Claire’s gasp echoed in the small room when he grabbed her hips and lifted her. She couldn’t look away from his intense eyes. She clutched his shoulders as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He shoved her skirt up her bare thighs.
He claimed her mouth with his. There was no finesse, only raw hunger. She grabbed at his shirt, pulling it free from his waist, and reached for the buttons. Jason slid his hand between her thighs and cupped her sex. He groaned with approval as he stroked her through her damp panties.
“Yes,” she said as she gasped against his mouth. “Just like that.”
The sensations rippled through her as she bucked against his hand. She was ready for him to strip her bare and pump his fingers inside her. She couldn’t wait for Jason to press his mouth against her sex and lick the wet folds until she climaxed. She wanted more. She wanted everything.
Jason kissed the length of her throat as he teased her with his fingers. Claire rocked her hips and her legs tightened against his waist. She twisted his shirt in her fingers and gave a shuddering sigh. “Jason...”
A sharp knock on the bathroom door made them freeze. Claire stared into Jason’s eyes as her body trembled for more. He didn’t move but she felt his muscles shuddering as he tried to restrain himself.
“Jason?” A male voice came from the other side of the door. “Really sorry to interrupt, but you’re needed at the bar.”
He pressed his head against Claire’s shoulders. He took in a deep breath and then another. “I’ll be right there,” he called back.
The silence in the room pulsed between them. She knew the moment was over and yet she couldn’t move. “I’m not going out there,” Claire whispered. She tightened her legs against his waist as he slowly dragged his hand down her thigh. “It would be too awkward. I’ll stay here until the party is over.”
“Then all of this work will be for nothing,” Jason said as he unhooked her legs and gently set her down.
His teasing comment made her heart stop with a thump. She had forgotten. They’d kissed to keep up appearances. Claire quickly glanced away before he could catch the disappointment in her eyes.
She wanted it to be real, Claire decided. Her legs wobbled as the unquenched desire flooded her body. What did she have to do to make this lie into the truth?
5
ALL OF JASON’S senses were on high alert as he drove Claire home from the charity event. He was aware of the faint scent of her spicy perfume and he licked his lips as he recalled how her skin tasted. He was tempted to turn on the radio to cut through the thick silence between them. He kept glancing at her, remembering the softness of her hair and the fullness of her mouth.
It had been hot and wild. Her touch had made him rock hard and he was still in agony. Why had she kissed him with such passion? He wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer. Was she just curious how it would be between them? He was. But he also knew Claire. She wouldn’t reach out unless she had all the data to weigh the pros and cons. And even then, she would hold back if she wasn’t completely certain.
Had she kissed him because she had committed to the role she was playing? That was probably it. He shouldn’t assume there was any meaning behind her touch or her kisses. Claire Miller always acted with intent. Nothing was casual or accidental.
Why did he care? He wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. But there was something about Claire. Whenever they were together there was an awareness simmering underneath their talks, just waiting to be explored.
“How did it feel to be in the spotlight?” he asked.
She jerked at his voice as if she had been lost in thought. What had she been thinking about? Had she forgotten he was there while she planned her strategy for their fake fling? Or was she dreaming of the glamorous job waiting for her in Los Angeles? Jason scowled at the thought. He couldn’t compete with what Max Blair was offering.
“It was a little harsh when we left the bathroom together.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Before that it was all right.”
“Just all right? You had them eating out of the palm of your hand.”
“It made me nervous,” she said softly.
Jason spared a glance at her. “Why? The men thought you were a goddess.”
She scoffed and peered out the passenger-side window. “You exaggerate.”
He wasn’t. The men had been desperate for her attention but she hadn’t seemed to notice. She had always checked to see where he had been instead. “You could have told them that the sky was orange and they would have nodded their heads and believed you.”