Her bra sprang open and full breasts spilled out, pale, perfect, the deep-rose nipples aiming at him and proving that he wasn’t the only one affected by her well-aimed assault.
Jake supposed he should have felt some consolation. He didn’t. He found himself gripping the vanity instead, when she arched back to slide the straps down her arms.
The bra went whizzing by his face toward the hamper. It landed on the T-shirt and hung for a suspended moment before falling to the floor.
“I have some conditions that will have to be met before we can come to an agreement,” he said, amazed that he actually got the words out. “But please, ladies first.”
She inclined her head graciously and then fired the next volley…she bent over again.
This time she leaned forward as she slipped off her thong. She pushed the scrap of fabric down her thighs, along shapely calves. Her breasts plumped forward and her hair swept in front of her in a heavy fall of black silk, shielding his view for a tantalizing instant…until she retrieved her panties and stood up, unselfconsciously and quite breathtakingly naked.
Jake sucked in a breath of humid air.
Unfortunately, it didn’t help. Not when Mallory Hunt was a vision from a fantasy with the steam curling around her, airbrushing her slender curves with mist.
His heart pounded. His blood thundered in his ears so loudly that he almost missed hearing her when she said, “I’ll talk loudly so you can hear me above the water.”
No problem, as long as she did the talking. His voice was trapped somewhere below the breath that had solidified in his throat. It had been way too long since he’d had sex, and Jake made a note to pencil in a reminder on his schedule.
Find a date.
He’d been a fool to ignore his needs for so long that he could barely breathe when faced with a naked beauty who was bent on taunting him. While this wasn’t the first time he’d been forced to admit that he ignored his needs too often, it was the first time he’d ever found his control so seriously threatened.
He considered challenging her to see if there was an offer beneath her boldness. But Mallory Hunt clearly had an agenda and he wasn’t taking one step in her direction until he understood what it was.
This woman was fire, and he’d been burned before.
“Okay, Jake. Here’s the deal in a nutshell. You pick what you think is your most secure property. I’ll research your system, determine where the weaknesses are, prove my position by infiltrating your system and then submit a summary so you can address the problems.”
She slid the shower door open as he realized exactly what it was about her tone that he found so very intriguing.
There was no doubt in her voice. None. Mallory was completely confident in her abilities, just as she’d been while confronting him that dark night long ago.
He waited until she stepped inside and closed the sliding glass door before he played his hand. “I’ll pick my most secure property, you get inside and take me with you to show me how you do it.”
He saw her pause and experienced a surge of satisfaction that he’d surprised her. A definite first in their limited acquaintance.
She recovered quickly, though, and he heard her bubbling laughter over the running water as she stepped into the spray, tipping her head to wet that magnificent hair.
Until she responded, Jake had absolutely nothing to counter or debate, so he stood there and enjoyed the show.
Steam billowed around her, misted the glass and showcased her beautiful curves. The beige tile cast her pale body and dark hair in soft relief, drawing his attention to the graceful way she lifted her arms, reached for a bottle from a shelf.
He’d tried to anticipate every eventuality for today’s meeting. But of all the unexpected things he’d expected, playing spectator while this slim beauty showered hadn’t even made the list.
“I operate alone, Jake,” she finally said.
“You didn’t ten years ago.”
“True, but I’m in a different line of work now.”
Their encounter that night had sent both their lives spiraling off into entirely new directions. It had taken him a long time to make peace with the changes to his career plan. How had she felt about her own?
He didn’t ask, just said, “I insist.”
“Really.” No question mark.
“Really.”
“Why?”
A simple question, but one that surprised him. “I don’t trust you.”
He thought he heard her chuckle over the running water.
“But you contacted me, Jake Trinity.”
“Yes, I did. I researched your references and looked into your business dealings. I understand you operate a legitimate business now and your services come highly recommended. But I also discovered that most of your clients don’t realize how you honed your skills.”
“I’ve never kept my background a secret.”
He didn’t doubt her. This woman impressed him as someone skilled in turning disadvantage to advantage. She was manipulating the situation to her advantage right now and he didn’t know why. But she had a reason for putting on this show, for lathering her long hair with slow, sinuous motions, arms raised, body displayed through sheets of water and steamy mist.
She definitely had a reason for challenging him to combine business with the pleasure of watching her. His body was on red alert, and the conversation was the only thing helping him maintain control, forcing his focus on something other than the tumble of dark hair and lather playing over her sleek skin.
“Mallory, I’ll be hiring you to infiltrate a prototype of the Sentex 2000 that’s in place on one of my client’s properties. They’ll be allowing you to break in at my request. My reputation is on the line here. You must understand my need for caution.”
“I do. But I’m guessing you don’t have a clear idea of what it takes to infiltrate a security system. Trust me when I say it requires a skill that doesn’t lend itself to spectators.”
Here it was, and Jake went for it. “I don’t want to be a spectator. I want to assist. Show me what to do and I’ll do it.”
“You want a course in thievery 101.” Still no question mark.
“Yes.”
She only reached for a bath sponge and started a whole new show by working lather over her neck and shoulders. Jake followed her motions, the continued level of excitement wearing at his restraint. He found it increasingly difficult to concentrate when the memory of how she’d felt pressed up against him collided with the sight of all that bare skin. He struggled to stay sharp, because staying sharp was crucial to dealing with this woman.
“If I agree to your conditions, what exactly do you think you’ll gain?”
“A couple of things,” he said, shifting his position to ease up the seam that was biting into his crotch. “First is that I’ll be with you when you infiltrate my client’s property. I can offer them my personal assurance that their interests will be protected because I’ll be overseeing you personally.”
“And?”
“I want to see how you operate. You offer a unique perspective on security. I want to benefit from your experience and bring that knowledge with me when I design my systems.”
The soapy bath sponge continued a leisurely path down her arms, graceful swirls of motion that drew his gaze to the way her back arched slightly, thrusting those incredible