“And if Tim came on to me? How would you feel about me not telling you?”

He bared his teeth a moment at the thought. “That’s different.”

One of her brows rose. “It is? Pray tell, how?”

“Tim and I are close. And he’s not a psycho like your sister.”

She held back a smile but he saw it in her eyes. “That’s a lame excuse.”

“It is. But it’s the one I’ve got. Now. On to better things. When do you have to be back home?”

Her gaze locked with his. “This is a bad idea, Nathan. We did this before and it didn’t work. Took me a long time to get over.”

“It could have worked. We had the connection then and you can’t deny we still do. I’m older and a lot wiser I hope anyway. You are too. It didn’t work because I was a stupid boy. But I’m a man now and I won’t lose you again. We’re here. I have a room in this very hotel. I want you naked. I want to be in you. I want to know what you taste like now.”

Her breath caught and her pupils swallowed the iris.

“I don’t have to be back until tomorrow.”

Chapter Eight

It had been foolhardy to come back to the hotel with him. She knew it and had zero plans to halt the inevitable between them. Each step they’d taken, it had felt right. She’d fallen into a rhythm with him as they’d talked. One she hadn’t realized she’d missed with such ferocity until she had it again.

And now in his room he watched her every move. Looked at her like he wanted to take a big bite. “You’re a thrilling man, Nathan Murphy.” She swallowed hard and gave over to what she wanted. No more arguing. She wanted him as much as he appeared to want her. And she saw just how much in his gaze, in the swell of his c**k against his zipper.

His grin was feral and a shiver went through her. He nearly prowled as he led her back into the bedroom. Fascinating. This man gave off his masculinity in a warm radiant wave. He took up all the air around her, stealing her breath.

“Am I now?” His voice had lowered, and the memories of what came next flooded straight to her pu**y.

She nodded and hoped he didn’t see the gulp.

He got close enough to touch but hesitated. Teasing. Just barely away. So close the heat of him slid over her skin. And then he licked up the side of her neck and bit her earlobe. That was good enough to make her lock her knees to keep standing.

And he was only getting started.

He’d been a foreplay sort of man before. He’d tease her all night long before they’d f**k. They’d go out on a date and he’d slowly drive her crazy with lingering touches, soft kisses at first. Hotter and hotter he’d build her up. Sometimes he’d make her come at least three times before they got down to business.

It had been a fine quality in her first real lover.

But this Nathan was a grown-up. He owned his power as a man, as a sexual, attractive male in his prime. His attentions were so intense they were nearly physical. “I s’pose you’ve learned a few things in the last six years or so.” Of course her voice was breathy and sort of stuttery.

He paused and threw his head back on a laugh. Unable to stop, she drew closer, tiptoeing up to kiss the hollow of his throat. His laugh died on a near moan, and his hands slid into her hair, sending her combs somewhere else. “I like it down.”

Ha! So did she, but he probably meant her hair.

She watched as his fingers undid the buttons of her blouse. “I have, I like to think, worked on my skills. Purely because you should be the best you can be at things.”

It was her turn to laugh.

He tipped her head just so, and she closed her eyes as his mouth, hot and wet, found the spot right behind her jaw. She may have whimpered, but it could have been in her head. Nathan’s hands on her, his mouth, made her dizzy.

“I do seem to recall that was a spot you were partial to,” he murmured, his lips a whisper against her skin as he spoke.

“Yes. You have a good memory.”

He bent his head to her again, kissing along her jaw and up to her lips. She wound her arms around him, arching to get closer and certainly not minding the tingles barely shy of pain as she pulled against his hold.

He nipped her bottom lip and slid his tongue over the sting. “You are so good at this.”

“Yeah?” He took another kiss, just a brief, but deep slide of lips and tongues. “It’s because you taste so good. I can’t get enough. I’ve wanted this, thought about this pretty much nonstop since you walked into my classroom a little over a month ago.”

He said the best stuff.

The next kiss wasn’t so brief. He left her breathless and dizzy as he stepped back and she stepped forward, not wanting to lose contact.

He touched her and it sent her back but not in the same way it had before. Now she was different. She wished that meant it didn’t affect her as deeply, but the opposite was true. The woman knew what this meant. The woman knew this sort of connection was rare.

Knew the absence of that connection as well.

He kissed her shoulder as he bared it, pushing her blouse from her arms. “So beautiful.” He looked down at her br**sts, and she was mighty glad she’d worn the cute panty and bra set that day.

“These make me want to sigh happily.” A brush of his lips over the curve at the top of the right and then the left breast. Two deft moves and the bra was a thing of the past.

“You’re very good at that.” She sent him a raised brow and received that grin in return. The grin made her shiver with anticipation.