Free Release by Rebecca Lynn

between
them.
    Trying to gain
the upper hand, she said, “I left because it was time for me to
leave.  I told you I didn’t need a ride home.  You just chose not to
listen.”
    “That’s not why
you left,” he said quietly.
    She didn’t want
to hear this.  Her heart began to beat faster.
    “Of course not,”
she said with an eye roll.  “Because you know everything, don’t you,
Jeremy?  Well, if you want to live in some delusional world reinforcing
the belief that all women find you absolutely irresistible with your chiseled
good looks, then that’s fine, but I’m not living in that world with you.”
    There. 
That told him.
    He smiled his
lazy smile, and began to walk closer, crowding her space.  She just
admitted that she thought he had chiseled good looks.  Shit.
    When he was a
breath away, he turned serious.  “You left because you’re scared.”
    That struck a
chord, and immediately put her on the defense.  She sputtered.  “You
are such an arrogant, conceited, son of a –”
    He interrupted
and continued in a calm voice.  “You’re scared because you haven’t been in
a relationship for a while and you’re wondering if you can find passion again.”
    He shifted
toward her even more.  Her back to the wall, literally and figuratively.
    Quietly and
intensely, he said, “Passion that makes your heart race, your blood flow
hot.  Passion that makes you so wet, you can’t think of anything else
other than relieving that beautiful tension which builds as a result of that
arousal.  You want that feeling to go on and on, because it makes you feel
so alive.”  He cupped her face.  “You’re alive, Ryann.  Don’t
you want to feel that passion again?”
    She was
momentarily overwhelmed by emotion.  She was angry, but the loneliness
that had sunk its claws into her caused her to blink back tears, because what
he had said was so spot on.  At the same time, she was mortified that he
brought her vulnerability to the surface.
    She began to
panic, and broke eye contact, looking around for an escape, but he had her so
close, there was nowhere to go.
    Knowing her face
was flushed, she said furiously, “It’s time for you to leave, Mr.
McCallister.  You’ve done your good deed for the day.  I’m safely
home, so you can go now.”
    She was
breathing heavily, and could feel her just barely holding on to her emotion.
    “Don’t worry,
I’m leaving.”  Pause.  “And I’m so glad you explained everything to
me,” he purred.
    His sarcasm
didn’t amuse her.  She let go of the breath she had been holding for the
past few moments.  Why wasn’t he leaving then?  She was about to say,
“Good”, when he spoke again.
    “Fortunately, my
position doesn’t go into effect until Monday.”  He crowded her even more
until she could feel his body heat, smell his scent, and he was lightly
pressing her to the wall.  His left arm came up to cage her in, so his
elbow was resting above her shoulder, his fingers beginning to toy with her
hair.  His right hand slowly stroked up her arm, then ended at the base of
her neck.  He grabbed the hair there and tugged gently back until her face
tilted up to him, all while he leaned his hips into the notch where her thighs
met, nestling her womanhood.  “So, tonight, I’m going to allow myself a
taste…since you’ve made it abundantly clear that you don’t live in that
delusional world where women find me irresistible.  This can’t go anywhere
anyway…right?” he whispered.
    She was so
mesmerized by his scent, his closeness, his touch…she couldn’t move.
    He leaned down
and ran his tongue softly along her bottom lip.  When she let out a shaky
breath, he took full advantage and lightly nibbled at her lower lip, plucking,
then melding his lips to hers.  His tongue dipped into her mouth and began
to swirl around, his lips eating at hers.
    She could feel
herself turning to mush.  The fire of arousal that had been banked during
the cab ride, flared