Don't Say a Word - Barbara Freethy [106]
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I went to the airport. I bought a ticket, stood in the security line, waited at the gate. When they called my seat number, I couldn't make myself get on the plane. My bags are on their way to Peru right now, and I'm probably on some FBI flight watch for bailing at the last minute." He looked into her eyes and sighed. "I kept thinking about you, Julia, and the deal we made to find the truth together. You should have called me on that earlier."
"How could I after what you learned today?"
His expression turned grim. "I don't want to talk about that."
"How can we not? Your father-"
"Don't call him my father. Call him Rick Sanders. That's who he is now." Alex looked away from her, but she could tell he was battling his emotions.
She walked over to him and put a hand on his arm, but he shrugged it off.
"Don't feel sorry for me. I don't want your pity," he said.
"What do you want from me?"
A long silence followed her question. Finally, he gazed back at her. "I don't think you're going to give me what I want." He put his hands on her waist and pulled her up hard against his body. "Are you?"
Her breath caught in her throat at the look of intense desire in his eyes. No man had ever looked at her like that. A shiver ran down her spine as he shifted, grazing her breasts with his hard chest.
"I don't know what's true anymore," he said. "There have been so many lies, secrets, inconsistencies in my life. But I know this: I want you, and I think you want me. Is that enough?"
A week ago Julia would have said it wasn't nearly. DON'T SAY A WORD 267 enough, that she needed romance and candlelight, soft words, proper dating, promises. But none of those things had ever made her feel as alive as she felt right now. Alex was right. She didn't know what was true anymore, either. The only person who wasn't lying to her was Alex.
She answered him the only way she could-with a kiss. He gave her a second to lead, then took over, his mouth moving hungrily over hers, demanding entry so his tongue could take possession. She'd never been feasted upon, but that's exactly the way she felt now. His kiss was demanding, consuming, overwhelming, and she didn't want it to end. She gave a small cry of disappointment when he pulled away to kiss a path across her cheek. Then her stomach clenched again when his tongue swirled around her earlobe and he licked a delicious path down the side of her neck.
Conscious thought deserted her as his hands moved up her sides, his lingers flirting lightly with her breasts. She wanted her clothes off and his hands on her-all over her. Then she wanted to return the favor. In fact, she wanted to start right now. She ran her hands under his shirt, touching his hard, muscle-bound chest. He moved closer to her, pressing his groin into her belly. He was hot and hard, and she was melting fast.
He yanked her shirt up and over her head so quickly that a strand of her hair caught in one of the buttons, and she yelped with pain.
"Sorry, sorry," he muttered, pulling her hair free with impatient hands.
"You'll have to kiss it better."
"I intend to," he said, his gaze burning into hers. "I intend to taste every inch of you."
"Oh." Her chest tightened at the promise in his eyes, in his voice.
He pressed her back against the wall, one hand in her hair, the other playing with the light blue lace trim on her bra. He ran his finger back and forth along the edge, his eyes following the path until she wanted to scream. She caught his hand with hers.
"Wait," she said.
"Second thoughts?"
She didn't answer. She simply flipped open the front clasp on her bra. The edges clung to her breasts. She wondered if she had the nerve to peel them away. He didn't give her the chance as he pushed the bra all the way off. His hands covered her breasts as his mouth returned to hers. She didn't know how they got the rest of their clothes off, but somewhere between the living room and the bedroom, they managed to strip themselves naked.