Free Essence of Desire by Brenda Jackson Page A

would react, but he wouldn’t give in easily. “Would you like to tell me what this is all about, Roxie?” he asked, trying like hell to hold on to his sanity. Keep his control in check.
    “Sure. Like this house I think you, Robert Noble, need a makeover.”
    “A makeover?”
    “Yes.”
    Now he had heard everything. “Why would I need a makeover? Are there certain parts of me you find unsatisfactory?”
    She chuckled. “I wouldn’t know since other than your lips I’ve never had the pleasure of sampling anything. The reason I think you need a makeover is because you’re headed to becoming a boring person unless I step in and make changes.”
    “A boring person?”
    “Yes. You’ve decided you no longer want to be a hot commodity,” she said, looking him up and down. “And I personally think you still have a lot to offer.”
    He rubbed his chin as he tried to analyze her, figure out her thought process. Considering how she’d always felt about his and Colt’s womanizing ways, he was surprised she would feel that way. “And my decision to become boring , as you put it. Is hurting who, exactly?”
    “Any woman out there who wants to enjoy what a man has to offer, but is not looking for, or expecting, happily-ever-after. Some, like me, after giving the marriage thing a whirl, have discovered they can do better by themselves. Less heartache and heartbreak.”
    His hand stiffened into a fist at his side and he wished at that moment that he could place that same hand around her ex-husband’s neck for making her feel that way. She had deserved better. “I bet Cinnamon wouldn’t agree with you,” he said in a low and calm voice. “I bet she believes there’s such a thing as forever after.”
    She shrugged. “Probably because she’s married to Colt and he has good reason to make sure she does. She’s the best thing to ever happen to him and my brother is no fool.”
    “No, but your ex-husband undoubtedly was. If he would have been as smart as Colt, he would have known you were the best thing for him and would have kept you happy.”
    She smiled as if his words had touched her deeply. “Thanks, Robert, for saying that.”
    Robert felt she didn’t have to thank him because he’d meant every word. Without knowing everything about what had gone on in her marriage, in his heart he truly believed that Roxie had tried being the perfect wife. She had said her ex hadn’t loved her as much as he’d claimed he did. To him that meant she had wasted too much time with a man who didn’t deserve her.
    “It’s getting late and I’m tired of talking,” she said, intruding into his thoughts. “Are you going to let me give you a makeover?”
    A smile curved his lips. “There’s no way I can’t let you at least try.”
    She returned his smile. “Do you doubt my capabilities?”
    “Only to the extent that you doubt mine,” he countered.
    She lifted an arched brow. “Meaning?”
    “A makeover can work both ways. Sounds like you need one just as much as I do.” He pulled loose his necktie and tossed it aside. “So, let’s get this show on the road.”
    Roxie frowned, lifting her chin. He was trying to take charge, turn the tables, and she was not going to let him. He was the one who needed the makeover, not her.
    She took a couple of steps, crossing the floor to him and placed her hand on his when his fingers went to the buttons on his shirt. “Hands off. I can do this,” she said, and proceeded to take over when he dropped his hands to his side.
    What ever cologne he was wearing should be labeled simply as Man since already the scent was getting to her; as well as the fact he was fully aroused. She had noticed the moment he’d seen her naked. Some things a man couldn’t hide and his desire for a woman was at the top of the list.
    She slowly eased the buttons free, trying not to rush. She would hate to ruin such a nice designer dress shirt. She knew that he was not a man who would relinquish control