Under His Skin Read online

  ‘You’re beautiful,’ he said, reaching for her.

  She waggled her finger at him. ‘I want to see you too.’ She pointed at his fly. ‘Unzip.’

  Glad she didn’t want him to go through the whole rigmarole of taking off his tie, shirt and jacket too, he unzipped, pushed his trousers and jocks down a fraction and slid his hand in to free his cock. It sprang to attention and she moaned.

  ‘Wow.’ She reached out to touch the tip of his cock and it jumped as he used every last ounce of self-restraint not to haul her down and impale her.

  He slipped his wallet from his back pocket, grabbed a condom and had the foil torn in record time. She watched as he pinched the tip between his thumb and forefinger and rolled it on. He’d got about halfway when he saw her hand drift towards her pussy. Fuck, watching him was turning her on and she was going to touch herself.

  ‘I did this the other day, after our first kiss,’ she said, her hand sliding lower with a torturous slowness. ‘I was so turned on I masturbated in the bathroom here, imagining you doing this.’

  Blown away by her admission, and so fucking turned on his balls ached, he slowed down the rolling action, mesmerised as her middle finger slid between her folds. His throat tightened as her finger moved, in and out, and he slid the condom the rest of the way, desperate to be inside her.

  ‘You are something else.’ His voice sounded halfway between a rasp and a growl as he reached for her and she spread her legs either side of his thighs. She lowered herself onto him, inch by exquisite inch, pleasuring herself all the while. When he reached for her she swatted him away.

  ‘Interlace your fingers behind your head,’ she said, her voice husky, her eyes wide green pools he could easily drown in.

  Liking her take-charge attitude, he did as he was told and she smiled, a purely provocative curve of her lips that made him want to yell with the joy of having this sexy, wanton woman issuing orders.

  ‘Now, sit back and relax as we enjoy the ride.’ For emphasis, she picked up the pace, sliding up and down as her fingers played with her clit, so fucking hot.

  He went into sensory overload, watching her tits bounce in his face, her fingering her clit and her pussy, sliding up and down his cock. He wanted to taste her so badly, to feel her, but as he leaned forward she pushed him back with her free hand and continued to ride him until the first ripples of orgasm built.

  She bounced harder as her finger moved faster, her pussy clenching him as she came on a cry that made him want to shout in victory. He followed a second later, his back spasming with the force of it, his mind effectively wiped.

  She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, as he unlocked his fingers and slid his arms around her waist.

  He couldn’t get over the contrasts of this woman and wondered if that was the main attraction...

  Followed by a more sobering thought. So far, she’d been the one calling all the shots. Which either made him a dumb schmuck being led around by his dick or a guy so smitten he was happy with whatever scraps she tossed his way.

  They needed to talk.

  Starting now.

  CHAPTER TEN

  HOPE HAD NOWHERE to run this time.

  The guitarist at the pub had been a good distraction after the alley sex to fend off any possible awkwardness but this time she couldn’t flee, considering this was her place and his crew would be arriving in half an hour to start work on her dream.

  And he had a look in his eyes as she re-dressed and he took care of business, as if he wanted to ask her questions she had no intention of answering. So she deflected as usual, using a mechanism honed from years of practice when avoiding any kind of deeper connection with a guy.

  ‘Want to hear a song I wrote over the weekend?’

  He hesitated before nodding. ‘Sure.’

  She padded into the music room and sat at the piano. Immediately her muscles relaxed and her shoulders unkinked, the tension of their post-sex interlude draining away to leave a welcome calm in its wake. When she rested her fingers on the keys, she entered her happy place, the smoothness of the ivory lulling her. It had always been like this, from the first moment she had sat at her parents’ Steinway, like magic had enveloped her and swept her away to a better world.

  Her parents hadn’t understood when she’d tried to explain it. They’d labelled her imaginative and dismissed her feelings as fanciful. It made it all the more special somehow that only she could experience this kind of euphoria.

  Her fingers drifted over the keys, plucking at middle C, B and D, setting the tone for her voice. She knew he wouldn’t understand the meaning behind the words, just as her parents hadn’t understood all those years ago, but she needed to sing now, needed to get grounded in a world frighteningly topsy-turvy.

  Thanks to Logan.

  She’d never been so captivated by a man before.

  Since the moment they’d met last week he’d filled her every waking thought, and her sleepless ones too. She hadn’t been this hung up over a guy since Willem and that thought alone should’ve sent her running, doing her usual sabotaging trick before anything could develop.

  That was what the frantic alley sex had really been about: showing him she was bold, in control and good for a quickie only. That kind of overt come-on turned some guys off; she should know, she’d done it before. But with Logan her deep-seated desire to push him away hadn’t worked. If anything it had intensified her fascination for him, so to distract herself over the weekend she’d composed this song.

  The notes filled her and burst out of her mouth, pure and melodic. Lyrics filled with wonder, excitement and the newness of hedonistic pleasure. She sang without pause, without fault and when her hands struck the final chords before drifting into silence she let the calmness wrap her.

  Her eyes had drifted shut at some point and when she opened them Logan stood before her, leaning against the piano, looking like a model in that slick suit. He stared at her in open-mouthed shock and she crashed back to earth in a big way.

  Embarrassment flooded her; her skin prickled, making her want to itch. What had she been thinking, revealing so much of herself to him? If she’d been uncomfortable standing naked in front of him in that room before, it had nothing on the mortification sweeping over her now.

  ‘That was...incredible.’ He gave a little shake of his head, as if trying to wake up. ‘You’re better than half the pop stars rocking the charts today.’

  ‘Thanks.’ She resisted the urge to press her palms to her flushed cheeks. ‘Music is my go-to place.’

  He nodded, as if he understood, but she could tell by his dazed expression he didn’t. ‘The pub’s mine.’

  She laughed, interlocked her fingers and stretched her arms overhead. ‘We all have our different escape mechanisms.’

  When she lowered her arms, he was studying her with a quizzical slash between his brows. ‘Is that what you needed to do over the weekend? Escape?’

  Crap. She’d left herself wide open for that one. He was far too intuitive. She needed to distance herself, pronto.

  ‘It’s what I do most weekends. Song-write. Tinker.’ Feigning indifference, she stood and busied herself dusting off the keys. ‘I’m really living it up, in case you didn’t notice.’

  ‘Hey, you’re more adventurous than you think.’ He touched her arm and just like that her synapses short-circuited again and she imagined him touching her all over. ‘Are we going to talk about the sex?’

  Hell, no. She squeezed her thighs together to guard against the instant throb elicited by him even saying the damn word.

  ‘What’s there to talk about?’

  The corners of his kissable mouth quirked. ‘The fact we like doing it? The fact we’re explosive together? The fact I want to keep doing it for however long I’m in Melbourne?’

  Of course Logan was transient. She’d found a guy to g
ive her the mind-blowing pleasure she craved and he’d be moving on. Figured.

  She should be glad, as any kind of relationship wasn’t part of her grand plans. Short-term, sizzling sex with a hot guy was doable. So why the tiny zing of disappointment?

  ‘How long are you staying around?’

  ‘Probably a month, max. I don’t stay in one place long, preferring to do quotes in person for jobs around the country.’ His response sounded rote and determination darkened his eyes. ‘I’m not a long-term guy, if that’s what you’re asking.’

  ‘I’m not asking anything of the sort,’ she said, clipped and frosty, sounding as if she actually cared about his wanderings. She didn’t. She liked the sex; she didn’t have to like the guy.

  Liar, her conscience screamed. She already liked him beyond his obvious talents. She wouldn’t be talking to him now if she didn’t. She would’ve dismissed him, employing her icy persona she used to great effect when distancing herself from men who wanted more than she was willing to give.

  She hated Willem for hurting her to the point she could never let any guy get too close. He’d really done a number on her and she’d been clueless until the end. He’d pursued her and wooed her with a relentlessness that should’ve alerted her to the fact that everything about him, from his five-hundred-dollar Italian leather shoes to his designer suits, was fake. She’d loved him, she’d depended on him and he’d abused her trust regardless, leaving her a duped fool. She never, ever wanted to feel like that again.

  ‘You sound pissed off,’ he said.

  ‘I’m not,’ she snapped, and he chuckled and held up his hands, as if he had nothing to hide.

  ‘All I’m saying is I’m probably in town for another few weeks, so if you want to keep hanging out that’s fine with me.’

  She snorted, hating the traitorous lurch of her gut that said she’d like nothing better. ‘Is that what men are calling sex these days? Hanging out?’ She made air quotes with her fingers. ‘Because I’m okay with admitting the sex is great and I would like to continue, if that’s suitable.’

  Damn, she sounded so stilted and formal, the exact opposite of how she felt around him when he got that look in his eyes. The one that made her feel wanton and wicked, like a sex goddess capable of anything.

  For someone who hadn’t had a lot of sex over the years—and what she’d had had been lacklustre at best—there was something about Logan that set her alight with a simple glance.

  ‘It’s certainly suitable,’ he said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

  ‘Stop mocking me.’ She huffed out a breath that served to make him laugh.

  ‘You’re full of contrasts,’ he said, tapping her on the nose like a benevolent uncle. ‘Fire and ice. I like it.’

  ‘Most people don’t,’ she said, masking her wistfulness with an abrupt cough. ‘Okay, so we’re dating while you’re in town?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Monogamous?

  Anger pinched his mouth. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Hey, just checking.’ She turned away to stack sheet music before he could see the importance of his answer written all over her face.

  She’d had a fling before, with an up-and-coming indie band’s lead roadie. She’d fallen headlong into lust before realising she wasn’t the only woman he’d been plugging his lead into. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

  ‘I won’t jerk you around, Hope.’

  He laid a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. ‘I’m a stand-up guy. I know what I want and I call it. No bullshitting. And, while I’m in Melbourne, I want you.’

  An insane urge to blubber swept over her so she kissed him, plastering herself so hard against him that his butt hit the piano keys in a resounding clash of mismatched notes. He laughed and gently eased away, holding her at arm’s length.

  ‘While I’m happy to do you every which way wherever and whenever you want, I don’t think banging on your precious piano is a good idea.’

  She smiled, relieved they’d moved past the awkwardness of their conversation. She loved his sense of humour. She didn’t laugh often enough and she knew it.

  ‘I’m not very good at this...’ She trailed off, feeling as if she owed him some semblance of truth for her swiftly changing behaviour but regretting bringing it up the moment he pinned her with that astute stare he did so well. ‘That’s why I back off sometimes. I get spooked and embarrassed and—’

  ‘You’re a sensual, empowered woman embracing her sexuality. Don’t ever be embarrassed by that.’ He cupped her chin so she had to meet his eyes. ‘You should be proud.’

  ‘See, this is what I mean.’ She shoved his hand away. ‘I’m no good at this. At you understanding me. At you being kind. Ah, fuck...’ She rarely swore and it only served to make her feel further discombobulated. ‘I’m not even a vamp, though you might think so with the commando thing. But that’s more about me doing something completely out of character than any great plan to seduce guys. I just feel...out of my depth around you.’

  His expression softened and she wanted to bawl again. ‘Do you have any idea how rare it is to have a straight-talking woman articulate exactly what’s going on in her head?’

  He tapped the side of her temple. ‘Contrary to popular belief, us guys have no clue as to what goes on in there. We wing it and hope for the best that we don’t make complete asses of ourselves.’

  He winked. ‘So thanks for letting me know what’s going on in your think tank but seriously, don’t over-analyse this. We’re two people insanely attracted to each other who are having fun. That’s it.’

  ‘Okay,’ she said, nodding, but she couldn’t help a wistful sigh escaping her mouth a second before he claimed it.

  She liked fun. She needed fun.

  But what if, for the first time in her well-ordered life, she wanted more?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ‘WHAT BUG CRAWLED up your ass?’ Mike, the lead electrician on Hope’s job, nudged Logan in the back with the blunt end of a screwdriver. ‘You’re never this moody.’

  ‘Leave it alone, dickhead,’ Logan growled, snapping his fingers at two apprentices who were dilly-dallying over measurements. ‘Get a move on.’

  ‘Shit, you’re in one foul mood, boss, and it ain’t pretty.’ Mike jerked a thumb towards the open door. ‘Hopefully, the foreman can get you to lighten the hell up.’

  Logan scowled and glared at the door where Rick stood, sporting a giant shit-eating grin as if he knew exactly what had precipitated his mood. He strode over to his mate and jabbed him in the shoulder so he had no choice but to back up. Once they were outside, Logan slammed the door. ‘What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be resting up.’

  Rick’s grin broadened at his overt rudeness. ‘I came straight from a physio session; thought I’d check the job out.’

  ‘You’re not supposed to be here, so fuck off.’

  Rick mock-winced and held up his hands. ‘What’s up with you?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Logan said through gritted teeth, mentally counting down the minutes until his head carpenter would arrive so he could get the hell out of here.

  If arriving early to see Hope had been a bad idea, sticking around afterwards had been worse.

  When he’d heard her play that song...man, he’d been blown away. He’d never heard anything so beautiful and he felt as if she’d reached a hand into his chest, wrapped her fingers around his heart and squeezed. He’d been out of sorts ever since.

  He didn’t do deep and meaningful conversations, especially not with women who knew the score. But she’d been so damn vulnerable he hadn’t been able to help himself. He’d wanted to reassure her that he wasn’t the kind of guy to break her heart, yet that was exactly what he’d do.

  He could see it playing out all so clearly. Despite telling her he would move on shortly, he had seen the gleam in her ey
es: she wanted more. More than a guy like him could ever give any woman.

  So he’d taken his foul mood out on his workmen, something he never did. For all he knew, Mike had probably called Rick and ordered him here to calm him down. He’d fire Mike’s sneaky ass if the guy weren’t a shit-hot electrician.

  ‘Is Hope the woman I spied through the front glass of the place?’ Rick smirked, annoyingly smug. Yeah, he knew exactly why Logan was edgy and out of sorts.

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘Try using bigger words next time.’

  Logan flipped Rick the bird.

  ‘She’s pretty, in that English rose kind of way,’ Rick said, oblivious to the minefield on which he trod. Logan was all talked out for today.

  ‘Leave it alone—’

  ‘You like her.’ Rick studied him, uncomfortably appraising and nothing like his usual jocular self. ‘I’ve never seen you like this on a job, so it has to be about her.’

  Logan knew he’d have to give his friend something or he wouldn’t let up. Rick didn’t tolerate bullshit, yet another thing they had in common. ‘We’re hanging out. No biggie.’

  Rick guffawed and slugged him on the shoulder. ‘Never thought I’d see the day, the great wanderer falling for a woman.’

  ‘We’re fucking, that’s it,’ Logan said, instantly regretting the declaration, feeling disloyal to Hope for belittling the sensational physical connection they shared.

  ‘Yeah, right.’ Rick shook his head. ‘You’re such a schmuck. What’s wrong with admitting you like her?’

  ‘Because we’re not in grade school, dickhead.’

  Besides, if he admitted it out loud to his mate, it made this strange, out-of-control desire to spend time with her beyond the sex all the more real. And he was in enough of a funk since hearing her sing and would prefer not to exacerbate it.