Revenge for Hire (The Get Even Agency) (13 page)

He meant it.

She could tell by his eyes. Eyes that devoured her exposed
flesh. Exposed all except for the scrap of black lace over her breasts and the
vee
at her thighs.

She’d known he’d look at her this way.

He rolled to his side, pulled her hand from him and kissed her
palm. He stared for a long time, so long that Avery glanced down at her body
bathed in the lamp’s golden glow.

What did he see? Nothing as impressive as some of the women
he’d been with, she knew. Yet in his eyes she saw awe, breathlessness. Like she
was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes upon and he couldn’t believe
he was the lucky guy in bed with her.

That look in his eyes made her head spin and her pulse throb. Made
everything throb.

His hands traced over her, similar to how she’d explored him. As
if he wanted to store every inch of her flesh in his memory.

When she felt her entire body tingle on pins and needles, he leaned
forward and pressed a kiss to her belly. Kissed a hip bone. Then the other.

His gaze locked with hers, he hooked his fingers around the
lace and slowly slid it down her thighs, her legs, her ankles. His hands
sensually grazed her flesh on the unhurried downward journey.

Wearing only her black lacy strapless bra, she kicked free of
the panties.

Jude began his kisses again. Slowly, sensuously, in ways that
only a real bad boy would ever kiss a woman. She was sure of it. In ways that
made her grab his shoulders. Her knees buckled and she cried out his name.

Still he kissed, teasing her with his tongue and pushing for
more and more. As if he knew the precipice she rode upon and was going to
plunge into any moment.

Jude beat her to the plunge.

Beat her by pushing a finger into her, then another.

Moving with a magic so powerful it had to be wicked, he lifted her
higher and higher until there was no place to go but down.

So she fell.

Fell into an abyss of pleasurable waves.

Fell into his waiting arms because she was pretty sure if he
let go, she’d fall apart.

Fell into total lust with the man whose arms held her close.

What she didn’t do was fall in love.

Nope.

No way had she done that.

Chapter Ten

Jude was so screwed.

He hadn’t broken his vow, but hell if he
wasn’t on his way.

Angel had just come apart in his arms, and she wanted him. And
wasn’t pretending otherwise. Tonight, she didn’t send mixed signals.

Because of his allergic reaction?

Hell, if anything, the hideous way he’d looked should have
scared her off. Instead his reaction seemed to have lowered her inhibitions.

Then again, those inhibitions had been lowered when they were in
the limo.

The attraction between them was instantaneous, unlike anything
he’d known.

He’d wanted her that day in his office before he’d even looked
up and seen her. Before he’d known she had the most amazing eyes, smile, legs,
everything
.
Had it only been two days ago? Three.

Three days he’d known this woman.

Not that the time frame was a first to be in bed with a woman
he wanted, but in his apartment? He didn’t bring women to his place. He went to
theirs, that way he could leave at his whim.

So why had he brought Angela to his place?

Technically, she’d brought him home. He vaguely remembered at
the hospital she’d insisted she would watch over him, make sure his allergies
didn’t flare back up. He’d wanted her with him and hadn’t argued.

But he didn’t break vows.

Which meant he couldn’t have full blown sex.

He glanced down at the woman now cradled in his arms. Her skin
was bathed in the warm glow of the lamplight and her eyes were glazed. Glazed
with an uncanny mix of satiation and hunger.

She planned to have him and was already shifting against him,
running her fingers over his arms.

Jude prided himself on his intelligence and his ability to know
what he could and could not withstand. Withstanding a sensual onslaught from
his angel wasn’t possible.

If she pushed, he’d take.

Then he’d regret.

When he and Angel made love—and they would make love—he didn’t
want anything shadowing the pleasure they’d give each other.

She pressed a kiss to his neck, then another. Her hands picked
up their pace, touching with more urgency, more confidence and need.

“Jude.” His name purred off her lips. “I’ve thought of this
moment.”

He couldn’t let this go any further.

Further?

Hell, he’d already had the satisfaction of her sweet release,
the torture of wanting her release around him and knowing he wouldn’t have it. If
he didn’t call a halt right now, he was going to be a goner, because his angel
held the power to make him temporarily forget everything and everyone.

“We have to stop,” he hated saying it, “because I can’t have
sex with you.”

Angela’s eyes darkened to a murky green and her pouty lower lip
sucked into her mouth. “Hello, Mr. Clinton, but isn’t that what we just did?”

She wasn’t going to make this easy.

“I can’t have intercourse, Angel.”

“Really? You missing a vital piece of equipment?” Her gaze
dropped to where his vital piece was prominently displayed.

“Apparently not.” He raked a hand through his hair. “It’s not
that I don’t want to have sex with you.”

He sounded lame. Hell, this whole situation was lame. Lame or
not, he wouldn’t have sex.

“Then what is it?” She scooted off his lap and reached for her
dress. Her movements jerked and didn’t have the natural grace she usually
exuded.

He felt like a total ass.

“Did I do something wrong?” Her words were too full of hurt for
someone not to have jammed the notion into her head a long time ago.

The ass-o-meter just tipped off the scales with him winning the
grand prize.

He hated his inability to prove just how right she’d been. Hated
whoever put the doubt in her mind.

Jude clenched his fists, longed to knock a few teeth out of
some asshole’s mouth.

“You were perfect, Angel.” He zipped his tuxedo pants. “Are
perfect.”

She snorted, shaking out her dress and preparing to slide her
legs into the opening. “So perfect that a player who’s known for bedding
everything that moves refuses to have sex with me? Oh yeah, perfect.”

Hell.

“I don’t bed everything that moves.”

“You work at a porn mag, Jude,” she scoffed.

Oh Christ. Not another one. Women automatically assumed that
because he was editor-in-chief of Playhouse Magazine that he walked around
poking women all day long. Yes, he had a healthy sexual appetite and an active
sex life. Yes, he liked the female body, what straight guy didn’t? But it
wasn’t as if he thought women everywhere should walk around with their tits
hanging out--although he wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea.

His gaze lowered to Angel’s breasts. Honestly, the thought of
her walking around without a top turned him on. But only if he was the only man
to see. The thought of another man viewing her perfection didn’t sit well. He
wanted to be the only one. To see. To touch. To taste.
His
.

“So?” Attempting to hide the strange possessive emotions
running through him, he ran a hand over his face. What was wrong with him? He
didn’t do possessive. “It’s not like the models audition with me.”

She gave him a disbelieving look. “That’s not how I hear it.”

What had she heard? From who? Was that why she’d acted so
strange when Mrs. Yamaguchi asked him to dance? “I’ve only dated a few and
never when it had anything to do with their posing for the magazine.” Except
maybe for Mandy.

“More than a few.” She stood, pulling the dress over her
breasts.

“Don’t.” He put his hand over her hand, staying her from
zipping the dress, hating that she’d covered up her milky perfection.

She glared. “Make your mind up, lover boy. Either you want me
out of my dress or in it, but you can’t have it both ways.”

“Actually, I could.”

“Oh!” She jerked away, apparently not appreciating his warped sense
of humor, straightened the dress and pulled the zipper closed. “I’m going
home.”

“The limo stayed?”

“The limo didn’t bring us here to begin with. I let the driver
go at the hotel.” She looked distracted, like she was trying to decide her next
move. “A taxi brought us, and I’ll call another one from the lobby.”

He didn’t want her to go.

“It’s not safe or proper for you to be out all alone this late
at night.”

“I’m not a proper kind of girl and have no desire to be. What’s
the fun in that?” She cast him a snide look that said he should get with the
times. “Besides, I can take care of myself.”

He knew that.

There was something about the confident way she generally
carried herself that said she could deal with any situation that came up.

Only, at the moment, she didn’t look confident.

She looked vulnerable.

Because of him.

A wounded angel who was ready to strike out in pain.

He hadn’t been the first man to hurt her. Damn it, he didn’t
want to hurt her.

“I don’t want you to go,” he admitted. Despite the allergy
meds, the crazy events of the night, and his insane vow, he knew he did not
want her to leave.

What he wanted was to wipe the hurt from her eyes and to never
let anyone hurt her again. Not ever.

“Too bad, because I no longer want to stay.”

Damn she was stubborn. And sassy.

Her arms went across her breasts.

He almost smiled at the tell-tale motion. “You don’t want to go,
Angel.”

“Yes, I do.” She spun and headed to the door.

Jude watched her walk across his bedroom, thinking the sway of
her hips sexy.

He should let her go.

It was for the best.

If she left, he wouldn’t give in to his weakness for her. Wouldn’t
do something he’d later regret.

He told himself that right up till her hand touched the
doorknob.
She was leaving
.

Not just leaving, but leaving hurt.

He couldn’t allow it and gave in to the need within him. Only
the truth would do. Even if that truth left him vulnerable.

“I vowed not to have sex, Angel.”

She stopped. Still perched on the doorknob, her hand shook. “What?”

The incredulousness in her voice did little to appease the
growing nervousness within him. What was he thinking? Admitting to his vow? No
one could possibly understand why a man would make such a vow and then feel
obligated to keep it even at his own detriment. But his whole life his father
preached to make his word mean something. It did.

Like his father before him and his father before him, when Jude
said something, it could be taken as fact.

Nothing meant more than a person’s word.

“What did you say?” she repeated.

Here went everything. He took a deep breath. “I vowed not to
have sex until Marcus got laid.”

Her hand fell from the doorknob. Her shoulders shook slightly. Probably
with laughter, but he couldn’t be sure.

He wished she’d turn, let him look into her eyes and see what
she was feeling. She didn’t.

Still, he went on. “Angel, the only reason I’m not inside you
right now is because I made that insane vow.”

She turned, her forehead wrinkled. She stared dubiously at him.
“You’re kidding?”

He snorted without humor. “I’m not.”

Emotions shifted so quickly on her face, Jude could barely keep
up. Disbelief, amusement, anger, frustration, pity, pleasure, admiration, skepticism,
even desire.

“That,” she put her hands on her hips, “is the stupidest thing
I’ve ever heard.”

“Tell me about it,” he agreed, meeting her gaze and silently
beckoning her to return to his side, to understand everything he was revealing.
For all intents, he was bearing his soul. To a woman who was virtually a
stranger and yet felt more familiar, more real, than anyone he’d ever met.

He couldn’t recall ever revealing more of himself to a woman. Then
again, Angel wasn’t any ordinary woman. She couldn’t be and make him so weak at
the knees.

Weariness hit him. He wasn’t sure if it was from the released
tension or if it had something to do with the allergy medication. Either way,
he felt drained. Drained and in need of major shut eye. A need he couldn’t give
in to. Not yet.

“But,” he sought the words to make her understand, “I did make
the vow. Vows are not something I take lightly. Honesty is important to me. I
keep my vows, always, even one as insane as this one.”

Her hand went back to the doorknob, but she didn’t turn the
handle, just stared at him. “Why would you vow something like that?”

That was the real kicker, wasn’t it?

“Because I never dreamed a temptation I couldn’t resist would
come along.” As he said the words, he realized he’d been bored with sex. Not
that he would have believed it had someone told him, but sex just hadn’t held
the appeal it once had. Was that why he’d not thought twice of making the vow? Because
he’d thought going without for a month would get his juices flowing again?

“How could I have?” he asked, sitting up and trying to ignore
the wave of dizziness that hit him. “None ever had before the day you walked
into my office and turned my world upside down.”

He knew he’d admit most anything to keep her from walking out
the door and didn’t have the strength to pretend otherwise. Most anything that
wasn’t a lie at any rate. Exhaustion had picked him up and body-slammed him. He
didn’t want her to leave, but didn’t have the physical strength to seduce her
into staying—which was probably a good thing considering his vow. Not that he
understood all the reasons why it was so important she stay, but he wanted to
wake up with an angel in his bed. Even if it meant just holding her in his
arms.

“Upside down?” She frowned. “I do that, you know.”

Her hand fell from the door and this time, he knew it was
because she wasn’t leaving. He could see it in her eyes, in the way she held
her body.

“Turn men’s lives upside down.”

“You don’t say.” He smiled, yawned, thankful she hadn’t
disappeared through the door.

“You don’t understand.” She paused, her face tightening. “It
doesn’t matter.”

“What doesn’t matter?”

She shook her head. “What I was going to say, but it doesn’t
matter.”

“What were you going to say?”

“I don’t remember.” She glanced away, shook her head in denial.
“That’s why it doesn’t matter.”

She lied. He could plainly see it on her face. It hurt that she
refused to open up, but he let it go. If she wasn’t ready to tell him whatever
caused her to throw those walls up, to tell him about whoever caused her to question
her perfection, he wouldn’t push.