Free Desire in the Dark by Naima Simone Page B

the grand total to two.
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    Which made the twinge of anger he’d experienced at her blunt announcement bewildering. His friend had found someone she liked enough to enter a physical relationship with. He should be thrilled for her, not wanting to hunt the man down and punch him in the face for propositioning her. Shit, he’d introduced Alise to Vince! A lawyer in the firm they both worked for, Vince Tremont was a nice man.
    Perfect for Alise.
    Yet Mac still wanted to beat the shit out of him.
    “With moving here from Seattle and starting the gift shop, I haven’t had time for serious dating.” Alise broke into his thoughts, answering his earlier question. “Vince is cool and hell, Mac,” she shrugged, “I miss sex. Everything about it. The touching, the sounds, even the scent of it.”
    Her lashes lowered as if even then she were imagining what she described.
    Fuck, he knew he was.
    Her pale, willowy body arching, that glorious fall of fire spilling down her back.
    Full, pink-tipped breasts jutting forward as slender hips rolled in a sinuous ride. Her long, elegant fingers sliding up the flat plane of her stomach and slender ribcage to twist and tug on hard, pointed nipples. Her eyes at half-mast, hooded with the pleasure curling her lips in a siren’s smile.
    His cock pulsed, and the pants that had fit fine moments ago suddenly became too tight around his aching erection.
    Mac dropped his gaze back to the sales contract on his desk and the reason behind Alise’s visit to his office. He picked up the stapled sheaf of papers but instead of reading the verbiage regarding title insurance all he could envision was Alise taking her pleasure…from him. It had been his body—his cock—she’d been riding like a jockey taming the wildest thoroughbred. His hips that had been bucking between her slim thighs, his fears of fucking a woman her size absent in the face of the lust tearing through him.
    “Mac?”
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    He lifted his eyes to meet her questioning regard.
    “You went quiet on me. Did I embarrass you?”
    He snorted. Embarrass? No. Made him hot as hell? Yes. Shit, it had been a couple of weeks since he’d fucked a woman. Maybe that’s why inappropriate thoughts about his friend besieged him.
    Hell, he needed to get laid.
    Tonight.
    “What do you say we call it a night?” Mac pushed his chair back from the desk and rose to his feet…and avoided answering her question. “The sales contract looks in order but I’ll go over it again tomorrow morning just to make sure.”
    “Okay.”Alise stood but a small, confused frown marred her brow. He didn’t blame her. He’d never been abrupt with her before, much less kicked her out of his office. But for the first time since the start of their friendship, Mac found himself uncomfortable.
    He didn’t care for the irrational anger and…and…jealousy eating at him.
    Jealousy , he scoffed to himself, circling his chair to grab his long, black coat off the corner stand. That had to be a mistake. Possessive and woman were two words that did not coincide in the same sentence.
    Like Washington and drought, they just didn’t go.
    “Okay,” she repeated, slipping her purse strap over her shoulder. “Did you want me to stop by tomorrow afternoon?”
    “No.” His quick denial almost made him flinch. “No, I’ll call you when I’m finished and have someone drop it by the store.”
    Mac turned and didn’t miss the flash of hurt that crossed her face. Regret squeezed his gut in its painful vise. He almost moved across the room to draw her to his chest, hold her there and apologize for his abrupt behavior. Then the image of her trapped in the throes of passion assaulted him and his feet remained rooted.
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    “Fine,” she murmured, ducking her head and slipping into her jacket. “Just let me know. Mr. Reeves would like the sale completed as soon as possible and I’d prefer to be an owner instead of a