Anne Mather - Nights of Passion

‘Harvard!’ Rachel’s eyes widened and Joe pulled a wry face.

‘Yeah, Harvard,’ he agreed. ‘What can I tell you? I was a bright student. A guy can get sponsorship if he’s clever enough.’

‘And you were? Clever enough, I mean?’

‘No.’ Joe found he couldn’t lie to her, even if his answer caused her to give him a cynical look. ‘Actually, my grandparents supported me.’ He grimaced. ‘That part was easy. Staying there wasn’t.’

‘Oh, well …’ Rachel shrugged. ‘It’s nothing to do with me, is it?’

‘No, it’s not.’ Joe’s voice was terse and she could sense he was impatient. ‘But you’ve made it a bone of contention between us and I’m entitled to defend myself.’ He raked a hand through his short hair, causing it to spike on top of his head. ‘Damn it, I don’t know why we’re having this conversation. It’s obvious you don’t believe a single word I’ve said.’

Rachel blinked. ‘I didn’t say I didn’t believe you.’

‘You didn’t have to.’ His voice was harsh. ‘God, why do I let you get under my skin?’

Rachel swallowed. The corridor seemed very empty suddenly. ‘I didn’t know I did,’ she protested, feeling the flesh on her arms prickle with anticipation, and he scowled.

‘Well, you do,’ he told her roughly, and she thought he was going to turn and stride back the way he’d come. But instead he reached for her, pulling her in closer so he could cover her mouth with his.

Desire came hot and fast, her bones melting as his hungry tongue thrust into her mouth. His hands gripped her hips, jerking her against him, and the hardness of his body was unmistakeable.

Joe groaned. This wasn’t meant to have happened. He’d spent over a week—and all of last night, incidentally—telling himself that he’d imagined the effect she had on him. He’d known women before, plenty of them, and he’d always been able to walk away without looking back. For God’s sake, he hadn’t even slept with Rachel, yet he hungered for her with a need that defied description.

There was something about her that made the blood run hot in his veins and caused a wholly carnal reaction in his groin. For heaven’s sake, he’d been half-aroused since she’d walked into Daisy’s room in those so-conservative shorts that nonetheless displayed the sexy length of her legs.

He’d wanted to touch her then, to run his fingers up the insides of her thighs and discover for himself if she was as aroused as he was. He’d wanted to bury his face between her breasts and lick the beads of sweat from her delectable cleavage.

His hands slid around her, finding the curve of her spine, the provocative separation of her bottom. He moulded her to him, her softness a delicious counterpoint to his hardness, and knew that, whatever happened, he was going to see her again.

With her nipples probing the fine silk of his shirt, it was hard to let her go. But he had to. Dragging his mouth from hers, he ran his thumb over her bottom lip with an urgency that revealed his raw frustration.

‘I’ve got to go,’ he said harshly. ‘But I want to see you again.’

Rachel swayed a little as he spoke. It was an effort to think coherently when her head was swimming, and the knowledge that once again he had the advantage was causing goose bumps to feather her skin.

But she couldn’t let him see how shaken she was, and with a determined effort she said, ‘I suppose you’re bound to see me again when you come to visit Daisy,’ as if that thought didn’t fill her with panic. ‘I’d better get back—’

‘Wait!’ Once again, Joe’s hand captured her arm. ‘I mean I want to see you again.’ He paused. ‘Have dinner with me. Tonight.’

‘I can’t.’

It was an instinctive denial born of a need to protect herself, but Joe wouldn’t accept it. ‘Why can’t you?’ he demanded. ‘You’re not seeing Steve, are you?’

‘Steve?’ Rachel looked astounded. ‘Heavens, no.’

‘So maybe you feel some loyalty to this guy you’re seeing back home?’ he suggested, feeling his stomach clench at the thought.

But Rachel only shook her head. ‘Paul’s a friend, that’s all,’ she said firmly.

As if Joe was something more than that!

‘Okay, then.’

‘There’s Daisy to consider,’ she said, realising belatedly that she could have used Paul as an excuse.

‘Does that mean, if you didn’t have Daisy to consider, you’d have no objections?’ he queried, and when she didn’t respond, ‘They settle Daisy down for the night before nine o’clock. I could pick you up outside.’

Rachel sighed. ‘Why?’

‘Why?’ Joe’s hand fell to his side. ‘You need to ask?’ His eyes were suddenly dark and intense. ‘Rachel, you know why.’

She shifted uneasily. ‘I can’t believe there isn’t some other woman waiting for you to ask her out.’

Joe scowled. ‘Okay, maybe I would have no difficulty in getting a date for this evening, but I don’t want anyone else, I want you.’

Rachel bit her lip. ‘If you feel guilty about what happened just now,’ she began and Joe uttered a strangled oath.

‘I don’t feel guilty!’ he snarled, wondering if he’d ever had to beg for a date before. ‘I just want to spend time with someone who doesn’t care about getting their picture in the papers or how much money I have in the bank. But okay, yeah, I want to sleep with you. And despite your reaction, I think you want to sleep with me.’

Rachel took a step backward. ‘And you assume I’ll go out with you after that?’

‘Why not?’ Joe’s eyes rested sensually on her mouth. ‘Come on, Rachel. Live dangerously for once. I’ve read one of your books, and I know your heroines don’t get freaked out when a man tells them he’s attracted to them.’ ‘My heroes don’t expect sex on a first date,’ she retorted indignantly, and Joe spread his hands in a gesture of defeat.

‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Just dinner, then. How’s that? I promise I won’t try to jump you in the restaurant.’

Rachel shook her head. The temptation to do as he said and live dangerously was strong, but for the last few years she’d avoided any kind of emotional entanglement. She had no intention of allowing herself to be hurt again, and something told her any pain Joe inflicted would not be easily repaired.

Still …

‘Just dinner?’ She lifted her head, and Joe made a sign of assent. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘But I have to warn you, I didn’t bring any special clothes with me.’

Joe’s grin was smug. ‘Come as you are,’ he said drily. ‘Nine o’clock downstairs, right?’

Rachel’s tongue circled her lower lip. ‘Right.’

‘Good.’ Joe’s voice was husky, and before she could stop him he’d wiped her lip with his finger and brought the moisture he’d collected to his lips.

Daisy wasn’t very impressed when Rachel recovered herself sufficiently to enter her daughter’s room again. ‘What have you been doing?’ she grumbled. ‘I thought you came to see me, not spend time arguing with Mr Mendez.’

Arguing? Rachel felt a hysterical desire to laugh. ‘Oh, it was nothing important,’ she said. ‘And you needn’t worry, you can keep the video iPod as long as you’re in here.’

‘Yes.’ Daisy made a fist, but then she sobered. ‘Come and sit down.’ She patted the bed beside her. ‘I have something to tell you.’

Rachel was wary, but she seated herself on the side of Daisy’s bed. ‘What?’

Daisy offered her a chocolate from the box before saying, ‘Dad and Lauren came to see me last night.’

‘They did?’ Rachel refused the chocolate before adding, ‘It’s just as well I didn’t come back, then, isn’t it?’

‘Well, no, actually.’ Daisy popped the rejected chocolate into her mouth. ‘I think he expected you to be here.’ She paused again, examining the contents of the box. ‘I think that’s why he brought Lauren.’