand you. I haven't made any crude or lewd remarks. I haven't made any advances. I thought that was what you'd want.”

Despite her efforts to hold her head up, it hung shyly. ”I guess that's what I should want. But it kinda makes a girl feel unattractive to be standing here in only a towel and the gorgeous guy's reaction is 'let's keep things platonic'.”

Chapter Thirteen.

At her words, Ross's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He said nothing for at least ten seconds, long enough to make Mo think he wasn't going to react at all. Maybe he didn't want her.

Then, abruptly, his eyes narrowed and a sly smile quirked his lips. He picked the chocolate bar up off the nightstand and then held it in the air.

”Psssst. Hey lady,” he said in a gravelly voice with a New York accent. ”Want some candy?” He asked, suggestively waving the candy bar at her and waggling his eyebrows.

”I might,” she said with a small smile.

He tore the wrapping open, exposing the chocolate. He inhaled, seeming to savor the candy's smell. The corner of his mouth turned up with a smirk. ”You're going to have to come over here and get it.”

”Oh really? I've been told it's not a good idea to take candy from strange men,” she teased. ”What will I have to do for that candy?”

”If you come over here, I'm sure I'll be able to think of a thing or two.”

Excitement shot through her. ”Will it be a naughty thing or two?”

”Definitely,” Ross said, his eyes gleaming with hunger for her.

”Good.” Mo walked slowly toward him, trying not to completely lose her towel or her nerve. The fire blazing in his eyes gratified her. Mo didn't know whether to glory in his obvious desire for her or to run quickly back into the bathroom, slam the door, and then throw the lock.

When she came within arms length, Ross reached out to grab her to his muscular chest. His strong arms wrapped around her. Mo's hands were trapped against each pec and her towel slipped precariously.

”I've got you in my clutches now.” His voice teased, but his eyes were keenly serious.

”The least you could do is give me some of that candy you promised,” Mo whispered, breathless.

Keeping his left arm banded around her, he raised his right hand, which still held the candy bar. He brought the bar to her lips in offering. His gaze lingered on her lips as she opened her mouth, took the candy inside, and then bit off a large piece.

”It looks like you bit off more than you can chew.” Ross bent toward her. His mouth closed over the other end of the candy and his lips met hers around the sweet morsel. Mo felt him bite down on the bar.

Somehow they chewed and kissed simultaneously. Her tongue teased his in the cavern of his mouth before retreating. His tongue followed into her mouth and licked at hers. He tasted of chocolate and caramel and peanuts and man.

Pulling her lips from his, Mo swallowed. Ross took a second bite out of the bar.

”Hey, you're hogging the candy,” Mo protested.

”It's my birthday. I can hog if I want to.”

”Oh really? Happy Birthday. I'll have to try to think of a fabulous present for you.”

”I can think of one,” he said with a husky tone.

A large flake of chocolate stuck to Ross's skin at the rim of the t-s.h.i.+rt's neck. Leaning her head forward, she breathed in the sandalwood and musky male scent of him. Mo licked the morsel away, depositing a small nip at his Adam's apple. Ross groaned.

”Maybe you should remove this lovely t-s.h.i.+rt. You seem to be a messy eater. You wouldn't want to get chocolate all over it,” Mo said. Her voice sounded hoa.r.s.e to her own ears.

”Ah yes. It would be a shame to stain my souvenir from Bubbaland.”

Ross stepped back, causing the towel to slip, exposing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Mo had to clutch at her towel to keep it from falling. She pulled it tight under her arms, re-twisted, and re-tucked the top edge under the opposite side.

Ross impatiently tugged the t-s.h.i.+rt over his head and then flung the garment to the room's corner. So much for his precious souvenir.

”It appears you're as messy as I.” Ross fixated on a flake of chocolate above the twist of the towel. He bent to lick the bit away, his mouth lingering to suck lightly the swell of her right breast. ”Perhaps you should discard this towel. We wouldn't want to pay this high cla.s.s establishment for staining it,” he said, his hands going to the twist.

”You're probably right.” Mo gasped as the towel joined Bubbaland in the corner.

If possible, Ross's eyes blazed even brighter. ”You're exquisite.”

Ross reached around Mo as he jerked the bedspread and blanket off one of the beds with one motion. He pressed Mo down onto white sheets. Following her down, he fitted himself between her thighs. She reveled in the weight of him over her. The rasp of the rough fabric of his jeans against her sensitive skin sent a surge of pure sensation straight to her core.

”I'm not sure I can wait much longer,” Ross grated out.

”You don't have to,” Mo said, slipping her hands between them to work at the b.u.t.ton of the jeans. Once the b.u.t.ton was undone, the zipper slid easily down. Mo delved one hand inside the fabric to stroke his velvety, hard length. ”I'm with you,” she whispered against his lips. Then she arched up, captured his mouth with hers, and teased the head of him with her fingers.

She'd never felt such wanton desire for a man, nor had she indulged her desires on such a short acquaintance. The few relations.h.i.+ps she'd allowed herself in the past had grown slowly, progressing from friends.h.i.+p to more over a period of months. With Ross, she felt caught up in a blender of feelings too scary to a.n.a.lyze. So instead, she would just savor the s.e.xual bliss and ignore the rest for now.

Her hand grasped his length, caressing him from base to tip. He gasped and his body went rigid. ”Mo...you're...killing me.”

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