Under Pressure (4 page)

Finding out Kiefer’s true colors had been a blessing,
but she wasn’t sure she could ever trust another man.

She darted a glance across the leather seat. Spark was rubbing his jaw as if to relieve stress. She could relate.

A thread of guilt sliced through her. Was she making a mistake being here now?

Dragging her gaze to the side window, sprinkles plopped onto the window, blurring the streetlights that lit their way.

Once they pulled into the motel lot, she pointed to the side parking spaces for easy access to her room. “I’m in 250.” She unsnapped her belt. He didn’t make a move to do the same. “Aren’t you planning to walk me in?”

Excitement dribbled through her—and it had nothing to do with carrying out a plan or revenge. If only things were different…

He blinked. “Do you need me to?” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel. “You seem like the independent type.”

Conjuring a sappy, sweet smile and a blinking of eyelashes, she’d never been this ami
able ever. She deserved an Academy Award. “I just know I’d feel much safer with a brawny specimen of a man like you next to me. I hear horror stories of women walking to their rooms and being attacked.” To drive home the effect, she laid her hand on his biceps and squeezed. This action was supposed to be for his benefit, not hers, but pleasure heated her body. She was amazed at how toned he was. In any other situation, she’d like to explore him a little more—a lot more—and follow the bends and coils of other muscles.

Clearing her throat, and her
scrambled brain, she dropped her hand.

His gaze narrowed.

She’d love to know what he was thinking.

Turning off the engine
, he pulled out the key. “Then let’s do this.”

Chapter Three

SPARK’S PLAN TO
drop her off and get the hell away wasn’t working like he’d wanted.

He’d come to the realization that she was a liar, a manipulator and she was tossing around her ladylike charm like candy at a parade
. He was like a kid watching the cavalcade, hands held out, begging for a treat.

He should have dropped her off at the front door and
been on his way.

Now he was following her into the
side door and his attention was caught up in the gentle sway of her hips. He was certain that the added sashay was an act too. But he wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the show.

W
hat a mighty fine ass too, as he’d realized earlier.

The heart-shaped
buttocks glided as if inviting a pair of big hands. He wondered if she minded calluses.

He skimmed his gaze to the diamond-shaped space between her inner thighs and his cock twitched
, threatening to burst a seam or two.

No harm in admiring, as long as he didn’t touch—but the rule was losing its significance.

She came to a sudden stop. He brought his chin up and their gazes locked. He half expected her to yell at him for ogling, but
instead she sported a wide Hollywood smile spotlighting plump pink lips and a row of even, white teeth.

Wow…she was working it hard. 

She smoothed her hand over her hair then tucked a lock behind her ear. Her small diamond earring twinkled in the overhead light.

Women
were cunning creatures and, for the life of him, he’d never understand one. He didn’t do relationships, and this was why. No matter how much he wanted to share his life with the perfect woman, there was no
perfect
woman for him, and there laid the problem.

Just like with Jewels. She seemed like a perfect mate—until he added in that she was a liar and high-maintenance. Something always dirtied the pool
when it came to possibilities.

“My room is on the second floor. Let’s ride the elevator.” She was already pressing the
up button and the doors slid open.

“Maybe I should take of
f.” Her fingers dug into the thin fabric of his shirt and dragged him into the empty cubicle. “Or not,” he mumbled.

The doors closed.

Before he could take a deep breath, she pushed him against the mirrored wall, pressed her palms into his chest and looked up at him with the brightest eyes he’d ever seen. “What’s wrong, cowboy? You look like a deer in headlights.”

Now what was she doing? “This is a bit unexpected.” He was tired and frustrated, and before she sh
immied her body up against his, making his decision hard and his body harder, he guessed he should just tell her that he knew who she was and end this once and for all. “I know—”

She moved her mouth to his,
her tongue sweeping out to lick his lower lip, ending any possible word exchange. The combination of her scent and the feel of her soft curves broke his concentration as every nook and cranny of his body tightened. His mind blared a warning as his cock ignored the caution.

When s
he dropped her fingers into the opening of his shirt, dragging her fingernails across his skin, all restraint burst.

Would it hurt if he sampled her, ju
st a little?

After all, she was offering.
He wouldn’t let things get too far…

He brought his hands to her shoulders and turned her, pushing her
gently against the wall. He watched her eyes widen in the reflection of the mirror, but delight quickly filled the warm orbs.

Oh,
so she liked a man who took control.

Burying
his fingers in her glossy, long hair, he grinned. The waves were as silken as he thought they’d be. He knew the tresses would feel amazing feathering over his naked body as he prepared to plunge inside of her.

He’d taken dirt baths
in the rodeo that didn’t send his adrenaline rushing as fast as it was now.

The realization washed over him that Jewels was trouble.

Her chin shifted and her lips parted in silent summons. He wasted no time. Dropping his mouth to hers in a sideways angle, he buried his tongue deep into her moist cave, lapping up her sweet cotton candy flavor mixed with a hint of beer.

He couldn’t get enough.

He turned her around, pressing her back against the mirror.

Diving his tongue back between her lips, he tickled the roof of her mouth. S
he moaned and he swallowed the raspy sound. Her arms swept up around his neck and her breasts warmed his chest, nice firm mounds that he wanted to lick and suckle.

That’d be crossing the line.

The ‘line’ snapped.

Tongues dueling, heart
pounding, he needed to touch more. Sliding his hand from her hair, down along the smooth curve of her collarbone, he dipped his fingers into the scooped neck of her shirt. He pushed aside the wispy bra and cupped one breast. Her nipple tightened against his palm and her whimpers urged him to continue, beckoned him to explore all of her.

Ding!

Spark pulled back just as the door opened. He stepped across the cubicle and she quickly fixed her shirt. A couple stood in the hallway, thankfully engrossed in a conversation about a political debate, otherwise they would have seen the pout of Jewels’ lips, and the swelling in his jeans.

She had taken three steps when she stopped and turned.
“Coming?”

Teetering
on the fence of right and wrong, he always followed the golden rule, ‘never sleep with or enjoy an employer’s daughter.’

A
sliver of impulse deep within urged him to entertain himself. She lured him with her sultry looks and sexy body. She wanted this. Hell, he wanted this more than he could find words to describe.

If the bo
ss found out, he wouldn’t have a job.

Her gaze n
arrowed and her impatience showed in her thinning mouth. The couple had already stepped into the elevator, their curious eyes on him.

He needed to make a decision.

Against better judgment, he stepped across the threshold and followed her, his anticipation growing.

At
room 250, she pulled the key card from her purse and unlocked the door.

Once inside,
there was no going back.

~°°°~

What the hell am I doing?

Jewels
chastised herself for kissing the enemy—and worse, wanting the enemy.

This was supposed to
be a no-touching mission. Dancing with him and enjoying him was clearly against better judgment.

And why-oh-
why did it feel so good breaking the rules with a hunk like Spark?

Excusing herself, she slipped into the bathroom and stood
in front of the mirror. She stared at herself, questioning if she was still strong enough to carry out her plan. She could abort and send him on his way. But then, what lesson would he learn in playing women?

Her throat filled
with a prickly ache. Since she’d met him, he hadn’t once manipulated her or pushed himself on her, like Jewels believed he would, at least from her sister’s description of him.

Clearly, Jewels was the manipulator.

And a liar.

Tears filled her eyes.

One thing she couldn’t lie about, he made her tingle from inside out.

And the kiss
they’d shared…wow! She hadn’t planned it, but she’d never known a better impulsive act. He’d tasted so good and she’d cursed the damned elevator for going fast at the most inopportune moment.

She
needed to wipe any thought of a naked cowboy right out of her mind.

If she was going to
do what she came to do, then she must get back on track…and no kisses involved, no matter how succulent—even if his hands on her skin had awakened sleeping nerve endings.

The man wasn’t who he pretended to be.

Had she forgotten that he’d lied to her sister?

Anger slithered through her. The man was a pig…h
e’d slept with Em, and after they’d made plan after plan, he’d stood her up the following day. Em had called his number, only to realize it had been disconnected.

Of course, her sister had made
the mistake of trusting a stranger, but what man would sink so low? Not to mention Em was at least ten years younger than Spark.

If he’d wanted a one-night stand
, he should have made that clear instead of making empty promises.

Jewels
was losing hope in the male population.

Giving her hair a quick finger-comb and reapplying a layer of lip
gloss, she went back into the room where she found Spark leaning against the wall, his hat pushed low on his forehead, shadowing his eyes. The grim set of his jaw had returned some.

Nervously, she
brushed past him to the mini fridge and opened the door. Stocked with a selection of miniature bottles of liquor and cans of pop, she scanned the variety. She wasn’t much of a drinker, never had been, but needed something to calm the battle of good and evil spiraling through her. Spark apparently needed one also because his frown was extending.

“Care for a whiskey?” She didn’t wait for his answer before grabbing two bottles.

“It’s getting late. I should be going. I have to be up bright and early.” He pushed his hat back and watched her move toward him. Her stomach did several flips, and she ignored the fact that her panties turned moist—a normal side effect of a long-term dry spell. She hadn’t had a man alone in her room in a long time so of course a physical reaction was in store.

“Don’t be a party pooper, Sparkey. It’s early.” She tossed one of the bottles and he caught it against his chest.

His jaw ticked. “Early for a late riser. Have you ever been up with the sunrise?”

Yeah, he was back to his
snarky self. “Don’t you ever throw caution to the wind and live for the moment?”

“No.” His lip curled.

“Wow, what a sheltered life you lead.”

“I c
all it a responsible life.” His low and thick voice made her knees wobble.

“Most people find a balance between pleasure and work.”
Opening the bottle, she gave the lid a toss toward the trashcan, missed and hit the wall instead.

“I hope your ba
lancing act is better than your long shot.” A smile played at the corner of his mouth. He pushed away from the wall, strolled confidently to the chair and plopped his muscular body into the cushion. He brought the whiskey to his lips and drank half of it.

Removing her heels, she
wiggled her toes and could have moaned in relief. Why do so many women torture themselves? Once upon a time—in the stupid Kiefer phase—she wouldn’t leave home unless she was dressed in her best.

Times had certainly changed.

Plopping onto the bed, she stretched out on her stomach and propped on her elbows, watching him. She wished she had her camera. He’d make a pretty picture. His features weren’t smooth like a lot of models, but he had a rugged quality the camera would love. His dark skin complemented his beautiful eyes. Unlike many of the cowboy wannabes she’d snapped over the years who’d acquired their tan through a tin can, he was natural. His shoulders were wide, the mark of a hardworking cowboy.