Part 9 (1/2)

She studied his features and then evidently decided he wasn't serious. ”You're teasing me,” she said.

”No,” he said. ”I'm not teasing. I'm dead serious.”

As if tired of what she perceived as his game-playing, she lifted her chin and said, ”You can't have it both ways, Clint.”

He laughed although his features were without humor. ”Sweetheart, when I finally have you, I plan on having it in ways I've only recently dreamed of.” And as if to prove his point, his thighs moved at the same time he pressed gently in the curve of her back to bring her closer to him.

He then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips and felt himself harden even more. ”I'll see you at dinner.”

”I'm skipping dinner tonight,” Alyssa replied.

”Not because of me, I hope,” he said in a low tone.

”No,” she said tightly. ”Because of me.”

Alyssa stretched out on the bed. It was nearly midnight. She had taken a shower and changed into one of many oversize T-s.h.i.+rts she enjoyed sleeping in.

Good to her word, she had skipped dinner because she needed to be away from Clint. She had called her aunt earlier and they had chatted awhile. Luckily, Aunt Claudine hadn't asked her anything about Clint and Alyssa had had no reason to bring him up.

Chester had knocked on her door earlier to make sure she really didn't want anything to eat and had even offered to serve dinner to her in her room if she preferred. She had a.s.sured him she was fine and she wasn't hungry. She figured Chester thought the reason she was missing dinner was because of a tiff she'd had with Clint, which wasn't the truth. She just needed distance from him right now. He had the tendency to prevent her from thinking straight. He would say things with such conceit that he rattled her confidence. He seemed so sure of her when she wasn't sure of herself, she thought.

Her cell phone rang and she frowned wondering who would be calling her at this hour. Aunt Claudine was usually in bed by nine. She sat up and reached for the phone. Her frown deepened when she saw the caller indicated Kim was on the line. She wondered how Kim had gotten her number. There was no way Aunt Claudine would have given it to her.

”Yes?” She decided it was time to stop avoiding her cousin.

”Well, well, for a moment I thought you had dropped off the face of the earth,” Kim said.

Alyssa rolled her eyes. ”What do you want, Kim?”

”Where are you?”

”It doesn't matter to you. What do you want?”

”Everyone is wondering where you are. You just took off without telling anyone,” Kim said smartly.

”I did tell someone,” Alyssa replied.

”Yeah, we figured Aunt Claudine knew where you are but she isn't talking. All she's saying is that you left town to go visit a client.”

”Whatever,” Alyssa said, sidestepping Kim's attempts to get more information.

”Really, Alyssa, don't you think it's time for me and you to sit down and have a little chat? I'm sick and tired of you blaming me because you can't keep a man. It's not my fault that they end up finding you inadequate and prefer me to you,” Kim said.

”Look, Kim, I have to go.”

”And you're not going to tell me where you are?”

”No.”

”Suit yourself.”

”I will. Goodbye and please don't call back.” Alyssa then hung up the phone.

Inhaling deeply, she swung her legs off the bed as she fought back the anger she felt. Overconfident people were wearing on her nerves, although she had to admit that Kim was very different from Clint. She couldn't imagine Clint ever deliberately hurting anyone. Deciding she needed to work off some of her negative energy, she decided to slip into Clint's office to play a game on his computer.

It was late and chances were he was in bed asleep by now. At least she hoped so. She opened her bedroom door and, as expected, the entire house was quiet. She appreciated the night-lights that lined the hallway as she made her way from her wing toward the one where Clint's office was located. As far as she knew, they were the only ones living in the main house. Chester lived a few miles away in a house on land Sid Roberts had willed to him.

Alyssa slowly opened the office door and found the room empty. She quickly moved across the room to Clint's desk. Kim's words had put her on edge. She was still fuming while waiting for the computer to boot up.

She turned when a knock sounded on the door. She went still when Clint walked in. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it.

Alyssa tried not to let her focus linger on his dark eyes, but when she moved her gaze to his strong jawline and kissable lips she realized she was in trouble looking there, too. She returned her gaze to his.

”I thought you were asleep,” she said when she finally found her voice.

A smile touched the corners of his lips. ”As you can see I'm very much awake.”

Yes, she could definitely see that. She could also see in his nonchalant stance against the door just how perfectly his jeans fit his body, and with his chambray s.h.i.+rt open past the throat, she got a glimpse of his hairy, muscular chest. But what really caught her attention was the area below the belt. Not only was Clint very much awake, he was very much aroused, as well.

The thought that he wanted her was enough of a reason for her heart to pound and her pulse to drum. If that wasn't bad enough, her lips began tingling from remembered kisses. She already had a number of them tucked away in her memory bank.

She swallowed deeply as desire began to thrum through her and felt her body automatically respond to his. ”Is there a reason why you're here?” she asked, hearing the slight quiver in her voice.

”Yes,” he said in an arrogant tone as he moved away from the door and slowly strolled toward her.

From the glow of light off the computer screen she was conscious of every single thing about him, including the dark pupils in his eyes and the faint growth of stubble on his chin.

When he reached the edge of the desk he placed his hands palms down as he leaned closer and brought his face mere inches from hers.

”Tonight,” he whispered against her lips, ”I want to teach you another version of Playing with Fire.”

Alyssa slowly backed away. She then tilted her head and looked up at him. ”You agreed,” she reminded him in an accusing voice, one she could barely force past her lips.

”I agreed not to seduce you into my bed, Alyssa,” he said. He momentarily released her gaze to glance around the room. ”There's not one bed in here,” he said.

She tilted her head a half inch higher. ”You don't need a bed to do what you want to do. You've said so yourself,” she said defiantly.

He smiled. ”Yes, I did say that and it's true,” he said in a husky voice. ”To make love to you I don't need a bed. But you'll have to be willing, Alyssa. I would never force myself on you.”

She believed him. But she also knew it wouldn't take much coercing on his part right now. He had become her weakness.

”I won't do anything you don't want me to do. Come play with me,” he said throatily. ”Trust me,” he added as he offered her his hand.