Page 51 of Bad Situation

“Hattie Montgomery is our mother and, now that I’ve met the Carpinos, I’m surprised it stopped at five hundred.”

He turns to walk off into the night, heading for the guest house. He doesn’t look back when I hear him say, “Love you, Jenny.”

I have to bite my lip again to keep my voice steady. “Love you too, big man.”

Chapter 14

Tease

Jen

The minute I flip off the shower, my heart skips a beat because I hear a banging on my front door.

No way does security ever allow anyone but my family up without my permission and my family never bangs on my door. Plus, they’re busy today.

I grab my towel and dry off as fast as I can, squeezing water from my hair before throwing on a robe and pulling it tight as I run through the wide-open great room. I don’t stop to check the cameras, ask who it is, or even think about what I should be doing or who I should be running away from.

Like a starved woman, I flip the lock and swing the door open.

Damn.

He looks good.

Better than I remember, probably because he’s here in the flesh and not just teasing me with his words. He’s in another pair of jeans and the same work boots he always wears. Today he’s in a plain, long-sleeved tee that doesn’t appear to be a trophy or a souvenir, but it is pulled taut across his wide chest, especially since his hand is rested high against my doorjamb.

“Hey,” I breathe, realizing I should have taken an extra thirty seconds to throw on some sweats or, at the very least, a pair of panties. Instead, I fold my arms across my chest and lamely state the obvious. “You’re back.”

His eyes travel my body, down to my bare feet. When they move up again, he pauses on my lips, causing my mouth to go dry.

I lick my lips.

His eyes meet mine.

Then, he moves.

I gasp when his hands reach my face at the same time I hear my heavy door being kicked shut. His mouth hits mine with such force that our teeth scrape and I have to grab onto his forearms to keep from tripping over backwards. When his tongue invades my mouth, I instantly taste mint and Eli, and I realize how long the week has seemed without him here. His hands move to my waist and just like the other night when he swept me off my feet so soundly, I’m up and have no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist to hold on. That’s when I get his hand on my ass, this time only through the thin silk of my robe, and I shiver from what it does to me.

He was right. I like his touch there. I like that he thinks of it as his.

But before I can enjoy it too long, my back is on the dining table, the cool stainless-steel shocks my skin. Eli tears his lips away from me and looks over my head, shoving my laptop out of the way as he kicks my mid-century dining chair—upholstered in the color of charcoal—to the side. He looks back to me and I’ve never seen his eyes so dark.

So heated.

I realize my legs are still circling his waist and I grip my robe to keep it closed. Just when I thought I’ve caught my breath, he puts a hand next to my head, gazing over me at the same time his hand slides up the back of my thigh.

The second his hand comes into contact with my bare ass, his already heated eyes transform.

Resolute.

Craving.

Greedy.

When he squeezes, I exhale and my eyes fall shut. The next thing I know, his lips hit the sensitive skin below my jaw, the scrape of his whiskers awaken something deep inside me. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and turn my head to him.

Those ravenous, dark eyes look into mine as I feel him pull on the delicate piece of silk that’s the only barrier between his touch and me. My robe goes slack around my waist where I had it cinched—the cool air hitting my heated skin is welcome, but not as welcome as his touch. Eli never breaks eye contact as his big hand spans my stomach and creeps up my ribcage, under my breast as my robe slips away. Only when his thumb brushes my nipple do his eyes drop.

I get to watch him rake his eyes down my body for the first time. His grip on me tightens and I’m pushed up the table, sliding effortlessly on my silk.

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