Mysterious by Fayrene Preston Read Free Book Online

for her own peace of mind.
    "Richard," he reminded in a strange voice.
    Involuntarily her eyes softened at the mention of Richard’s name, and seeing it, something snapped inside Jerome. The torment of wanting her and not being able to have her welled up and poured out of him. In a swift violent movement he threw the hose across the room. Then grabbing her arms, he jerked her roughly to him. "Yes, Jennifer, Richard. Specifically, I want you to tell me you hate him."
    A soft little cry escaped Jennifer’s parted lips, and at the sound of it Jerome’s fingers bit even harder into the soft flesh of her upper arms. "Tell me he drank too much." She could only shake her head helplessly. "Damn you!" he yelled. "Tell me he beat you. Tell me he was unfaithful to you. Give me a reason!"
    "I can’t," she cried. "I can’t!"
    "Well, then whatever the hell you do"—the growl came from deep in his throat—"don’t tell me that you still love him." His mouth swooped to hers and he ground his lips into hers in an electrifying combination of hard cruelty and wild sensuality.
    Fire, pure and blue-hot, raced through her veins. There was no question of fighting him. He was too strong, too overpowering. And she wanted this kiss too much. As he pulled her tighter into him, her body molded itself to his, as if her body had been waiting only for him before it took final shape.
    He had asked her to give him a reason, a rationalization for these hot feelings between them. She couldn’t. But she found that she wanted to make love with him more than anything else in the world.
    Recklessly she ran her hands into the open collar of the robe and up around the warm skin of his neck. The action loosened his robe somewhat, and now she could feel the hair on his chest chafing erotically against her and the heat of his body burning through the thin chemise.
    But in the next minute, with teeth harshly clenched, he pushed her away from him, although still retaining his grip on her arms. "I watched you undressing, Jennifer, from the doorway of my bedroom. I’m surprised you didn’t feel the scorch of my stare, but you didn’t even know I was there. Or maybe you did. Who knows? Who cares? Still, I watched, and it was all I could do not to come to you and take you in my arms and make love to you—in every possible position, in every possible way, and on every possible surface of this room. The chair, the table, the couch, the floor. There’s not a place on your body that I don’t want to touch with my fingers or taste with my tongue. I know a lot about making love, and it would have taken us hours, days. Who knows, maybe even weeks. I crave you, Jennifer White."
    Suddenly he released his hold on her, and it was the lack of his support more than anything else that made her fall onto the couch. His breath was coming in hard gasps and he laughed bitterly. "How’s that for a night’s work, Jennifer? You must be congratulating yourself. In just a few hours you’ve managed to turn a comparatively intelligent, rational man into an aching madman on the verge of taking you without conscience."
    His eyes narrowed. "But you’re married, so this is where it ends. I’ll do what I can to help you in the next few days, but that’s it. For whatever reason, you’re a married woman; and as far as I’m concerned, that means you’re off limits. So don’t tempt me, don’t go flaunting that tight little behind of yours around me, or you’ll find yourself on your back so fast you won’t know what hit you, and I’ll be deeply and completely inside of you."
    Jennifer sat shaken and stunned as she heard the bedroom door slam shut. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms tightly around her legs and lowered her head onto them. Dear Lord in heaven, what had she gotten herself into? It didn’t matter that she hadn’t known he was watching as she undressed. It didn’t exonerate her in any way. Because as soon as she had seen him, she had known that she