Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [4]
She met his gaze and lifted her chin in a defiant stance and said, “I’m staying.”
The woman was as stubborn as they came, Jamal thought as he leaned against the doorjamb in the kitchen. He watched Delaney as she unpacked the groceries she had brought with her. When she finished she turned around. “Thanks for bringing in my luggage and those boxes.”
He nodded as his gaze held hers. Once again he felt that sudden surge of lust that made his body tighten and knew she had noticed his reaction. Nervously she licked her lips as she dragged her eyes away from his. It was obvious that she was also aware of the strong sexual chemistry arcing between them.
“If you’re having second thoughts about staying…”
Her eyes filled with the fire he was getting used to. “Forget it.”
“Remember it was your decision,” he said evenly.
“I’ll remember.” She walked over to him and glared up at him. “And I would suggest that you don’t get any ideas about trying to do anything underhanded to run me off. I’ll leave when I get ready to leave and not before.”
Jamal thought that the angrier she got the more beautiful she became. “I’m too much of a gentleman to behave in such a manner.”
“Good. I’ll take your word on that.” She turned to leave the room.
He watched the sway of Delaney’s hips until she was no longer in sight. His nostrils flared in response to the enticing feminine scent she had left behind, and the primitive sultan male in him released a low growl.
One thing was for certain; he would not be getting bored again anytime soon.
With a soul-weary sigh, Delaney ran her fingers through her hair and leaned against the closed bedroom door. A jolt of heat ripped from the tip of her painted toes all the way to the crown of her head. Jamal’s gaze had been hot and hungry.
What had she gotten herself into?
The thought that she was actually willing to share a cabin with a man she didn’t know was plain ludicrous. The only thing to her credit was the fact that while he had been outside getting the boxes out of the car, she had used her cell phone to call Reggie.
Born the same year, she and Reggie had forged a closeness from the time they had been babies, and over the years he had become more than just a cousin. He was sort of like her best buddy.
He had always kept her secrets, and she had always kept his. Since his interest had been in working with numbers, no one was surprised when he had established an accounting firm a few years ago after earning a graduate degree in Business Administration from Morehouse College.
After apologizing for the mix-up, Reggie had assured her that Jamal was legit. He had met him through Philip a few years ago. Reggie further verified Jamal’s claim that he was a prince and had gone on to warn her that according to Philip, Jamal had very little tolerance for Western women.
She had ended the conversation with Reggie, thinking that she couldn’t care less about the man’s tolerance level, and had no intention of letting him dictate whether or not she would stay. She deserved thirty days to rest and do nothing, and by golly, come hell or high water, she planned to enjoy her vacation.
Crossing the room, she plopped down onto a reclining chair. She glanced at the luggage on her bed, too tired to unpack just yet. Putting up the groceries had taken everything out of her. Jamal had stood there the entire time watching her.
Although he hadn’t said anything, she had felt his gaze as if it had been a personal caress. And a few times she had actually looked across the room and caught him staring. No, glaring was more like it.
She knew his intent had been to try to unnerve her. But as far as she was concerned, he had a long way to go to ruffle her feathers. The Westmoreland brothers—Dare, Thorn, Stone, Chase and Storm—made dealing with someone like Jamal a piece of cake.
Her cheeks grew warm when