She lost herself in Archer’s touch. His spicy male scent. His taste.
He bent forward, hoisting her into the air as if she weighed nothing. Cassie squeaked with surprise, reflexively wrapping her arms and legs around him to keep herself from falling.
The hem of her dress slid up, and if someone were standing behind her, they’d be getting quite a show. Black. Lacey. Cheeky. But there was no one else there.
Only them.
“Don’t worry,” Archer breathed the words even as his mouth continued ravishing hers. “I’ve got you.”
And as he carried her through the garage and back into the house with ease, Cassie knew deep down, he really did.
He started for the stairs, but in their frenzied embrace, the toe of his boot caught the rounded edge of the first step, and the two started to go down. In a lightning-fast move, Archer reached out with one hand, using his tight grip on the banister to prevent a hard—and most likely painful—fall.
Cassie chuckled as he lowered her gently to the small landing separating the first small section of steps from the remaining incline leading to the second floor.
“Damn.” Archer hovered over her with a chagrined smirk. “Thought that was going to end up being romantic as hell.”
Another soft laugh escaped as she smiled up at the most enticing man she’d ever known. “It was,” Cassie told him truthfully. And then, “It still is.”
She reached up, filling a fist with the front of his stark white dress shirt. With one hard pull, she brought his mouth back to hers.
The soft whiskers of his short, dark beard tickled as his lips and tongue worked hers in a hard, hungry, devouring kiss. A deep, male grunt sounded at the base of Archer’s throat, their tongues swirling, licking, and tasting with primal need.
Releasing the hold she had on his shirt, Cassie’s hands began to frantically work the tiny white buttons keeping it in place. She needed the shirt gone. Needed every stitch of his clothes gone. She needed…
“Archer.” His name came out all breathy and panted, as if she were desperately needing him to take her. Which made perfect sense, seeing that shewasdesperate, and shedidneed him.
Right here. Right now.
“I’ve got you,” he growled the same words as before. Only this time, they seemed to have taken on a whole different meaning.
Archer went wild then. Together they worked to rid each other of their clothes until soon those items were flying every which way through the air.
His shirt. Her shoes. His pants. Her dress. His shoes and socks…
In back of her mind, Cassie had the fleeting thought that she was damn glad the stairs weren’t visible from the outside. The last thing she needed was one of those jerky reporters capturing the private moment between two lovers and selling the images to the highest bidder.
She looked up, breath catching in the base of her throat as the most incredible specimen of the male form stared down at her. Laying still, Cassie took in every tempting curve and shadow that outlined Archer’s powerful, tanned muscles. Broad shoulders. Well-defined biceps and pecs. Taut, sinewy forearms dusted with a touch of dark, masculine hair.
A dark, delectable crevice dividing the first eight-pack Cassie had ever seen in real life.
Lord have mercy.
Her gaze followed that line lower, landing on the thin trail of dark hair that vanished beneath the waistband of his black boxer briefs. And when she caught sight of the steely bulge stretching the material between his thighs, her sex grew heavy and began to ache with need.
Archer started to reach around her back, his fingers brushing against the clasp of her black lacy bra. But then…he froze.
He’s stopping?Now?
“Archer?”
The browns of his eyes turned onyx as he stared down at her. “This isn’t right.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he frowned. “We shouldn’t?—”
“So help me, if you say we shouldn’t do this because I’m your client, or I’m too emotional to know what I really want, so help me…”
Something happened then. Something magical and amazing and so spectacularly wonderful, Cassie found herself struck speechless…
Archer Nash smiled.