Back in the Bedroom Read online

  Just as the elevator suddenly jerked so forcibly they both stumbled. The doors stayed closed.

  The alarm went off.

  “Look what you’ve done,” Tessa said, shaking her head. “Now we’re stuck.”

  “What I’ve done?” He dropped her wrist and turned to the control panel again. “There must be something—”

  The alarm silenced abruptly and then the phone on the panel rang. Reilly answered it and listened for a moment. When he hung up, he looked at her.

  “Well?” she demanded. “What did they say?”

  “That I shouldn’t ride in elevators with a crazy woman.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “They said it’d be just a few minutes.”

  She crossed her arms over herself and wished she’d stopped for doughnuts.

  “Cold?”

  She didn’t answer. She would not be charmed by his concern, because the man didn’t feel concern. He felt nothing. His feigned beta-ness was just that—feigned.

  “Tess?” Shocking her, he moved closer, put his big, warm hands on her, and with that sinfully light touch he had, ran them up and down her arms.

  “I’m not cold,” she whispered, but in direct opposition to the words stepped just a little closer so that her heels and his athletic shoes were touching. She kept her head down and absorbed his caress.

  “I want you here,” he said after a long minute. “I really want you here.”

  She lifted her head and stared at him, stared into his direct and beautiful light-blue eyes. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

  He let out a long breath. “I didn’t intend to say it now, but you looked so…”

  “Pathetic?”

  “No.” He kept touching her. “I really do want you here,” he repeated. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner, but…”

  “But…?”

  “But I think I just realized it.”

  He’d just realized it. She thought about that and about how she felt. She’d realized from the very start that she was attracted to him, that it was a dangerous sort of an attraction, but an attraction nevertheless.

  But she supposed that’s the kind of woman she was—impulsive. She acted first, thought later. Just as she could accept that, she could also accept that he was different. He had a much more methodical, linear way of thinking. It easily could have taken him all week to realize what she’d understood in five seconds that night at Eddie’s.

  Certainly standing as close to him as she was, she could feel his “attraction,” but that was a purely physical response. She knew he probably didn’t feel much more than that and, in all likelihood, he might never feel more than that.

  Hence the danger.

  “So will you stay the week?”

  Her heart sighed. “I’ll stay the week.”

  “And you won’t get us stuck in an elevator again?”

  “If you’ll…”

  “What?” he murmured.

  Kiss me.

  “Tess?”

  She gave him a smile through the ache in her heart. “Nothing.” She turned away and studied the control panel. “Think our few minutes are almost up?”

  Once again, his hands settled on her hips as he turned her to face him. Slowly he drew her close.

  “What are you doing?”

  “With you, Tess, I swear I never know.”

  She put him off-kilter. Perversely, she was glad and slid her arms around his neck. “Never?”

  “Well…” He looked at her mouth.

  And because she couldn’t help herself, she closed the gap and put her mouth to his.

  A rough groan rumbled from deep in his chest. His hands slid up her arms to cup her head, which he held in place. As if she was going anywhere! As before, the very connection kick-started her pulse. His mouth was warm, firm and didn’t have to work at all to coax hers open. In less than two seconds, they were glued together, bodies straining, hands fighting for purchase. Tessa could hear the little whimpers for more coming from deep in her throat and, if he hadn’t let out a ragged groan and pressed her back against the wall for better leverage, she might have been horrified at herself at how far gone she was, but at least he was just as far gone.

  When he finally pulled back, his breathing as ragged as hers, she put a hand to her fluttering belly and cleared her throat. “Was that work-related?”

  He frowned and said, “What? No.”

  “Just checking.” She tugged his head back to hers. “You see?” she whispered, her mouth a fraction of an inch from his. “It’s not all about work—”

  “Tess—”

  She kissed him again. And then again, before he took over. He had a thigh insinuated between hers and his hands were busy making her body hum when suddenly the elevator jerked and started moving.

  It was over.

  Feeling overcharged and sensitized, Tessa blinked when the doors opened on the fifth floor to reveal Reilly’s office just the way she’d seen it last.

  Everything looked so…normal.

  In a bit of a fog—no doubt, a sexual one—she stepped off and felt Reilly do the same behind her.

  She turned and looked at him. Other than wearing his work-out clothes, he looked the same as always. In cool, tight control.

  “What?” he asked.

  Slowly she shook her head. Damn it, she’d broken her vow. She’d kissed him. And now her nipples were hard and achy, straining against her blouse. Between her legs she was hot and damp. One more touch, she thought, and she just might implode on contact.

  And he was standing there as if nothing had happened.

  If that didn’t put it all into perspective…. She forced herself to move as calmly as he did toward the front desk, and then pretended to bury herself in work.

  And marveled at his ability to do it for real.

  13

  AS TESSA LEFT for work the next morning, her sister popped her head out of her door and made a big show of checking her watch. “Hmm.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes. “Don’t start.”

  “Your car is working again so I wonder why you’re leaving so early.” She eyed Tessa’s sleeveless purple blouse and cream skirt. “Let me guess, you’re wearing the purple lingerie today?”

  “Maybe I’m not wearing any.”

  Carolyn’s mouth fell open and Tessa laughed. “Don’t you have something else to do other than speculate on what I might or might not be wearing?”

  “Sure. I can speculate on whether you might or might not get hurt. Who is this guy who’s making you glow? Eddie’s son? Reilly? I want to meet him. Rafe asked me about him, too.”

  Because when Rafe had called Tessa the night before, she wouldn’t tell him anything either. “Nobody’s making me glow except for this chilly morning.” But she relented and kissed Carolyn. “Now, go have a good day, one that doesn’t include obsessing about my life.” She got to the carport and slid into her car. She patted the dashboard as she did every morning. “Good girl,” she coaxed and turned the key.

  Nothing.

  This was not happening. She shook her head and tried again. And then again, and finally had to concede she needed a new car. A new used car.

  As was becoming routine by now, she took the bus, glancing at her watch every three seconds. She was still plenty early, and if she ran the block from the bus stop to the office…

  Reilly was on a different treadmill this morning, looking long and hard and sleek and damp. Tessa sagged back against the wall, breathless from both the run and the view.

  “Can I help you?” asked a woman dressed in white work-out shorts and a green polo shirt emblazoned with the logo of the gym.

  Tessa jumped and straightened. “Um…no. Thanks.” Guiltily, she got back on the elevator and fanned her face all the way up to the fifth floor.

  Reilly came in shortly after, carrying a duffle bag that she knew held his clothes for the day, clothes he’d change into after his shower. And though he greeted her before he headed toward his office