Page 55 of Baited

“Twenty-seven,” he rested his hand on her shoulder. The black tank top she wore showed off the narrow indent of her waist and slender shoulders. Her light denim shorts weren’t much longer than the ones she’d worn on the beach. They hugged her luscious backside and highlighted her sleek, slim thighs. Her blond hair tumbled in loose waves halfway down her back.

Need pulsed through him. “What did she do to upset you?”

The desire rippling through him made him want to end the conversation about his sister pronto.

“She wants to get into the FBI. I told her no. She didn’t take that very well.”

Riley’s eyebrow arched. “You told her no?”

“Yeah, of course. It’s hell…and she’s just a kid. Aside from that she could get killed.”

“A kid? She’s the same age as me.”

He shook his head. “It’s different, trust me.” Maddie was a loose cannon, and defiant as a bull, definitely not in the same field as a levelheaded twenty-seven year old. He bit the words back. As frustrated as he was by Maddie, he wouldn’t talk badly about her.

Riley’s lips rolled in. “But you know you can’t tell her what to do right? She’s her own person. If it’s hell, that’s something she needs to learn for herself.”

Ethan’s temper racked up a notch. He forced it down. Riley didn’t know Maddie, so naturally she would stick up for her. He traced his finger over the top of her shoulder, under the thin strap of her tank top, and back.

“Let’s not talk about my sister right now, okay?”

She nodded. His palms grasped her hips, and he turned her around. His fingers closed over her wrists and pressed her palms to the table in front of her, her butt snuggled against his groin. A groan sounded in his throat. She giggled and squirmed, but he held tight.

“I like this,” he breathed. He leaned against her back and brought his fingers to the back of her neck, stroking the satiny skin. She scrunched up her shoulders and choked on a laugh.

“Ethan, that tickles.”

“Mmm…but you’ll feel good in a minute.”

He loosened his hold and she turned around in his arms.

“Is that so?”

“Well, hell. I hope you don’t doubt that.” His finger traced the line of her top, dipping down into her cleavage and then over her breast.

She swallowed. Her throat bobbed beneath her delicate skin. He brushed her hair aside with his knuckle and pressed a kissto her collarbone. Her head fell back and her fingers gripped his shoulders. Her breath sucked in as he moved his way up the column of her throat and across her jaw.

His palms gripped her thighs and he lifted her onto the table. Her mouth closed over his, her tongue hot and ready as it pushed through his lips. Her taste filled him and swirled over his taste buds. Electric currents shot down his nerve endings.

She pulled away and met his gaze. Her eyes were heavy, her cheeks flushed and soft.

“Ethan, you drive me crazy,” she murmured. A smile tugged at his lips. He took her bottom lip in between his teeth and sucked on it. Her legs tightened around his waist and the small of her back arched, pressing the denim over her crotch against his rock-hard shaft. Damn, he needed her. Now.

“I hope you mean in a good way.” His thumb hooked into the strap of her top and eased it down her shoulder.

She smiled against his mouth. “In the best way.” Her voice shook. Her hands tightened on his shoulders and she eased back. “But I was hoping we could talk before we get carried away.”

He dropped his forehead to hers and stifled a groan. She laughed and threw her head back, her body shook. He narrowed his eyes at her.

“You want to talk?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, you know, before we go damaging any furniture.”

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Her chin dropped and her laugh trickled to soft giggles. Her eyes widened in mock disbelief. “Me? What on earth do you mean? You came on to me, remember?”

“Yeah, and we’re just about to do it on the table and you suddenly get chatty?” He pinched the very top of her thigh, just underneath the cut-off of her shorts.

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