Blaster ran a hand around the back of his neck as he eyed her leaning against the door again. Through the tank top he could see her breasts puckered in excitement. The intoxicating aroma that was so singularly hers barley tinged the air he breathed. She was aroused and wet. Sweet Jesus, how was anyone supposed to resist her? He answered himself by remembering she could probably remove a man's balls before the message got to his brain that they were missing.
Blaster recognized the move she'd used to put Earl down was from an Eastern discipline. The core of that art was speed and stealth. It taught its students to work with their own strengths regardless of the size of their opponent. He'd never studied it himself, but he'd seen the results when an outwardly small master got through with an opponent. Jas appeared quite proficient. Damn, his dick was a rain stick pointing at the astounding woman.
Jas raised a brow and chuckled. "And how many weapons do you have stashed? More than four I'm betting."
"I told you I'm a prepared sorta of guy." Blaster let his eyes travel up and down her. "And I know for a fact that you're carrying more than four." She was vibrating with energy. Adrenaline still sang in her veins as it did in his own.
"Oh yeah? How do you know that?" The purr in her voice was perilous and he knew it as she pushed away from the door to stroll into his space again.
Blaster let a lazy smile tug at the corner of his lips. She stopped intimately close. His hands slowly cupped the two guns holstered under her arms hidden by her jacket. "Coz I saw these." His hands trailed down to her waist then to her hips. Palms on her hip bones slowly moved around to her back, in a whisper he counted, "Three and four," as his hands passed over two knives. He stopped. "Want me to go on?"
Taut under his touch, she was motionless in the fashion of a cat that's done stalking and waiting to pounce. He expected her to move away with a smart comment or knee him in the nuts. Both of them were dangerously high on the sexual struggle that'd sprung up. He knew it was stupid to give in to the temptation to touch her but, damn, she'd walked her luscious self into his space one too many times. He wasn't made of good intentions. At the moment he didn't have one good intention on him.
"I believe it's my turn to search." Jas smiled, looking directly into his eyes. Lids lowered over large, liquid-soft eyes in sexy half blinks. He noticed she never actually blinked but it looked as if she did. Another skill. Her opponent was supposed to think she was relaxed, even flirting with him, but in reality she never took her eyes off him, even to blink.
Jas reached around behind him and placed both hands on the globes of his ass, squeezing lightly. Blaster's eyes narrowed in surprise but he didn't move. Her hands slid to the dents in his hips where male muscles flexed when he walked. Pausing there, her hands moved up and down in a slow, exploratory caress while she watched his soul pace behind his pupils.
This man was made for sex. Sweaty, nasty, satisfying sex. There was no puppy adoration in his eyes when he looked at her. No dazzled worship that could easily morph into obsession. This rippling specimen carried the intoxicating spice of danger and complete awareness. And it was amazing to watch the beast jerk on its chain.
It was the respect of his awareness that really did it for her. He didn't assume a thing, he expected her to be a challenge. Damn, it felt good to play on equal footing.
This man knew all about control. He would show her the animal within but never let her have it. Surrendering the beast would be too high a price for a free spirit this used to moving on. That was okay. Teasing a beast was often more fun than actual playtime. And this particular one was so damn sexy.
"Mmmm, nothing here." Jas' hands were low on his hips and sliding slowly to the front of his pants. Blaster's pupils dilated, blue disappearing into black. An interesting indicator as her hands slid to the hard thigh muscle bunched in front. Her left thumb rested lightly along the bulge going down his pant leg. Both of them were still.
"I think I found something." Her lips barely moved as she breathed the words.
Her words softly washed over his lips, fanning the flames licking up from her hands. The scent of her filled his lungs as he inhaled and swallowed the saliva flooding his mouth in response. Woman and wild. Oh how she tempted him.
Blaster knew he was a little nuts with wanting her. The allure of her female power had been a magnet from the first. However, he wasn't a total idiot, yet. "You know, it's considered best practice not to handle ordinance you don't intend to use," he warned softly.
The air around them was thick with anticipation. This could go either way. The physical effort of remaining perfectly still under her hands was painful as he waited for her to make up her mind. He knew he was holding his hand out to a feral cat. If he moved wrong, he'd bear the marks of her claws. If she accepted him, he'd still feel the claws but, damn, getting under those sharp talons was about the only thing he wanted in life right now.
"You're the one who thinks he's my boyfriend," Jas accused and invited. Just the type of statement meant to drive a man insane. Deciphering that complicated little comment added another edge to the situation.
"I'm good on a mission, good to see that no one drives home from the bar and an excellent choice to burn off that sexy mad, babe. But if you decide you wanna do it that way, you'd better be ready. I don't share and I don't make promises I can't keep."
They were speaking softly with mouths close enough to taste the words passing between them. Both bodies held painfully still, waiting for the other to break, to give in to the onslaught of lust crashing around them in a hurricane gale.
He was well aware this power struggle was old as time. Men have been losing it forever. It wasn't logical or even fair. She'd placed herself in his space. Sliding her hands around his hips toward his cock was a debilitating tactic. Stopping at that point and giving him a non-answer to his direct question was the power play and he wasn't about to give her the upper hand that way. Women won every time a man went Neanderthal and jumped her. This was one time the male of the species would win, even if it killed him.
"No one asked for a promise, Huck. Maybe I just wanted to see what you're armed with."
Her sassy smile just about did it as she came close to denying she was pushing him. It was a weapon women used effectively. The hint of innocence inflamed a male, adding anger to lust as he suspected she was not going to admit she'd invited his attention.
A muscle ticked in his cheek. "I'm armed, Jas. What I'm not is gentle. I've made no secret of the fact you turn me on, but I'm not asking, sweetheart. It'd be your request. Don't start something you can't finish. And don't think that weapon has a hair-trigger." He inhaled deeply. "I can smell the want on you. There's nothing I'd rather do than get at that cream between your legs and you know it. But you can't force me to take without it being offered."