Eternally Yours - Brenda Jackson [41]
Syneda stared up at him, becoming increasingly uneasy because he was still definitely in hers, too. “Another weekend will be a mistake.”
“No, it won’t.”
A warning voice whispered in her head. She had let her guard down more with Clayton this weekend than with any other man. She needed time to think, to regroup. “I’ll be busy next weekend.”
Clayton nodded, recognizing her attempt to put distance between them. His gaze lowered to her body. She was wearing his dress shirt. It was the only stitch of clothing she had worn all weekend.
He reached into the pants pocket of his jeans and pulled out a key and placed it in the palm of her hand. “This is a spare key to my apartment.” He didn’t add that he had never given the spare key to any woman other than members of his family on occasion. “That shirt you’re wearing is one of my favorites. How about personally returning it to me. Soon.”
Syneda nervously bit her bottom lip as she gazed at the key she held in her hand. She then raised her eyes to meet his. “If you’ll wait a minute, I’ll change and you can take it with you.”
“No. I want you to return it to me. In Houston. This coming weekend.”
“Clayton, I can’t do that. Don’t you realize what you’re asking of me?” He was suggesting that they continue their affair beyond this weekend. There was no way she could do that. Tossing aside common sense for a wild, reckless and passionate weekend with him once was enough. Considering doing it again would be asking for trouble.
“What do you think I’m asking of you, Syneda?”
Syneda closed her eyes momentarily. Clayton’s voice, sexy and warm, wrapped about her like silken honey. Suddenly, sanity returned with full force and she opened her eyes. “To continue what we started this weekend.”
Clayton reached up and tipped her chin up so their eyes could meet. “You’re right, sweetheart. I’m not ready to end things. I still want you.”
He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly. His lips slanted over hers, moving softly yet boldly, making circular motions. His tongue, smooth as velvet, teased her own tongue in a taunting yet provocative play. When he lifted his head, he gazed deeply into her eyes. The heat of them scorched her, and took her breath away.
Gathering his baggage in his hand, Clayton opened the door and walked out. Syneda stared at him, her mouth still feeling the pressure of his gentle but heated kiss as she remembered his parting words.
Chapter 9
Monday morning over breakfast, Syneda was still fighting the state of rhapsody she had found herself in. Clayton’s departure yesterday had done little to bring her senses and mind back to reality. She had refused to take off his shirt until her bath late Sunday night.
His masculine scent had been drenched in the material, and an acute yearning for him had welled up inside her so strongly that at times she couldn’t breathe. She had gone to bed wearing her nightgown and missing the aroma of his masculine skin the shirt had provided.
Not even the sore muscles she had encountered upon waking that morning or the marks of passion that Clayton’s beard had left on various places over her body had dampened her spirits. That weekend they had soared to passionate, exhilarating heights, and her body was still tingling from the memories of it.
Taking a sip of her coffee, she realized that in order to make it through the coming weeks and months, she would have to get Clayton off her mind. The last thing she needed was to become involved with a man who had the ability to make her hot all over with just one look, and whose lovemaking surpassed anything she’d ever imagined.
On her way to work, she dropped Clayton’s shirt off at the cleaners. She had made up her mind that the shirt would be returned to him but not personally as he’d requested. It would arrive at his place via FedEx overnight delivery.
Joanna looked up at Syneda when she stepped off the elevator. “Whoever is trying to impress you, Ms. Walters, is doing a darn good