“Well, for your information, Loner wasn’t here,” he said softly. “He was out looking to get laid. If he had gotten lucky, he probably wouldn’t have been back before daylight.”
Irritated and embarrassed, she glanced away. “I appreciate your concern for my safety.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not all that concerned. I’m just trying to talk a little common sense into somebody who obviously has shit for brains.”
Her head came back around swiftly. “I’m glad you used that particular turn of phrase
. It reminds me to tell you not to use foul language in front of my son.”
“Have you been eavesdropping on my conversations with Graham?”
“Certainly not. He quotes you. He thinks you’re bloody marvelous.”
That gave him a warm rush of pleasure. “Really?”
“Really. So watch what you say around him.”
“I haven’t said anything he doesn’t hear on cable TV, and probably in his classroom at school.”
“That’s beside the point, isn’t it?”
“No. It’s precisely the point. Unless you want Graham to be a pantywaist, cut him some slack, let him say a few dirty words. He’s around women too much. The time he spends out here with the men is good for him.”
“Which brings me to another matter. Don’t encourage him to ride his bicycle out here.”
“I didn’t.”
“He said you did.”
“I didn’t.”
“You’ve never talked to him about riding his bike out here?”
“Sure, the subject came up. I said it was something for you to decide.”
“Well, since I’m his mother, thank you very much.”
He knew then that he was going to kiss her again. It was folly of the highest caliber, but he was going to do it anyway, and, once he made up his mind to, he didn’t think anything could have stopped him.
He slid his fingers into her hair and tilted her head back, then lowered his mouth to hers. In her surprise, her breath rushed out of her mouth. He felt it against his lips, tasted it. When he did, every other thought flew right out of his head. He didn’t think about the consequences of this kiss—because it was a foregone conclusion that as soon as it was over, she was going to fire him. He didn’t think about Debra. He didn’t think at all. He merely responded to the wonderfully erotic stimuli that kissing Jade transmitted to him.
The tip of his tongue flicked across her lips, then he pressed it into her mouth. She was stunned; he could tell. Her body became as inflexible as a flagpole and she stopped breathing. He didn’t let her nonparticipation deter him, however. He exercised the technique he had mastered years ago and slowly made love to her mouth. His tongue dipped into it, then withdrew, again and again, until her breathing resumed and she raised her hands to clutch his arms.
“No,” she whispered. “Please.”
She didn’t mean please stop. She meant please continue. Because, even though she had prefaced that please with a no, he sensed her excitement. It was building inside her. It generated heat that he could feel through her clothing. Her breathing was rapid and light—aroused breathing.
He cupped her head between his long fingers and tilted it farther back. He nuzzled her exposed throat and kissed the soft, fragrant pallet of skin beneath her ear.
“No, Dillon,” she whimpered.
“You don’t mean no.”
Returning to her lips, he angled his head and kissed her deeper than before. Heat and lust concentrated in his loins. He groaned over the intensity of the ache, the potency of the pleasure. He dropped one hand to her derriere and lifted her front against his. His erection nestled in her cleft. He rubbed it against her. She moaned.
His other hand moved to her breast. It was firm, full, perfect. Her nipple responded to a stroke of his thumb. He wanted to put his mouth to it, even through her blouse, and lowered his head to do so.
“No!”