Turn Me On (5 page)

His eyes had darkened to indigo and Lissa unwittingly leaned back in her
chair away from him.

“And why in hell would I think you’re easy game?” Reed went on. “Because
you had a thing with Marco? Shit. Half the women on the south coast have had a
thing with him. If the rest of us ruled out women on that basis, there’d be a
whole lot of frustrated bastards around.”

Because she had a thing with Marco? What about Ethan?

“It didn’t take me long to figure the reason you were playing hide and
seek at the wedding was because you were trying to avoid Zutini. It’s not
always easy to see an ex-lover hooked up with his current squeeze while you’re
left out in the cold.”

Unsure whether to feel relieved that he thought it was only Marco she’d
slept with, or indignant that he assumed Marco had actually dumped her for
Beth, Lissa hesitated. What did she do now? Let him assume he’d nailed it, or
put him right? If she went for the latter she might dig herself a deeper hole.
Then she’d have to explain about Ethan, too. Maybe it was better to simply let
him assume he was right.

“If you knew all that, why did you insist we meet here? Were you hoping
I’d come face to face with him, blubber into my drink, and then fall into your
arms for comfort?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. Can’t blame a man for trying.”

Something shifted inside her. Beyond the anger that he’d manipulated her
into this scenario, she felt a definite sense of relief that he didn’t know
about the threesome she’d shared with Marco and Ethan. If he wanted her, was
sexually attracted to her, then it had to be
her
he was interested in, didn’t it? And not just because she’d let
loose for one intrepid night and he’d thought he could get in on the action by
bedding a woman he’d labeled an easy lay.

“How about we get out of here?” He reached across the table and brushed
his fingers over hers. “There’s a place along the coast that does really good
lobster.”

She watched his long fingers skimming against hers and her stomach
fluttered in response. “You just asked for the menu, remember?”

As if on cue, the pretty waitress came over with two menus. “Change of
plans,” Reed said with a flash of a smile as he handed her a twenty. “Keep the
change.”

The brunette smiled in return, fluttering her lashes as she assured him
it wasn’t a problem, and then moved away.

“Very smooth,” Lissa said as Reed stood. “Does that sort of charm come
with practice?”

“No practice required.” He slipped on his jacket, picked up his phone,
and dropped it into his pocket. “It’s all one hundred percent natural.”

Unable to hold back, she laughed as he came around and held out her
chair as she stood. “I’ll bet.”

She let him lead her out, stopping him as he turned toward the front
entrance. “My car’s out back. I’ll meet you.”

“No need.” Reed took her arm. “I’ll drive and bring you back later to
collect your car.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

He faced her in the lobby. “If we have sex, princess, it’ll be because
we both want it. I’m not into forcing myself on unwilling women.”

She wanted to tell him they wouldn’t be having sex, but she was through
lying to herself. She wanted him. Now that she knew he didn’t view her in a bad
light and have a distorted view of her because he knew about that threesome,
she was able to admit her attraction to him. Maybe even act on it.

They traveled east along the highway toward the coast where building of
the new marina and leisure centre would soon begin. Reed’s company was
contracted to build the new nightclub and casino.

“Wasn’t there a lot of opposition against this project?” Lissa asked as
they passed signs declaring that work would soon start. “I thought a group of
protesters had stymied things because of noise or something.”

“They managed to delay us for a while, but the protests didn’t hold up.”

Lissa shot him a sideways glance. “Money talks?”

He returned the glance. “Do I hear a note of cynicism, princess?”

“No. Just being a realist.” She turned her attention back to look out at
the road ahead. “That’s how the world works, isn’t it? Greased palms and the
best prizes available going to those who cheat and scheme?”

“Definitely cynicism.”

Lissa felt the familiar sting in her chest. He was probably right. She
hadn’t always been a cynic and hoped to heaven she wasn’t destined to remain
one forever. But it was hard not to be when she’d been cheated by the woman
she’d considered her best friend. Cheated and lied to.
 

To make matters worse Debbie had seemed to prosper on the rewards of her
treachery. Her business currently thrived, and she was often feted and courted
as being one of the new entrepreneurs in the region.

Lissa swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. It wasn’t good to
dwell on the negatives. She had a job, didn’t she? And a roof over her head?
Although how long either of those would last was debatable.

Reed pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant perched on a cliff
overlooking the sea. As they entered the building there didn’t seem to be any
empty tables, but when the waiter came over and shook hands with Reed, Lissa
knew that a table would magically appear.

They were led through the restaurant and up some stairs to a pretty deck
area enclosed by floor to ceiling windows twinkling with fairy lights. The deck
offered a fabulous vista of the sea.

Two other couples dined in the space. The men at each table rose to
shake hands with Reed.

After brief introductions, Lissa took her seat and accepted the drinks
menu handed to her by the waiter. She ordered a non-alcoholic fruit punch.
After the waiter had left with their order, she eyed Reed. “Do I hear money
talking again?”

Opposite her, Reed indicated the table. “You don’t like it?”

“It’s lovely. But I’m wondering what would happen if Mr. Regular turned
up here and asked for a table. Would he be told they were fully booked, or
immediately guided up here to the hallowed heights?”

“The latter, I imagine.” Reed gave her a lopsided grin. “Hopefully he
wouldn’t be dining with Ms. Cynic.”

Lissa tried not to respond to his infectious smile as she glanced around
at the half dozen tables, each a discreet distance apart from its neighbor. The
crimson of the table coverings were echoed in the deep red drapes at the corner
of each window. Delicious smells wafted around the space and Lissa’s stomach
grumbled in response to the memory that she hadn’t eaten since that morning.

“It really is lovely here,” she said as she looked back at Reed. “Is it
your regular haunt? You seem to know a lot of people.”

“I use it when I’m this way. The food here is the best on the south
coast.”

Indeed it was, and they talked more about the development while they
enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner. Lissa hadn’t had lobster before, except for
soup, and she enjoyed every mouthwatering morsel.

On the drive back, Reed pulled over just past the development sign and
turned off the ignition.

“What are you doing? Lissa asked as a shiver of anticipation moved along
her spine.

“Showing you the development site. Want to see?”

“At this hour? It’s dark, what’s to see?”

“Humor me.” He stepped out of the car and came around to the passenger
side, where he held the door open for her. As she hoisted her bag on her
shoulder, he smiled. “Have you got your camera in there?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Maybe you’d like to make a start.”

He didn’t step back and Lissa felt the heat from his body burn into
hers.

“I haven’t got the flash with me. I wasn’t expecting to do night shots.”

“And here’s me thinking a woman like you would always be prepared for
any eventuality.” If anything, he moved closer and reached up to the strap of
her bag where it nestled on her shoulder. “If there’s no flash in here, there’s
no point in you clutching it like a lifeline, is there?”

As he relieved her of her bag and dropped it back on her seat, Lissa
swallowed. “I’m not sure what you’re playing at, but—”

“I’m not playing at anything, princess.” He wrapped his fingers around
her arms, and drew her up close to him. “I intend to do this right.”

Without her bag as armor, she felt the solid weight of his chest against
her breasts, the pressure of his erection pushing against her. “Intend to do
what?”

“Kiss you.” His eyes glinted in the moonlit night and stayed firmly on
hers. “You might even be inclined to kiss me back.”

Lissa swallowed again as her throat went dry. Then his mouth touched
hers, and he all but stole her breath away.

His kiss was exactly like him. Determined. Arrogant. Confident. Hot. And
with that first touch she went up like a flame.

He kept his hands on her arms, while her hands traveled around his back.
He was as solid as the rock surrounding them, his muscles hard and strong, as
was the erection he pushed against her.

He deepened the kiss. Or maybe she did. But she felt her back hit the
car as his body pressed harder against hers. It was difficult to breathe, to
think. So she gave herself up to the moment.

When Reed drew back, he licked his lips. “You taste so fucking good.”

Lissa snatched in a few deep breaths. “So do you.”

He slid his hands slowly down her arms, watching her as he reached
beneath her jacket and tugged her tee shirt from the waistband of her skirt.

Lissa kept her hands on his arms, wanting to stop him, but wanting to
feel his touch on her bare flesh. While she headily deliberated, his fingers
slid over her waist and up her ribcage where they nudged the lower edges of her
bra.

Still he watched her with those steadily glinting eyes.

She jerked at the feel of his fingers against the lower edge of her bra
cups, then gasped as his thumbs rubbed across her hardened nipples.
 

“I wondered,” he said in a voice so low it was almost intoxicating.
“After that one glimpse of lace, I wondered. I knew your breasts would be plump
and ripe, knew they’d fill my hands as if they’d been made for that very
purpose.”

While he continued to torture her nipples through the lace, he kissed
her neck. Lissa closed her eyes and let her head fall back. “You’re so bloody
arrogant,” she said with little conviction. “You think everything exists for
your pleasure.”

“Right now you’re all the pleasure I want.” He made her moan as he bit
softly into her neck. “I want to fuck you. Right here. I want to drive my cock
so far inside you, that I’ll be the only pleasure you’ll ever want.”

Right then he was. And for the second time in her life Lissa considered throwing
caution to the wind, letting her sexual urges take over. Her second dalliance
with adventure. Her second reckless fling. Did that make her a slut?

No. And it was about time she stopped berating herself for indulging in
what was a natural enough desire for a healthy twenty-five-year-old woman.

Besides, this time it was different. This time she knew his name. She
knew what he did for a living. What car he drove. She even knew he could
command the best tables in restaurants.

Since he kept caressing her breast with that slow hypnotic touch, she
didn’t realize that his other hand had crept down and he was now hitching up
her skirt. She felt the night air stroke her thigh and then his fingers did the
same. He edged his way up, still subjecting her to the soft, easy slide of his
mouth along her neck.

She jerked as his fingers slid beneath the bottom edge of her panties,
moving dangerously close to where her pussy burned for his touch.

When he brushed his fingertips against her slit, he groaned into her neck.
“Damn. You’re like a fucking inferno. Is this for me? Are you hot for me?”

Her own hands reached for his waist. “You know I am.”

She started to tug at his shirt, but he moved back a little. His eyes
stayed on hers while he drew her skirt up to her waist and began pulling down
her panties.

Panic rose in her throat. “You’re not planning on doing it here, are
you?”

“It’s dark. We’re set back from the road. And I can’t wait another
minute to be inside you.” Her panties fell to her thighs and he reached down to
tug them all the way off. “Step out.”

She did, still unsure whether to let this go as far as they both wanted.
The little niggle of her conscience wouldn’t let her forget that he was Ethan’s
cousin and the grapevine in
Brighton
was
pretty rabid. She still had to work with Reed and what if Ethan found out they
were indulging in extra-curricular activities? Wouldn’t he be compelled to tell
his cousin about the threesome? And if he did, what would that do to her
reputation? She’d be labeled the very word her conscience taunted her with.

Her breath came out on a whoosh as Reed hoisted her up and manoeuvred
her until she sat on the front of his car. Cold steel pressed against her bare
ass, while Reed’s raging erection pressed against her naked pussy. Her skirt
had bunched up around her waist and she tried to tug it down, but Reed used his
hands to open her thighs.