T
asha may have miscalculated Grant’s raw sex appeal. He seemed unassuming in his dark gray beanie, black long-sleeved shirt, jeans and boots. If not for the way he interacted with everyone, as though he was looking into their soul to find all their weak spots, she could forget he could snap his fingers and get whatever he wanted.
And he wanted her.
She told him she found him suspect. She told him she was there to protect her friend from him. Still, he’d made his want clear in no-shit terms. And, okay, fine. There was a stirring of want on her side, too.
Ignoring that, Tasha spread her hands on the table. “Since we got that out of the way, it is time for me to go to bed. Don’t forget to lock up on your way out.”
Grant rose along with her. She stopped, narrowed her gaze for what felt like the hundredth time. She had to keep her good eye on this man.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
His laugh was silk along her skin—teasing, enticing. She shivered. Worse, a smile lit up his face, creasing his laugh lines, turning his eyes almost emerald. “I want us to kiss.”
What? “Didn’t we come to an understanding that you are dangerous, and I run from danger?”
“Shouldn’t say that like you’re proud.”
“Maybe not. I simply don’t see anything good coming out having an affair with you.”
“That’s why we should kiss. You’ll understand all the good things possible after that.”
She had no doubt one kiss would lead to sitting on his dick. “I’m sure you are very, very good in bed. That doesn’t mean I should take a roll in it.”
“You’re attracted to me, but you have reservations. That’s understandable. We’ve just met. Attraction will never replace knowing someone. What do you need to know or see from me to assuage your doubts?”
She could see it now, how he was as a CFO. The man circled around irrefutable facts until you saw his reasoning. She started to say “nothing can persuade me” and “never will we” but those words were tempting fate. “Didn’t you just mess something up because of sex with an employee?”
“I did.” He winced then shrugged.
Only slightly aghast—and that was troubling—Tasha asked, “But it’s your siblings who are the headache?”
“Never said I wasn’t one, too. It’s genetic.”
Tasha laughed. “I honestly don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes to one kiss. A kiss you want but are telling yourself you shouldn’t.”
Tasha rounded the table, put a hand on his chest and pushed him an arm’s length away to make her point clear. His pecs flexed beneath her fingertips. He had really nice pecs.
“Stop doing that mantitty thing, and unfair.”
He closed his hand on her wrist. “Tasha…”
Her body tingled at the simple touch. She inhaled to get a semblance of control over her hormones, but that was a mistake. “I was sure once I got this close, I would say no then flounce out of here, but you smell nice.”
“Expensive cologne has its benefits.” He stood still not moving to pull her closer.
Tasha hated how much she liked him waiting for her clear go-ahead. “No arguments, cajoling, or devil-on-the-shoulder pushes from you? I’m almost disappointed, but only because it would make it so much easier to tell you fuck no.”
“I don’t need to do those things.”
She believed him. The rest of her had started to tingle from the sexual tension strumming between them. That was new, and she wanted more. Needed his mouth on hers as her nipples stiffened from the heat of him so damn close, just two steps away.
Bad idea.
Horrible, horrible…craving to do it anyway.
She should have gone upstairs when she had the chance because her body had already given in. The only thing stopping her was their conversation and his squirrely answers. They were fading in her mind’s eye the longer he touched her. “Absolutely no kissing.”
He grunted low, rough. “That sounds like an invitation to do everything but.”
Shit. It did sound like that. “Grant—”
“No—that’s the only word I need, and I’ll let you run upstairs and hide.”
Why did his expression have to be so damn solemn? Gotdamn him. She couldn’t bring herself to say no. The single word should have been so easy. Within a month, she’d gone from working in a bar in California to a pub in Scotland. That wasn’t like her, at all. She was the one who considered all the pitfalls. The trip alone was out of her comfort zone. She’d done it for a friend.
But this—kissing him would be for her. It would be wild, reckless and an antithesis to Tasha. But, god, how she wanted to be reckless with him just for a moment. It hurt a little when she murmured, “I can’t kiss you.”
“Too much so soon with a cautious lass like you? Aye. Aye. Too much.”
He loosened his hold on her wrist but brought up his other hand. To her shock, he used his nails on her inner forearm, so gently, if she wasn’t so aware of him, she’d have missed her wrists had an erogenous zone.
By the time the gentle scrape of his hand reached her elbows, Tasha wanted to melt into the floor and die from pleasure. When his palms, warm and slightly rough, rested on her neck, she let her head fall back, and moaned.
Grant drew his thumb up her neck to her chin. His mouth brushed her hairline as he stepped into her space. She shivered, almost whimpering.
Gotdamn him but he said, “Anywhere specific you want me to touch, lass?”
“Just…” she whispered on a sigh.
Him touching her was better than any kiss he could have given her. He took those long fingers and dug them into the back of her neck, her back, her sides, and massaged her flesh deep and gentle. She didn’t protest when he took a handful of her ass and pushed her against his hard dick. Right when she was sure nothing else could feel better, he started to rub his five o’clock shadow along her neck. She could feel her knees spreading.
Tasha pushed him away. “Enough.” When did she start huffing in and out to catch her breath? When did his gaze get so dark?
She said nothing more, so maybe he felt the need to say, “Have you had your fill of me, or have we reached the part where you run scared?”
The latter, but she refused to tell him that. He could, at any point, touch her and know she’d cave in some way, in every way. After this, Tasha would know she had said yes in everything but the actual word. And so would he.
With no reason to shy away from that simple truth, Tasha lifted to the tips of her toes and brushed her lips along his. He groaned and reached forward.
She backed up, not letting her gaze waver from his. “Good night, Grant.”
Had she tripped on the stairs at her brisk walk, she wouldn’t have felt an inch of shame. She made it to Baird’s flat, but she couldn’t say she made it in one piece. Tasha had left a part of herself with Grant and there was no lying to herself about it otherwise.