city?”
If it meant spending more time with her, he’d listen to a band of out-of-tune bagpipers.
Jamal opened the door, settling his hand at the small of her back as he urged her to go ahead of him. As the heat of her skin penetrated her silky top, Jamal tried to think of anything that could be better than being with her tonight.
He couldn’t come up with a single thing. Tonight had been everything he’d hoped it would be...and they were only halfway through it.
Chapter 8
T he sultry sounds coming from the jazz quartet filtered through the cozy bar, creating an intimacy that was hard to ignore. As they danced, Phil concentrated on the muscles beneath her fingers as she held on to Jamal’s solid back.
She couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at her with the same intensity as Jamal was looking at her right now. He ran one hand down her spine, stopping just above her waist. She was tempted to take his hand and move it lower until his warm palm cradled her backside.
Instead, she put her arms around Jamal’s neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
“You feel amazing,” Phil said on a sigh.
His body went rigid. When she peered up at him, his eyes were heavy with heat. “I can’t put into words how it feels to have you against me, Phylicia. I’ve been dreaming about this ever since Mya and Corey’s wedding.”
So had she. He had taken top billing in her nightly fantasies even before the wedding. It had only intensified after the hours they’d spent together that night.
In a hushed whisper, he asked, “What did I do wrong?”
“What do you mean?”
“We had such a good time that night, and then nothing. Why did I become enemy number one?”
Contriteness heated her face. “I owe you an apology for the way I treated you,” she said. “It was unfair.”
“Why did you?” he asked.
She looked down at his chest, then back at his eyes. “It was because of the house,” she finally answered. “I found out the day after the wedding that you were the person who’d bought it. If I’d seen you that day, I probably would have run you down with my truck. That’s just how livid I was.”
“I had no idea you were trying to buy the house,” he reiterated.
“I know you didn’t,” she said. “I had no right to blame you, but I did anyway.”
“Phylicia, how did you end up losing the house?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Don’t. Not right now. Tonight has been too perfect. I don’t want to mess it up.”
“But—”
She placed her fingers on his lips, silencing him. They felt warm against her skin, almost as warm as his eyes, which were so heated they nearly singed her. The raw desire so evident in his penetrating stare set her blood ablaze.
She wanted this man. She’d wanted him from the moment she’d met him. And it was more than obvious that he wanted her, too.
“You’re not very good at hiding what you’re thinking,” Phil murmured.
“I’m not trying to hide it,” he returned, his voice rough with lust.
She moved closer to him and rested her head against his broad chest. As they swayed back and forth to the bluesy sound of the trumpeter’s song, she couldn’t help but imagine doing this a thousand times more. She felt at home in his embrace, as if he was a missing puzzle piece that she hadn’t realized fit until she’d stepped into it.
“Thank you for tonight,” she murmured against his chest. She tilted her head up slightly, just long enough to send him a grateful glance. “It’s been so long since I’ve been out dancing. I really needed this.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “We can do it again, and again, and again. Until you’re good and satisfied.”
They were no longer talking about dancing. Goose bumps broke out across Phil’s skin. Her nipples pebbled, pulling tighter with each brush against Jamal’s solid chest.
The trumpeter’s ballad waned with a final, haunting note. When she pulled away to applaud the musicians, her body
If it meant spending more time with her, he’d listen to a band of out-of-tune bagpipers.
Jamal opened the door, settling his hand at the small of her back as he urged her to go ahead of him. As the heat of her skin penetrated her silky top, Jamal tried to think of anything that could be better than being with her tonight.
He couldn’t come up with a single thing. Tonight had been everything he’d hoped it would be...and they were only halfway through it.
Chapter 8
T he sultry sounds coming from the jazz quartet filtered through the cozy bar, creating an intimacy that was hard to ignore. As they danced, Phil concentrated on the muscles beneath her fingers as she held on to Jamal’s solid back.
She couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at her with the same intensity as Jamal was looking at her right now. He ran one hand down her spine, stopping just above her waist. She was tempted to take his hand and move it lower until his warm palm cradled her backside.
Instead, she put her arms around Jamal’s neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
“You feel amazing,” Phil said on a sigh.
His body went rigid. When she peered up at him, his eyes were heavy with heat. “I can’t put into words how it feels to have you against me, Phylicia. I’ve been dreaming about this ever since Mya and Corey’s wedding.”
So had she. He had taken top billing in her nightly fantasies even before the wedding. It had only intensified after the hours they’d spent together that night.
In a hushed whisper, he asked, “What did I do wrong?”
“What do you mean?”
“We had such a good time that night, and then nothing. Why did I become enemy number one?”
Contriteness heated her face. “I owe you an apology for the way I treated you,” she said. “It was unfair.”
“Why did you?” he asked.
She looked down at his chest, then back at his eyes. “It was because of the house,” she finally answered. “I found out the day after the wedding that you were the person who’d bought it. If I’d seen you that day, I probably would have run you down with my truck. That’s just how livid I was.”
“I had no idea you were trying to buy the house,” he reiterated.
“I know you didn’t,” she said. “I had no right to blame you, but I did anyway.”
“Phylicia, how did you end up losing the house?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Don’t. Not right now. Tonight has been too perfect. I don’t want to mess it up.”
“But—”
She placed her fingers on his lips, silencing him. They felt warm against her skin, almost as warm as his eyes, which were so heated they nearly singed her. The raw desire so evident in his penetrating stare set her blood ablaze.
She wanted this man. She’d wanted him from the moment she’d met him. And it was more than obvious that he wanted her, too.
“You’re not very good at hiding what you’re thinking,” Phil murmured.
“I’m not trying to hide it,” he returned, his voice rough with lust.
She moved closer to him and rested her head against his broad chest. As they swayed back and forth to the bluesy sound of the trumpeter’s song, she couldn’t help but imagine doing this a thousand times more. She felt at home in his embrace, as if he was a missing puzzle piece that she hadn’t realized fit until she’d stepped into it.
“Thank you for tonight,” she murmured against his chest. She tilted her head up slightly, just long enough to send him a grateful glance. “It’s been so long since I’ve been out dancing. I really needed this.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “We can do it again, and again, and again. Until you’re good and satisfied.”
They were no longer talking about dancing. Goose bumps broke out across Phil’s skin. Her nipples pebbled, pulling tighter with each brush against Jamal’s solid chest.
The trumpeter’s ballad waned with a final, haunting note. When she pulled away to applaud the musicians, her body
Similar Books
