Free Sensual Stranger by Tina Donahue Page A

sides. The edge of her camisole hung
limply over her bared breast. With what seemed to be great effort, she opened
her lids, her eyes glazed with desire.
    When he said nothing, when he didn’t head for the alarm to
shut it off or move back into her, Toni reached out and touched his hand, her
expression saying she desired more.
    Zach’s breath hitched. He looked at her slender fingers,
wanting to suck them into his mouth, needing them on his balls and cock.
    In a month from now, she’d said last night, when I
return to the circuit.
    Away from here. Gone.
    What then? Would he still desire her, would he miss her? Or
would her time here prove to be nothing more than a pleasant memory of how he’d
allowed himself a few moments of joy?
    His body tensed with yearning so painful he could scarcely
breathe. His battered heart resisted, shaking him back to good sense, warning
him of what he’d been about to do.
    Grabbing her upper arm, Zach pulled her into the hall, then
went into the bath and closed the door, locking it.
     
    Hands on the edge of the stove, Toni lowered her head and
steeled herself for the inevitable…Zach finally coming downstairs to the
kitchen.
    She’d been in here for the last fifteen minutes, dressed to
go to the shop, ready to make him breakfast…if either her job or food were
still on the menu.
    Swallowing hard, she shook her head, refusing to regret his
kiss. Every inch of her ached for him, wanting his weight and warmth back on
her, inside of her. A pulse beat in her pussy, it creamed again at her memory
of his strong body, muscular pecs and masculine scent.
    Damn. What was going through his mind right now? How to get
her out of his house and shop? Probably.
    Toni dragged in a breath, ordering herself to calm down.
Worrying wasn’t going to make things better, though this endless wait might
just kill her.
    He’d stopped showering five minutes ago. She’d heard his
footfalls moving down the hall, the uneven sounds telling her his leg must be
hurting again. When he’d reached his bedroom, he shut off the alarm finally,
cutting it off in mid-screech.
    Since then, he’d been in his bedroom, slowly pacing from one
end to the other. As he perfected his I’m-firing-you speech?
    Chewing her lower lip, Toni pushed away from the stove and
went to the coffeemaker, anxious to do something—anything—rather than remain
frozen like a helpless victim. Maybe if Zach smelled breakfast cooking, he’d
pretend their kiss and his foreplay hadn’t happened. Maybe he’d behave as he
had last night after she’d wiped the sour cream from his mouth.
    With the coffee finished, Toni draped the last bacon strip
across the skillet. Her head jerked up at the sounds of Zach’s footfalls in the
upstairs hall, heading for the stairs.
    At what was surely coming, a wave of longing mixed with
nausea steamrolled over her.
    His footfalls drew nearer. His pace slowed. When his boots
stopped tapping the hardwood floor, she looked over.
    Zach stood framed in the doorway, his powerful body
straining against his tee and jeans, utterly masculine, sensuous beyond belief.
Unable to resist, her gaze roamed over him. He’d finger combed his damp hair.
His face was freshly shaved, his eyes veiled.
    Behind her, the bacon sizzled and popped.
    Zach’s gaze darted to the skillet and the carton of eggs on
the counter. His lips parted as though he intended to speak. In the end, he did
not. He looked back at her, taking in her naked feet, blue-jean cutoffs and
aqua tank top.
    Toni’s nipples constricted with his scrutiny.
    He took in a shallow breath, and finally spoke on a ragged
sigh, “That shouldn’t have happened.”
    Expecting him to say as much, Toni faced him. “Why not?”
    His eyes jumped to hers. Obviously surprised, he parroted
her words, “Why not?”
    “Exactly.” She reached over and turned off the bacon so they
could talk uninterrupted. Hooking her thumbs in her front pockets, she turned
back to him. “I enjoyed what