well, she reassured herself, as she once again looked at the back of him.
And no. She didn’t want to leave.
She loved the way he looked, the way he moved. He wore a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, a supple black leather vest, a thick platinum watch that struck her as very masculine on his strong forearms, and a pair of sturdy leather work boots. She was struck by how he moved with such graceful economy, despite his largeness.
She was also struck by how good his butt looked in his jeans.
He turned around, and she again was staring into his unyielding face. She forced her fussing hands to her sides. His gaze dropped slowly over her, and Gia felt a pleasant pressure in her body dipping in tandem with it. His stare lowered over her belly and hips and lingered between her thighs. Something hot leapt into his eyes.
So much for her concern that he’d changed his mind about finding her attractive.
His gaze wandered back up her body, scoring her. Her breasts suddenly felt very heavy and . . . obvious.
He took three steps toward her, and Gia swore her heart jumped directly into her throat.
“What about the rest?” he asked gently, one dark brow slanting.
“These”—she waved stupidly at her shorts and shirt—“are mine. They aren’t part of the costume.”
“I know,” he said, coming closer still. “Do you want to take them off too?”
The ensuing silence throbbed in her ears. Her heart chugged like a restrained locomotive.
This is really going to happen
. Her clit prickled in anticipation.
“Yes,” she replied honestly through numb lips.
He just nodded, holding her stare. Was he a magician, the way he hypnotized her?
“Take off the top first.”
It felt very difficult to draw a breath, as if the air in the room had become too thick for her lungs to process. She was very aroused, but still . . . she hesitated.
“How many times have you said that to a woman after removing a costume or makeup?” she managed to ask because her tongue had gone very thick.
“Seriously?” he asked, eyebrows arched. She nodded. “Never. Do you believe me?”
“Yes,” she whispered. Naïve or not, she trusted her instincts. Plus, she knew about Seth from Liza. If this were par for the course for him, Liza would have told her. “Would you believe I’ve never agreed to something like this before?” she croaked, her fingers playing with the bottom of her tank top.
He took another step and came to a halt. “It never crossed my mind to doubt it.”
She gave him a shaky, grateful smile.
Shocked by her uncharacteristic brazenness, she pulled her tank top up over her swollen lungs and aching breasts.
* * *
His breath stuck as she dropped the tank top to the floor. She stared at him, seemingly transfixed. He stepped closer, drinking in the image of her. He laid his hand on the smooth expanse of skin above her left breast. She trembled beneath him. He felt the delicate beating of her heart. His gaze leapt to meet her stare.
“You’re very lovely,” he muttered, his voice breaking slightly.
Her lips parted. It was the sweetest temptation. He couldn’t remove his eyes from the vision of her mouth, or how desire glazed her springtime eyes. His hand lowered over a firm breast. Her skin was like warm silk. He cradled her breast and lifted it slightly, arousal shooting through him at the sensation of her firmness and weight. A soft moan slipped past her lips. He feathered his thumb over her nipple and felt her bead against his fingertip.
“Seth?” she whispered, sounding almost as awed as he felt. He heard her wonder, but also her need for reassurance.
“Shhh,”
he growled. “It’s going to be okay.”
He’d never touched a woman so intimately without having even kissed her first. Gia’s mouth was an indescribable temptation. He was enjoying prolonging the anticipation of tasting her, of sinking into her sweetness . . . of debauching that innocent mouth just a little. The thought made his