NAUGHTY BUT NICE Read online

  He took another good long look at her. She'd hidden the emotions he'd sensed when she'd first arrived. She was good at that. "I don't know. Maybe you came for … comfort." It'd been just a guess, but he would have sworn she'd flinched.

  "I don't need comfort from a man. Never have."

  "That's a shame," he said, sucking in a breath when her fingers skimmed up his ribs, danced over a nipple. "You're trying to seduce me."

  "Is it working?"

  While he pretended to ponder, she glanced at him. Just once, nonchalantly. But it dissipated the sensual haze she always put him in. She was scared. She had come to him for comfort. He could see right through her, damn it. Did she really think he couldn't?

  Whatever she thought, she wanted to keep it to herself. And would try to do so unless he could pry it out of her. "Come inside," he said. She wouldn't talk to him, not now, not yet, not when she was so keyed up.

  And hell, he wasn't above letting her blow off steam first, especially if that meant letting her have her way with his body. There were some sacrifices worth the trouble.

  Being with her would be one of them.

  Silently they entered the dark house. Taking her hand, he led her up the stairs to his bedroom. His bed was huge and unmade, and she walked over to it, dropped her purse to the floor and stared down at his tossed sheets as she unbuttoned her blouse. "I thought of you these past few days," she said.

  He nearly did a double take. Had she just … opened up?

  "I found myself looking for you as I drove around."

  Had she just … said something sweet? Couldn't be. "Probably trying to avoid getting another ticket."

  "No." She let the blouse fall to the floor while he soaked up her incredible body. "About that list, Tag … I wrote it a very long time ago."

  "I know."

  "I didn't even see it again until Kate mailed me my diary a few weeks ago. And while I should admit that after that first ticket, I did briefly fantasize about using you to cross that item off, I never gave it serious thought. I didn't have sex with you because of it." Now she turned and looked at him, the soft truth in her eyes.

  And suddenly his throat was thick. She was sweet. She was kind. "Cassie…"

  "I brought you something." In her sheer demibra and silk pants she bent, opened her purse and pulled out a small bottle. "From Bare Essentials. The best body massage oil made." She untied her pants and they puddled at her feet, revealing matching panties. She stepped clear, a vision in sheer lace and high heels. "I've had the stuff in my purse for a week now. I … thought I'd give you a massage."

  She was trying to give, in a way he instinctively knew she'd never given to a man before. And while he wanted to demand to know what had scared her, what had caused her to show him a side of her she'd never shown before, he knew better than to push. In her own time, he thought, and moved close. Cupping her jaw, he brought her face up for a kiss that ignited in less than two seconds.

  Until she pushed him away. "If you keep that up, you'll miss out on your massage."

  "You don't have to—"

  "Lie down." She softened. "Please?"

  He did as she asked, spreading himself out on his stomach on the bed. He groaned when she straddled him, sliding her long, long legs to his, bending over him so that her breasts teased his back. "Relax now," she whispered into his ear, and then she straightened.

  The next thing he felt were her hands, slick with the oil, running over his back, his shoulders, his arms, and he groaned again. Her fingers were magic, alternately strong and soft, digging into his knots, easing them out of his body with attentive care.

  When he was the consistency of a wet noodle, she got up. He nearly groaned his protest until he felt her stripping off his bottoms, leaving him bare-butt naked, sprawled on the bed. Then her fingers returned to his body, digging into the muscles of his legs and his feet, then up to his back once again. "Good?"

  "Mmm—hey—" he yelped when she bit his butt.

  "Turn over. I'll do your front."

  Oh, yeah, he wanted her to do his front. One area specifically; the area currently digging into his mattress like a steel rod. But first… He kneeled up, grabbed her around the waist and tumbled her down to the bed.

  Flat on her back, her body automatically cradling his, she laughed up at him. "We're done with the massage, I take it?"

  "We're done with mine." With that, he flipped her over, facedown on the bed. With a smile, he looked at her delicious rear end wriggling as she tried to free herself. Her very sheer panties were riding up, and he took a moment to enjoy the view. "Relax," he whispered into her ear as she'd done to him, letting her feel the length of his body over hers. He lifted up, ran a finger from the back of her neck down her back to the base of her spine, then traced the line of her mouthwatering butt as far as he could. "It's your turn."

  "You don't have to—"

  "Hush." He stroked the part of her that was already wet for him, just once, and she moaned and arched her hips. So he did it again, outlining her through her panties, keeping up the rhythm she set with her rocking hips. Bending over her, he put his mouth to the very base of her spine and licked her.

  With a gasp, she tightened her legs around his hand, as if to make sure he didn't stop. But he had no intentions of stopping, and showed her with his fingers as he continued to stroke in tune with her .pumping hips. Faster now, and as he licked and kissed and nibbled his way over a perfect, luscious cheek, she panted and strained, looking so erotic there facedown on the bed he nearly couldn't stand it. He wanted her to come, had to see her come, so he slipped his fingers beneath the panties.

  Gripping the sheets in her fists, she whimpered for more. He gave it to her, nudging her over the edge when he sank his fingers into her wet heat.

  She came in long shudders.

  He'd never seen anything so arousing, and as he slowly brought her down, still stroking her ever so lightly now, still nibbling on her body, he wanted more for her.

  When she would have gotten up, or at least turned over, he held her still. "Hold on." Straddling her hips with his legs, he unhooked her bra, letting the straps slip to her sides.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Giving you a massage."

  "But … what about you?"

  "You did me already."

  "I mean your orgasm."

  "Oh, I'll get mine." He poured some oil down the middle of her back, loving the look of it on her skin. "Hasn't anyone ever done this for you?"

  "Given me a massage that I haven't paid for?" She buried her face so he couldn't see her expression. "No," she said finally, tenser than he would have liked.

  Well, he could fix that. "Come on, relax a little," he coaxed, and ran his fingers down her slim back.

  She shivered, but didn't say another word.

  "Breathe," he urged when he saw that she was holding her breath. "Come on, deep, long breaths."

  Her neck had hard knots that dissipated the last of his frustration at her. Poor baby. What had made her so incredibly tense? The same thing that had driven her here?

  Or was it him? He found he didn't like either possibility. Her shoulders were even worse, and he spent long, long moments rubbing her down, firmly, then more gently kneading until the knots were gone. Her skin was so creamy, so silky soft, the pleasure was all his, for he'd wanted his hands on her like this again. As he rubbed and stroked, she was utterly silent, but she was breathing deeply now, slowly, and he could tell she'd decided to relax.

  Trust. Had she finally given it over to him? For this moment, at least, and feeling the sweet taste of victory, he got off her, pulled off her panties, and poured more oil into his hands. Then he started on her endless legs. He was a little surprised at how fast she'd given herself over to him, having expected her to protest again by now.

  Glad she hadn't, he spend some time on her feet, then made his way up her legs. When he traced his fingers along her perfect and gratifyingly bare bottom, she didn't move. He shifted to her side