button, she said, “Hi.” She sat on the chair, sounding breathless to her ears. “Hey there, Sergeant.” She drew a water bottle out of her bag and uncapped it.
“Hey, doll,” Alex said, in his deep, yet soft voice. “Are you out for a run?”
“No. Just busy rushing around.” She took a long swig of water. “And recording some notes.”
“Sergeant?” he said. “Should I ask what that’s all about?”
Shit, she didn’t want to explain it. Not yet. Not on the phone . “I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Where have you been for the past week?” she asked.
“Meetings and conference calls,” he said, yawning. “How about you? Doing good?”
Good and horny. “No complaints.”
“Got your message,” he said. “What’s up?”
You in two weeks. “Reece is having a few of us over for pizza and a friendly game of Texas Hold’em tonight. You in?”
“Friendly?” His low chuckle felt like an orgasm for her ears. “Is that what you call it?”
“Okay, so we changed the rules a bit.” Like I’m going to change the rules to our platonic status. “And you didn’t lose that much.” If everything went according to plan he’d be losing his skivvies their first night in Hawaii.
“Right.” Another rich, deep chuckle. “As much as I’d like to donate to your junk food fund,” he said, “I have to take a pass. I’m flying out at midnight.”
She straightened as cold disappointment slapped her chest. Was he bailing from the Hawaiian assignment? “Where are you going?”
“London,” he said. “I’ll be back on Wednesday.”
She resisted the urge to let out a loud whew . “How’s your week been?”
“Long. Frustrating.” She could picture him pacing and looking out the twenty-first floor window. “Glad it’s over.”
She leaned back and crossed her leg. “I’m all ears.”
He told her about the ass-numbing meetings and coma-worthy conference calls he had to endure for over a week. If Alex wasn’t in some godforsaken war zone on the front lines, hunting down a story, he was restless. The last time she caught up with him, he looked exhausted—still hot—but drained. Their joint Hawaiian assignment and her plan would dissolve his stress.
The sound of his voice and the memory of his default scent—soap and sandalwood trees—combined with her horny hormones and the earlier imagery, tensed her nerve endings like a strung bow, tight, contorted and only the sensation of being taken and filled—probably more than twice a day—would decompress her erratic sensual emotions.
She caught site of her flushed nose and cheeks freckled with perspiration. Her nipples—hard as granite pebbles—strained against the silk material. She touched them with the tip of her finger and imagined Alex’s tongue tracing the round outline of the small areolas.
The vision was so vibrant and strong she let out a wordless moan. Gawd, if the fantasy combined with his voice made her tingle in wet anticipation, naked reality with Alex would detonate a lust bomb inside her and she’d disintegrate.
Tiny white dots flashed in front of her eyes. Head rush made her moan. Again.
Holy seared estrogen. She was so turned on, she was afraid the heat inside her would melt her panties off. He’s gotta come through in Hawaii. And come with me. Many, many times. Another involuntary moan slipped out—a loud one.
Her hand flew to her mouth, she held her breath in hopes he hadn’t heard her.
“Mads?” he said. “Are you okay?”
Damn. He heard.
The persistent knocking on the change room door startled her out of her adrenalized state.
“Excuse me,” a woman said in a pack-a-day voice. “We do not allow inappropriate behavior in our dressing rooms.”
Oh, geeze. Shit. Damn. Was I that loud?
“Hello in there.” The woman tapped out each word on the door. “Did you hear me?”
“You still there?” Alex asked. “Something wrong?”
Embarrassment gridlocked her voice, hands and
“Hey, doll,” Alex said, in his deep, yet soft voice. “Are you out for a run?”
“No. Just busy rushing around.” She took a long swig of water. “And recording some notes.”
“Sergeant?” he said. “Should I ask what that’s all about?”
Shit, she didn’t want to explain it. Not yet. Not on the phone . “I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Where have you been for the past week?” she asked.
“Meetings and conference calls,” he said, yawning. “How about you? Doing good?”
Good and horny. “No complaints.”
“Got your message,” he said. “What’s up?”
You in two weeks. “Reece is having a few of us over for pizza and a friendly game of Texas Hold’em tonight. You in?”
“Friendly?” His low chuckle felt like an orgasm for her ears. “Is that what you call it?”
“Okay, so we changed the rules a bit.” Like I’m going to change the rules to our platonic status. “And you didn’t lose that much.” If everything went according to plan he’d be losing his skivvies their first night in Hawaii.
“Right.” Another rich, deep chuckle. “As much as I’d like to donate to your junk food fund,” he said, “I have to take a pass. I’m flying out at midnight.”
She straightened as cold disappointment slapped her chest. Was he bailing from the Hawaiian assignment? “Where are you going?”
“London,” he said. “I’ll be back on Wednesday.”
She resisted the urge to let out a loud whew . “How’s your week been?”
“Long. Frustrating.” She could picture him pacing and looking out the twenty-first floor window. “Glad it’s over.”
She leaned back and crossed her leg. “I’m all ears.”
He told her about the ass-numbing meetings and coma-worthy conference calls he had to endure for over a week. If Alex wasn’t in some godforsaken war zone on the front lines, hunting down a story, he was restless. The last time she caught up with him, he looked exhausted—still hot—but drained. Their joint Hawaiian assignment and her plan would dissolve his stress.
The sound of his voice and the memory of his default scent—soap and sandalwood trees—combined with her horny hormones and the earlier imagery, tensed her nerve endings like a strung bow, tight, contorted and only the sensation of being taken and filled—probably more than twice a day—would decompress her erratic sensual emotions.
She caught site of her flushed nose and cheeks freckled with perspiration. Her nipples—hard as granite pebbles—strained against the silk material. She touched them with the tip of her finger and imagined Alex’s tongue tracing the round outline of the small areolas.
The vision was so vibrant and strong she let out a wordless moan. Gawd, if the fantasy combined with his voice made her tingle in wet anticipation, naked reality with Alex would detonate a lust bomb inside her and she’d disintegrate.
Tiny white dots flashed in front of her eyes. Head rush made her moan. Again.
Holy seared estrogen. She was so turned on, she was afraid the heat inside her would melt her panties off. He’s gotta come through in Hawaii. And come with me. Many, many times. Another involuntary moan slipped out—a loud one.
Her hand flew to her mouth, she held her breath in hopes he hadn’t heard her.
“Mads?” he said. “Are you okay?”
Damn. He heard.
The persistent knocking on the change room door startled her out of her adrenalized state.
“Excuse me,” a woman said in a pack-a-day voice. “We do not allow inappropriate behavior in our dressing rooms.”
Oh, geeze. Shit. Damn. Was I that loud?
“Hello in there.” The woman tapped out each word on the door. “Did you hear me?”
“You still there?” Alex asked. “Something wrong?”
Embarrassment gridlocked her voice, hands and