Free Round-the-Clock Temptation by Michelle Celmer Page A

look nothing like a boy. All the more reason for you to put your shirt back on.”
    She flashed him a teasing grin. “What’s the matter, Connor, you don’t like women? Is it that army, don’t-ask-don’t-tell thing?”
    â€œOf course I like women.” He knew she was only teasing—taunting—him and he yearned to take her in his arms and prove just which way the barn door was swinging. But he would lose control. He could hurt her.
    â€œAre you always this… forward with men?” he asked,though he had a pretty good idea the answer was a big fat yes.
    â€œWhen I see something I like, I go after it. Is there anything wrong with that?”
    â€œI guess that just depends on who you’re after.” He could see that she’d set her sights on him, but she had no idea what she was getting herself into. He was a ticking bomb, one she didn’t want to be anywhere near when he finally detonated. “Whatever you think you know about me, you’re wrong.”
    â€œI’ve seen the way you look at me.” She spread a hand over her stomach, slid it slowly upward, across her rib cage and over her breast. She cupped it, pinching the nipple lightly, her lids heavy with desire, and Connor nearly groaned. “Your eyes don’t lie. No matter how hard you try to hide it.”
    She stepped closer, until the tips of her breasts touched his bare chest. He sucked in a breath, felt his control slip another notch. For a woman who considered herself unfeminine, she sure did know how to seduce a man.
    He clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides, so he wouldn’t give into the urge to touch her. “You don’t want a man like me, Nita.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI’m damaged goods.”
    She cupped a hand over the bulge in his jeans, rubbing him through the heavy denim. “Everything seems to be working fine.”
    He wanted to grab her hand, make her stop, but the second he touched her, it would be all over. And he couldn’t look at her any longer without devouring her.
    He closed his eyes. “I’m here to protect you.”
    Her breath was warm and sweet on his chin. “What has that got to do with us having sex?”
    â€œI’m protecting you.”
    â€œFrom what?”
    â€œFrom me.”
    She stroked the skin just under the waist of his jeans and the muscles in his stomach spasmed. “Why the heck would I need protecting from you?”
    â€œYou wouldn’t understand.”
    â€œI’m not afraid of you, Connor.” She slipped her fingers lower, inside his boxers, and his legs went weak. “Let me make you feel good.”
    When she brushed against the tip of his erection, it was more than he could take. He grabbed hold of her arms and backed her against the nearest wall. The air wooshed from her lungs and her eyes went wide with surprise. Then he got in her face, so close their noses were almost touching.
    â€œI’m going to warn you one last time,” he said, teeth clenched, jaw tight. “Do not mess with me or you will regret it.”
    He let go and swiped her shirt from the floor, thrusting it at her. Then he turned and folded his arms across his chest, waiting for her to leave. He heard the rustle of fabric, then the door opened and snapped shut again.
    He was almost afraid to turn around. Afraid he’d find her completely naked and undeterred, and this time he might not be able to hold back.
    But when he turned, he found the room empty. It wasn’t until then that he realized he was shaking.
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    At 6:00 the following morning, Connor trudged down the stairs, feeling cranky and out of sorts. He’dslept like hell last night, guilt burning a hole in his gut every time he thought of how he’d treated Nita. But she hadn’t given him a choice. There hadn’t been any other way to get through to her.
    He walked into the kitchen, expecting to find her there eating