She bit her lip, dropped her fist and straightened. Think sexy... not painful.
But before she could come up with anything better, Joe returned. She heard his harshly indrawn breath and turned her eyes to see him standing frozen just inside the arch between the living room and the hall. “Oh. My. God.”
Obviously, a pose hadn’t been necessary, after all.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Joe,” she whispered.
He opened his mouth but didn’t say a word. Somehow, she didn’t feel jittery or nervous under his hot, appreciative stare. Knowing Joe cared about her made her confident enough to want him to look. Judging by the way he had to grab the back of a chair, as if to steady himself, he liked what he saw.
***
Joe really liked what he saw, and all he could do was stare.
Meg wore a miniscule bit of red silk that masqueraded as a bra. It pushed up, rather than held in, and her amazing breasts literally overflowed the material. Only some peekaboo lace covered her nipples. Even from here, in the shadows, he could see them grow tight and pucker under his piercing gaze.
His mouth went dry and he swallowed, hard, remembering what she tasted like.
He watched as she ran her hand across her bare hip, sliding her pinky over the edge of a lacy garter belt. Unable to do anything else, Joe followed every movement with his eyes. Below the garter belt, which cinched her waist and emphasized the curve of her hips, she wore the skimpiest pair of panties he’d ever seen. Sheer stockings covered those long legs. Her sexy-as-hell, red, spiked heels completed the outfit.
“Women are capable of romance, too. Something sweet wrapped up in a red satin bow?” she said as she took one step closer.
He instantly remembered their conversation during their picnic in the penthouse.
“You’ve said I’m sweet, Joe.” She took another step. “And though this isn’t satin, I think the silk works. Don’t you?”
“It works,” he whispered, hearing the thin, reedy tone in his voice. He cleared his throat. “Absolutely.”
Meg closed the gap between them, step by step, until she stood just inches away. Her eyes were filled with promise and invitation. Joe couldn’t even begin to try to resist her. Hell, he probably wouldn’t have been coherent enough to notice if the building caught fire. Judging by the sparks in her eyes...and those shooting through his body...combustion was definitely a possibility.
“Are you going to open your present?”
He didn’t answer with words. Instead he leaned down, swept her into his arms, turned and carried her back down the hall to his bedroom. Their mouths met in a hot, frenzied kiss, and he heard her throaty purr of feminine triumph. Not that he gave a damn. Things might have gone a little differently than he’d planned, but they were going to end up right where he’d hoped they would tonight. In his bed.
***
Meg didn’t care that she lost one of her shoes on the way down the hall. She just kicked off the other one, as well. When they reached his room, she noted the big bed with the bedding turned down, and shivered in anticipation. This is really going to happen.
Remembering the condoms in her purse, she whispered against his lips, “I brought some, uh...”
“It’s covered,” he muttered as he lowered her to the bed. Then he stepped back, never taking his eyes off her as he reached for the buttons at his wrists. She arched on the covers, feeling hot, achy and needy. Then she stilled, watching him undress. She might have been nearly naked in front of him the other night, but she hadn’t seen his strong, hard body without clothes, and she licked her lips in anticipation as he tugged off his suit jacket and then his tie.
Meg had seen men’s bodies before. But seeing his emerge from his clothing, she knew she’d never seen anyone who could compare. Her pulse sped up like an out-of-control train as all that perfect male skin was revealed. If there was a sight sexier than a gorgeous man unbutton and then shrug off his crisp, white dress shirt to reveal a powerful chest, she didn’t know what it was.
Joe might own his own business, but she knew he worked hard right alongside his employees. So he had the rippling, muscular body of a construction worker, bulging muscles in his shoulders, arms, and chest, flat abs, lean hips.
God, he’s beautiful.
She somehow managed to keep breathing as she noted the light dusting of dark hair swirling between his nipples, trailing down to the waistband of his pants. But that breath froze as he reached for his belt and the button of his pants.
“When you look at me like that, I begin to wonder how I’ve lived without you all my life,” he whispered, watching her as intently as she did him.
“I’ve been asking myself that, too.”
Then the trousers and briefs fell to the floor. “Oh, my,” she whispered, astounded at how perfect he was. How big, hard and perfect.
She swallowed hard, thinking about taking that powerful cock into her body. Although a tiny bit of nervousness flashed through her, it couldn’t compete with her excitement.
Joe had already filled her life, and, she suspected, her heart.