“Topaz. Dinner’s ready.”
“You can do this. You’re a mature woman,” she reminded herself. “And he’s a man you want.” She grabbed the damp towel off the floor and hung it over a hook behind the door, squared her shoulders, picked up her wineglass and left the bedroom.
John added the pasta to the sauce and then ladled it on the plates. The table was set with mismatched plates and glasses, but it didn’t look too bad. He’d remembered to buy some placemats and cloth napkins and had brought them with him. Too bad he hadn’t thought about flowers. That would have been a nice touch.
The pots were soaking in the sink and dinner was on the table. All he needed now was Topaz.
The soft sound of footsteps had him turning away from the table. He caught his first sight of her and lost the ability to breathe. She flowed down the hallway. There was no other way to put it. She was wearing a robe that fell to her ankles and the silky material clung to her curves, giving him a glimpse of her ankles and calves as she moved.
The neck came down in a low V and tantalized him. He narrowed his gaze and watched her breasts move easily beneath the thin fabric. She wasn’t wearing a bra. He wondered if she was wearing anything at all under the robe.
She cleared her throat and he raised his eyes to her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were slick with pink gloss. He wanted to kiss them, to taste them.
“Supper smells good.”
Right, food first. Get your head into the game, Knight, he sternly ordered himself. He held out a chair for her. “I know you like pasta.” It was one of the reasons he’d chosen the dish.
“I do. Thank you for cooking for me.” She slid into the chair and he caught a whiff of the soap she’d used in the tub. It was his and the woodsy smell affected him much differently than when he used it. He leaned down and breathed against her neck, letting his lips nuzzle just below her ear.
“You look good enough to eat.” John was suddenly very hungry for her and not for the food he’d cooked.
She shivered and he forced himself to move away. One step at a time. He didn’t want to simply seduce her body. He wanted her mind and her emotions as well. He’d been on enough military ops to know that the way to winning was to have a good solid strategy and to be fluid as situations presented themselves. Now was the time to feed her, to show her he could look after her.
A modern, independent woman might scoff at such a thing if he said it out loud, but underneath all the glossy layers, people were still basic at heart. He’d seen enough during his deployments in war-torn countries to know this for a fact. A woman might be able to take care of herself, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want a strong man, one she would be able to depend on when the shit hit the fan. He wanted to show Topaz that he was the man for her, the one she could depend on to protect her and put her needs above his own.
He took the seat across from her and reached down to adjust his erection to a more comfortable position. Wasn’t much he could do at the moment except grin and bear it. “Go ahead, try some.” He wanted her to like the meal he’d prepared for her. There was something very elementally appealing about cooking for her, having her eat what he’d provided.
She twined the pasta onto her fork and lifted it to her lips. He almost came when her mouth parted and she slid the fork into her mouth. She closed her eyes and made a soft humming sound as she chewed. “This is delicious,” she murmured after she swallowed. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Thank you.”
John felt as if he was ten feet tall. It was stupid for the approval of one woman to mean so much to him, but there was no changing the facts. He grunted and dug into his own food. He was hungry and his mind was busy mulling over the coming evening, and he didn’t look up again until his plate was almost empty.
Shit, he was supposed to be talking to her, putting her at ease. She’d finished about half of what he’d put on her plate, but was pushing it away. “Did you have enough?” Could he ask a more stupid question?
“Oh yes. It was exactly what I needed. The spices in the red sauce were perfect.” She lifted her wineglass and sipped. He noted that she’d only drunk about half of what he’d poured. Good, he wanted her relaxed, not tipsy.
“There are strawberries for dessert.” He stood and removed both plates, dumping them on the kitchen counter.
She gave a small moan of pleasure. “I love strawberries.”
He knew that from his time with her last summer. It was why he’d hunted around several grocery stores and paid a fortune to get the ripe berries out of season. He had to remember to thank his brother for keeping an eye on both sisters at the hotel while he’d run his errands. He owed Jake, big-time. “I have whipped cream too.”
“Now you’re just spoiling me.” Topaz got up from the table and walked to the large picture window, staring out into the darkness.
He wanted to spoil her, but she probably made as much money as he did, if not more. He wasn’t the type of man to be bothered by that, but he still wanted to provide for her and give her what she needed.
He pulled the bowl of strawberries out of the refrigerator and spooned several dollops of cream onto them before taking the bowl into the sitting area and placing it on the scarred coffee table. He wondered what she was thinking about, but decided it was probably better not to ask. An intimate atmosphere surrounded them and he didn’t want to do anything to jar it.
John turned off the overhead light, leaving a single lamp in the corner lit. The room was wreathed in shadows but Topaz didn’t turn around. He went to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Come have some strawberries.”
She looked up at him with questions in her eyes. He shook his head, took her hand and led her to the sofa, relaxing slightly when she followed him without comment. He sat and pulled her down onto his lap. She squirmed around for a few seconds, settling herself into a comfortable position.
He deserved a medal for not tossing her on the overstuffed cushions, shoving up her robe and mounting her right then and there. His control was near the breaking point and having her sweet ass rub against him was pushing it.
John leaned over and pulled the bowl close so he could easily reach it. For a brief moment, his mouth was only a hairsbreadth from her breasts. It took a Herculean effort not to latch on to one of her hard nubs pressing against the front of her robe.
Instead, he leaned back and carefully selected one ripe, red berry. Cream swirled on the tip that he brought to her lips. “Taste.”
Chapter Five
Topaz opened her mouth and let John feed her the strawberry. She bit down on the sweet juicy berry, savoring the flavor of it mixed with the thick, rich cream. Strawberries always reminded her of a summer day and she loved them. She licked her lips in anticipation of more.
Every muscle in John’s body was rigid beneath her and his erection prodded her hip. Yet, he seemed to be in no hurry to get her to bed. There was no pressure on her to do anything but sit here in his lap and let him feed her strawberries.
She was relaxed for the first time in months, even with the low sexual buzz fizzing through her veins. “Dinner was delicious. These berries are divine.”
She knew he could cook because he’d taken over the chore several times in the past few weeks while guarding her at her apartment, surprising her each time with various dishes. He grilled a great steak and fried a crisp chicken cutlet, but it continued to surprise her that such a big, tough guy seemed so at home in the kitchen. She supposed she was guilty of stereotyping.