Smashwords version Sweet Surrender by Georgette St. Clair Read Free Book Online Page B

I’m going to take this slowly and treat you with
respect. I mean it. My daddy raised me right. I’m going to take you out to a
very nice dinner, and we will get to know each other. And that means I’m going
to get no sleep tonight, and my balls are going to be bluer than the guys in
the Blue Man group, pardon my French, but if something’s worth doing, it’s
worth doing right.” After a pause, he added “And in case there was any question in
your mind, that something is you. You’re worth doing right.” Despite the erotic frustration that sizzled inside her and twisted
her into knots, she couldn’t help but giggle. “Fine. We’ll see if I’m even in
the mood next time the opportunity comes up.” “You will be,” he assured her.  “I’m dead sexy.” If only he were wrong.  She groaned, rolled over, and pulled
the pillow over her head.
    Lying on the couch cushions on the floor, Rafe listened to her
quiet, almost inaudible whimper of frustration, and imagined himself sliding on
top of her, flesh against flesh, pressing into her soft warmth.  He ached
with desire, and thoughts of ripping her clothes off and kissing her luscious
red mouth while he thrust inside her made his head fuzzy, but finding out that
she was Penelope’s sister made this even more difficult.
    It wouldn’t be right to take advantage of her when he was keeping
important information from her – information that might make her think twice
about wanting to be with him at all.
    She was a genuinely decent person, and despite her claim that she
just wanted sex, he could tell she wasn’t a one night stand kind of girl – she
was the type who got emotionally involved. Which was fine, because his
instincts told him that she was the kind of girl he could spend a lifetime
getting to know - but there were certain things he needed to wrap up first.
    He heard Poppy sigh and move in the sofa-bed, and he clenched his
teeth and shifted, struggling to find a comfortable position, his erection rock
hard and straining at the fabric of his trousers. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Nine
    “You both look like hell,” Viola said, as Poppy chugged her second
large coffee of the morning.    Poppy was wearing a pale pink sweater with pearl buttons and a
flowing pink skirt adorned with prints of scattered flowers.  Her outfit
was bright and springy, and she was surly and exhausted.  She had circles
under her eyes and hadn’t bothered to comb her hair after she’d showered that
morning. Rafe had dashed back to his apartment to shower and change. He’d
obviously shaved fast, leaving several tiny nicks on his broad, strong jaw and
chiseled cheekbones, and he was stifling a yawn as he nursed a double espresso. Viola glanced over at Rafe suspiciously. Poppy had called her to
explain the break-in in detail the night before, and told her that Rafe was
there so Viola wouldn’t insist on coming over herself.
    Rafe yawned again and sipped his espresso. “You are a little ray
of sunshine at all times, aren’t you?” “So did you guys, like, totally do it? All night long? Is that why
you look like death warmed over?” “Viola! For the love of god, woman, he is standing right there.”
Poppy skewered her with a glare, which Viola ignored completely. “So?  If you did it with him, he’d know, so I’m not exactly
revealing any secrets, right?” Viola looked from him to her, appraisingly. “You
guys didn’t do it. That’s why you didn’t get any sleep.” She turned to Rafe and jabbed him in the arm with an accusing
finger. “Why didn’t you guys do it? My friend isn’t good enough for you?” Poppy choked on her coffee and grabbed a napkin to smother her
coughing fit.  “Viola!” she wheezed, and crumpled up her napkin and threw
it at Viola’s head.  It stuck in Viola’s hair and Viola swatted it off,
still glowering at Rafe. Rafe took a step back, set his espresso cup down, and held his
hands up defensively. “I am planning on