His Dutchess

chapter 17

“I want to have you in the shower.”

Samantha smiled and crossed her ankles as Blake walked them out of the room and away from extra eyes.

When they reached the bathroom door, he placed her back on her feet and took her lips again. The back of her legs bumped into the cheap Formica countertop as they squeezed into the small space. Blake lifted her until she sat next to her sink, all the while his lips kept dancing with hers. He wedged himself

between her thighs and her hips rocked forward to find more contact.

The sound of the door closing registered in a small corner of her brain, but her lips kept themselves glued to Blake’s.

They were alone. No cameras, no watchful eyes.

The soft comfort of Blake’s mouth left hers and came to rest on her temple.

She whimpered at the loss. He kept his arms wrapped around her body, kept her tucked firmly in his embrace. Reality slowly seeped in as they both searched for control.

She shouldn’t be so at home in his arms. How was she going to stay out of his bed if they continued to play Russian roulette?

Samantha started to pull away but Blake held on.

“I need a minute,” he breathed into her ear, voice rough with desire.

She leaned into him and loosened her grip on his broad shoulders. For several minutes, they stood still, neither talking. Blake ran his hands up and down her back with slow, even strokes.

“Shouldn’t we turn on the shower?” she finally asked, not sure if Blake was ever going to let her go. Blake’s smoky gaze met hers and his brow lifted. “Is that an invitation?”

“For the camera,” she said in a rush.

Was that disappointment flashing in his eyes? “Right.” He shook his head and pushed himself away from her arms. The room chilled instantly.

The tiny bathroom didn’t leave much room for either of them, so Samantha stayed on the counter and watched as Blake turned on the water in the shower.

When he turned toward her and rested his back against the door, he attempted a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“This is crazy, isn’t it?” she asked him, wanting desperately to know what his thoughts were.He ran a hand through his hair in a gesture Sam started to recognise as a sign of stress. “What’s crazy is how much I want you, and how much effort we’re

going through to convince people we’re sleeping together when we’re not.”

She tried smiling, to lighten the mood.

“When you put it that way, we sound

certifiable.”

The steam from the shower started to fill the room. For the first time since they’d met silence stretched before them as big as the Grand Canyon.

“How long should we stay in here?”

Blake glanced at the shower stall as if it held the answer to her question.

“Well, if I was in there making love to you, I’d spend a lot of time learning every inch of your body.”

Samantha sucked in her lower lip and pictured his lips licking paths and creating friction. “Talk like that is going to get us both in trouble.”

“Why are we sitting out here and letting all that hot water run down the drain again?”

Hell if she knew… oh, yeah. They were married, and being intimate wasn’t in their plans.

“Because we’re both mercenaries, and sleeping together isn’t part of the overall plan. Impulsive actions could ruin everything.” Her words made sense, but her heart wasn’t listening. The room filled with steam and her clothes started to stick to her frame.

“We can change the plan,” he suggested.

Her body tingled with the possibility. “Are you suggesting a year long affair?” Could she do that?

Now his smile reached higher and lit his eyes. “We’re both adults with an obvious attraction.”

Which still boggled her mind. What could Blake possibly see in her?

Compared to Vanessa or Jackie… excuse me, Jacqueline, Samantha was a black

duck in a pond filled with white swans. Maybe he was realizing that marriage to

her for a year was going to put a serious dent in his s*x life.

“I’ve never embarked on an affair with an end date in mind.”

“Neither have I.” As he spoke, he moved closer, his hand coming to rest on the counter beside her.

“Right! Then why is it your relationships never last longer than six to nine months.”

“Coincidence.”

“Liar.”

His eyes widened in fake horror. “You wound me.”

“It would take more than that to wound you.”Blake ran a finger over her chin and lower lip. “You know me so well already. We’re a lot alike, Samantha. What would be wrong with a satisfying physicalrelationship that has a beginning and an end?”

His gaze lowered to her lips and he slid closer. The undeniable pull of the man made it hard to think. And that was the problem. s*x was clouding her brain just like the fog in the room. She may have married him for money, but could she keep her heart out of it if they started sleeping together? “Are you this convincing in all your business deals?”

“Am I convincing you?” His hands found her waist and his fingers kneaded her flesh.

“Asking me now when I’m keyed up isn’t fair. You know that, right?”

His other hand came to rest on her thigh and started a slow ascend. “I seldom play fair. I never play when I don’t think I’ll win.”

It was a warning. One she really needed to heed.

Reluctantly, Samantha stopped his hand from moving up her leg. “I’ll think about it,”

she told him, because saying no wouldn’t have been possible and saying yes was reckless.

Blake let a grateful smile linger on his lips. “I’ll take that.”

She pushed against his chest, hopped down from the counter, and started to pull her shirt over her head.

“Done thinking already?”

Samantha rolled her eyes and flung her shirt to the floor. Underneath was a pink lacy bra. “Give me your shirt,” she demanded.

“What?” Blake’s eyes never left her breasts. Men are so easy. A set of boobs rendered them speechless.

“Your shirt.”

He blinked, twice, three times and then unbuttoned his white dress shirt to reveal a span of pure masculine chest.

Tearing her eyes away, Samantha moved around Blake and pushed the shower curtain back. The water had turned cold while they spoke, which served her well. Keeping the rest of her body out of the water, she ducked her head under the spray and shivered as the water wet her hair.

“What are you doing?”

Poor Blake was having a hard time catching up. The fact she’d managed to keep him in a semi state of confusion brought a wave of feminine pleasure over her. “Sorry you missed it, but we just made love in the shower. Leaving here dry would be a dead giveaway.” Her eyes drifted down his frame to his obvious state of arousal pressing inside his slacks. “That and… other things.”

Blake glanced down and moaned.