Sunsets & Seduction: Mine Until Morning / Just for the Night / Kept in the Dark. Tawny Weber

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СКАЧАТЬ really did that?” Jonas said, sitting up, his blind gaze focused on her as she spoke.

      She knew he only saw the facade her father provided, the solid politician who cared about country and family. The man who put up with a wayward daughter who was selfish and ungrateful. It was what everyone saw.

      James believed his own press, and she figured he really thought he did the things he did for her own good.

      “Yeah, he really did that, and more.”

      “Like?”

      “Well, the worst offense, other than the store, was paying off a guy I was crazy about in college. He was in the music program, wanted to be a guitar player. We were so in love … and suddenly he received a paid scholarship to Juilliard.”

      “That’s a huge break,” Jonas said, frowning.

      “Yeah. One that my father funded, I found out later. He would have had a heart attack if I had married a rock guitarist.”

      “Oh,” Jonas said, frowning deeper. “So what happened with the store?”

      “I proved to him that I can play hardball just as well as he can. I knew a city reporter, a guy who was dating a friend of mine, and I told Dad if he didn’t get his nose out of my business, I would leak the story to the press, about how a city councilman, which was his job then, was using his clout with local banks to block small-business loans. If I went on record, it would have been a nasty political blow,” she said. “And I had the paperwork to prove it.”

      “That sounds … bad.”

      “It was. He backed off and let the loan go through. It didn’t matter. If he hadn’t, I would have just used my trust fund left to me by my grandfather. He couldn’t touch that, but I didn’t want to use it if I didn’t have to.”

      She sighed. “We didn’t speak to or see each other for two years after that. Then my mom got sick, and when we were trying to be there for her, and after she was gone, it brought us together again. He had to admit I was doing well, and things got better. He even came to the shop, and we have lunch now and then. But I’m always wary of him.”

      “I had no idea,” Jonas said quietly.

      “No one does. My exploits, as you know, were fairly well noted in the media. I know I was wrong to act out like I did back then, but I couldn’t help it. He was smothering. He says it’s all out of love, and I think he believes that sometimes, but it’s hard for him to let me be who I am.”

      “You’re probably more like him than you think,” Jonas said.

      Tessa drew back. “Why would you say that?”

      “I’m sorry. It didn’t come out how I meant it. Just that … you’d have to be a strong personality not to let someone like him, with his own strong presence, completely obliterate you.”

      She took a deep breath, and released it, relieved. “Yeah. I never thought about it that way, but I suppose that’s probably why we came at each other so hard over the years.”

      Jonas was quiet then, his face pensive, and she watched him closely.

      “What are you thinking about?”

      He blinked, as if not realizing he had mentally wandered off.

      “Oh, sorry. I just can’t imagine growing up with all that pressure.”

      “Different families have different dynamics.”

      “Yeah.”

      She noticed he hadn’t taken even one sip of his champagne. “You don’t like your drink?”

      “Not thirsty.”

      “Me, neither,” she agreed, and set the glasses down. She quickly stripped off her scrubs and returned to the seat, straddling his lap. His arm grazed her bare skin, his hand finding its way down her arm to her waist, hip and leg, his pulse slamming in the base of his throat.

      “You’re naked.”

      “You noticed.”

      She leaned in to kiss him. “I hope Collins takes the long way,” she said, bringing both his hands up to cover her breasts.

      “Where are we going?”

      The way his voice lowered and caught ever so slightly as he massaged her made her happy. She wanted him to be affected by her.

      “It’s a surprise,” she said.

      He didn’t say anything, and seemed to be holding his breath, as if deciding something.

      That internal war again, whatever it was, she knew.

      So she decided for him, leaning forward and kissing him until she had his complete attention. If he still thought she was seducing him for her own purposes, he was right.

      Maybe he had the intentions wrong, but this was definitely selfish. She wanted him, and she knew he wanted her. She was willing to deal with any backlash later to have him now.

      But he seemed to come around to her way of thinking rather easily, taking her into his arms and easing her down to her back. She stretched out on the sumptuous leather, and he followed, covering her with his own body.

      She pushed his shirt up over his head, and he kicked his pants off. Then they were skin to skin, head to toe, and she almost purred when the strong, muscular legs wedged in between her thighs in a very erotic way. He didn’t rush to get inside her, but lay there, covering her, touching her and whispering sweet things she’d never forget.

      Tessa closed her eyes in the bliss of Jonas’s body against her. As they settled into each other, nestled in the soft leather of the seat, Tessa had a sense of rightness she hadn’t ever felt before. She knew she was meant to be with this man. She had the rest of the night to convince him of that.

      JONAS WAS A GONER as soon as he’d realized Tessa was naked.

      Though their discussion had created more questions than answers for him, at the moment he had had five feet seven inches of delectable, delicious woman spread out beneath him.

      He sighed softly against the skin just below her ear.

      “This is nice,” she said breathlessly.

      “Nice is a weak word,” he said lightly, nipping her earlobe, then sucking on it, swirling his tongue around the delicate inner shell. “Awesome. Fantastic. Mind-bending,” he offered, punctuating each word with a kiss, then a bite, then another kiss to soothe the sting.

      Jonas was so hungry for her he didn’t know where to start. His hands explored lower, sliding down the smooth lines of her back to cup her firm ass and pull her up against him. He groaned as his erection rubbed against a soft patch of curls and slick flesh.

      Being so close with Tessa shook him to his core. He took his time, moving his shaft slowly along her sex, driving them both crazy. He was gratified when her nails dug into his back and she pushed up against him, seeking him, a wordless sigh СКАЧАТЬ