“Lorelei.” His breath seemed to catch on her name and he cleared his throat, ready to ask what she wanted.
“Can I come in?” She peered past him, probably wondering if he had a house full like last time she’d come unannounced.
“Yes, sorry. I wasn’t expecting you.” His brain seemed to be shutting down. Any second now and the blue screen of death would appear in his eyes.
He stepped aside and she strode past. A whiff of her sultry scent wafted over him, further confusing his already-muddled mind. She stopped when she came to one of the sofas, and perching her bottom on the back, raised her eyes to his.
“So, I was wondering, earlier today, when you were carrying me up to your room, did you want to make love to me or were you just getting some exercise?” She let go of her lapels and leaned back on the sofa, her arms either side of her body. Her coat gapped in the middle and from where he stood frozen by the door, he caught sight of a trace of black lace.
“It was definitely the first thing you said.” Belatedly he closed the door and walked halfway into the room. Mesmerized, his eyes focused on Lorelei’s shaking hands as they undid the belt around her waist.
“I thought as much. And then I thought, your mother has screwed up enough of your life. I wasn’t going to let her ruin mine. So, as she interrupted us this afternoon, I thought I’d simply restart the afternoon in another location. Excuse me for a minute.” She sauntered toward the side door to the communal hallway, passing close to him but not touching. Pulling out a card from her bag, she opened the door a fraction before slipping something on the outside handle before locking it again. Turning, she leaned against the door and let her jacket slip off her shoulders to pool by her feet.
Liam’s eyes were sending rapid-fire signals to his brain, which was sending back error messages. Lorelei stood against the door, wearing a black lace teddy, stockings, and high heels. And that was it. Except, of course, for the hesitant smile she was trying hard to maintain.
“Please tell me you didn’t come here by bus wearing that?”
“No, I took a taxi. Thankfully the driver was about ninety-five, he could barely see the steering wheel, and wasn’t paying any attention to me.” She took a step toward him. “Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted this afternoon?”
…
Lorelei’s heart pounded so hard she thought she might black out. Two steps closer and she could feel the heat radiating off his body; the musky smell of his aftershave tickled her nostrils. If he didn’t stop staring and take her in his arms soon, she’d die of embarrassment.
This whole stupid seduction thing had been Mandy’s idea. When she’d called her friend after Liam dropped her off, Mandy asked what she wanted. If she knew what she wanted and didn’t go and do something about it, then she deserved to sit at home alone moping. So Lorelei put on her most provocative lingerie and called a cab before her common sense kicked in.
Licking her lips, she tried to think what her next move should be, when Liam closed the distance between them in one lunge. He pulled her against him, one large hand splayed against her spine, the other in her hair, dragging her mouth up to meet his. If she’d wondered on the way over whether he wanted her or not, that first kiss obliterated any lingering doubt. Liam ravaged her mouth, his tongue dueling with hers. When she thought she might explode from the overload of sensations, he released her lips and kissed his way over to her ear. Beneath her hand on his chest, his heart thudded. His breathing was rapid and she could feel his arousal against her stomach.
“What did you put on the door?” His breath was hot against her ear.
A shiver raced through her, or maybe it was an electric shock because she sure as heck wasn’t cold. “What?” Her befuddled brain couldn’t comprehend the question.
“You put something on the outside of the door. What was it?” With his lips he traced a flaming path down her neck to her collarbone and back up to nibble on her earlobe again.
“Oh, it was a Do Not Disturb sign. You told me David and Helen treat this like their second home. I didn’t want us to be interrupted again. I stole it from the Four Seasons.”
He leaned back so he could observe her eyes. “Oh, really? Has the good girl who won’t jaywalk been lured over to the dark side?”
She dropped her head and stared at his chest, but he put a finger under her chin and raised it so she was looking at him again.
“No, I went back the next day and offered to pay for it.”
Liam laughed. He kissed her again until her legs melted and it was only his arm on her back holding her up.
“We should talk first. I need to tell you something,” he whispered into her ear. He pulled back and stared into her eyes. His own burned with passion, his pupils nearly dilated.
“Mañana. We can talk tomorrow. Tonight I want to make love with you.”
He hesitated a second, then he scooped her in his arms once again and strode toward the back of the apartment. He flung open the door and set her down gently next to the bed. Bending over, he pressed a button on the wall. The fireplace across the room whooshed to life, bathing the room in a golden glow.
When he straightened, she reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Her fingers felt fat and she had to bite her lip to concentrate on the task at hand. Would he mind if she ripped it off him? He seemed impatient for her touch on his skin and lifted the shirt over his head. She drank in the sight of his muscled chest a minute before running her fingers through the mat of hair between his pecs. The muscles leaped under her touch and she slid her hands down his clenched abs until they rested on his belt.
Her eyes flew to his, yet he stood impassive, waiting for her.
Heat flooded her face. She’d never been so brazen. Liam seemed content to let her set the pace. It took several tries, and his hands steadying hers, before she got the belt undone. Glancing again at his face, he gave her a lopsided grin, the dimple in his cheek winking at her. After releasing the button on his fly, she slowly slid the zipper down, his erection straining against the metal. With his pants loosened she suddenly lost her nerve and dropped her hands to her side.
“Come now, sweetheart. You’re doing such a wonderful job, you can’t give up now. Let’s continue your education on the dark side.”
“I…”
He put his hands on her face and kissed her until her desires overcame her inhibitions. When he released her lips, his voice was husky. “You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever kissed. Now take my clothes off and let me show you how much I want you.”