Eternally Yours - Brenda Jackson [31]
Clayton stepped inside the apartment. After placing his traveling bag down, he closed the door behind him. He stared at Syneda, suddenly realizing just how much he had missed her since she’d left him in Florida. He felt an overwhelming joy at seeing her again.
He was having a difficult time assimilating what he was feeling as he continued to stare at her. Air became trapped in his lungs, and his heart pounded in his chest. His mind tried reminding him, uncomfortably, that no woman had ever had this sort of effect on him. No woman had ever made him feel such joy, such desperation…and such panic.
A part of him—that part that had always been in full control where women were concerned—was wavering under the sea-green gaze that held him captive.
And that thought was frightening.
He suddenly felt a strong urge to protect himself by turning and walking back out of the door and doing an easy escape before he got himself into something too deep, something he wasn’t prepared for. But for the life of him he couldn’t make the move to retreat.
“Clayton? Are you okay?”
The sound of Syneda’s voice was soft, smooth, sexy and concerned. Reaching out, he gently pulled her into his arms. “Yes, I’m fine,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers.
Their contact was electric as Clayton ground his lips against hers with a hunger that could not be denied. Syneda opened her mouth to his immediately. Heat rose in her body and a tightening started in the pit of her stomach. She trembled all over, unable to believe what was happening between them. It had not just been Florida after all, because even here in smog-filled New York, the sexual chemistry between them was even greater than before. Breath rushed in and out of her lungs and she couldn’t help wondering why no man before Clayton had ever made this kind of passion rise so quickly within her. It made her become urgent, wanting to hold back nothing and lose control.
Clayton slowly raised his head and met dazed sea-green eyes. “You taste good,” he whispered hoarsely against her lips. “I enjoy kissing you.”
Syneda stared up into the dark eyes gazing down at her. The electric brown eyes were glowing like black fire. “You taste pretty good yourself. And I like kissing you, too.”
Clayton grinned and kissed her again, long, deep and hard. His hand lightly cupped her bottom. Syneda could feel the muscles in her body come alive with his intimate touch and she pressed herself closer to him. The powerful muscular build of his shoulders felt heavenly beneath her hands as he pulled her even closer.
He reluctantly broke off the kiss, his breathing unsteady. “What’s planned for this weekend?” he asked huskily, planting butterfly kisses against the corners of her mouth.
He felt her grin underneath his lips. “If you don’t know, I’m not telling.”
Clayton’s chuckle echoed deep in his chest where Syneda placed her head. He tightened his arms around her. “So, what’s first?” he asked.
Syneda lifted her head and looked up at him. “First, we talk.”
Clayton bent down and brushed his lips against hers. “Talk about what?”
“Rules.”
He raised his head and looked down at her. “Rules? What rules?”
She smiled at him. “Rules I’m sure you’ve followed countless times and won’t have any problems not breaking. In fact, I bet they’re similar to the ones you’ve probably used in your relationships.”
“What are they?”
Her eyes, he noticed, suddenly became set beneath a high, serious brow. However, she still managed to contain her smile. “The first and most important one being that we won’t expect anything beyond what we’ll share this weekend. And second, we must never, ever let ourselves think that what we’re sharing is in any way, shape, form or fashion associated with love.” She gave him a fierce hug. “See, there, I told you they were probably similar to yours.”
Clayton flinched. She was right, they were like some of his own rules. They were rules that had always governed his relationships with women, and for the first time the thought of those rules bothered him.