Chapter 16
Jamie
He ducked a fraction, passing under the doorframe.
There was ample clearance, but it seemed low, given that the upstairs space was the top of a barn conversion.
Jamie moved into the cosy sitting room, which opened into a small galley kitchen with two doors at the far end.
He found the space cramped, but perfectly proportioned for her petite stature.
She’d painted the walls pale green, offsetting the ivory kitchen cupboards, and the natural wood countertops gave it a homely charm.
Skylights in the sloping ceiling let in the soft afternoon light, offering a hazy glow over the room.
As he moved further inside, worn floorboards creaked underfoot. A strange warmth spread through him, a comfort he couldn’t quite explain.
Being in her personal space was like being handed a secret, something rare and coveted, as if he’d just been tipped off about a sure thing at the bookies.
In the sitting area, a small green couch crowded the wall and a tan leather stool wedged into the corner.
Both faced a flat-screen TV mounted on a steel arm, framed by a collage of colourful rosettes and golden trophies.
Shannon shirked off her padded jacket and hung it by the door before unzipping her worn black half chaps. She kicked off her jodhpur boots and left them in a careless pile under her coat.
Jamie watched her every move, observing her unrefined gracefulness.
Glossy black hair tumbled in untidy tendrils over her narrow shoulders as she concentrated, sticking her tongue out between her teeth while trying to balance on one leg to peel off knee-length chequered socks.
Her face was bare, no makeup, and her jet-black lashes framed stunning blue eyes. Those eyes of hers drew him in and he couldn't understand why they had such an effect on him, but they did.
Every time she met his gaze, it was as if she saw straight into his soul.
She was an effortless beauty, a woman who needed nothing extra to shine.
A little rough around the edges in scruffy breeches with specks of wood shavings stuck to her ass and a wrinkled t-shirt that clung just enough to hint at her curves.
But to him, she was damn near perfect .
His fingers tightened around the whip, a low growl rumbling from his chest. “Shannon.”
Her eyes flicked up, meeting his with a flash of something unreadable. “Yeah?”
The subtle swallow in her throat, paired with the slight parting of her lips, told him everything he needed to know. She was nervous.
“I want more than lunch.”
“Oh, yeah?”
Her gaze dropped to the whip still in his hand, and for a moment, the air between them thickened.
She didn’t flinch, but there was a noticeable change in her posture, a shift that told him she was aware of his intentions.
A slow smile spread across his face. “You know exactly what I want.”
“Do I?” she asked, her voice teasing now, light and playful. “You seemed pretty content with a bacon butty a few minutes ago.”
As Shannon moved a step closer, Jamie’s gaze never wavered. He took a half-step toward her, letting his body press just enough to brush hers.
His lips hovered close to her ear, but they didn’t quite touch it, his breath ghosting over her skin.
“You need to work on your poker face,” he whispered, loving how she shifted under his attention.
She took a step back, just enough to make his chest tighten. “I’m just wondering what else you were hoping for?”
He closed the distance, backing her into the wall .
“You know what I’m talking about. Did you really invite me in for food?”
Jamie took a slow step closer. The whip hung in his hand, the tip grazing her arm as he moved in.
Her eyes flickered down to it.
“That’s not a toy, Jamie,” she teased, her lips curling. “You could hurt someone with it.”
Jamie’s lips quirked. “Maybe I want to play with it.”
The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Shannon’s chest rose and fell as she inhaled, her pupils dilated.
She held his gaze for a beat, lips still curved in a playful smile, before her eyes darted to the whip, then back at him.
She took another step, closing the distance further. Her hand brushed his chest, just a touch, enough to send a spark through him.
“You’re impatient,” she said. “What if I make you wait until you’ve eaten?”
Jamie took in her hesitation, his lips curling into a small, predatory smile. “Oh, I have patience, love. The question is, do you?”
He held her gaze, waiting for her to break. She didn’t, but the air between them grew hotter.
“However, the longer you make me wait, the more you’ll regret it,” he added.
She didn’t back away this time. Instead, she tilted her head, the teasing smirk still playing on her lips. “Regret it how, exactly? ”
His hand moved to the side of her face, his thumb brushing her jaw. “Test me and you’ll find out.”
As her lips parted and a little gasp broke free, he let his fingertips skate from her shoulder down her arm, the touch light but purposeful, sparking a jolt of heat between them.
“Tell me, Shannon,” he murmured, his voice laced with something darker, “do you want to stop now?”
She was close enough that every breath, every movement, seemed to draw him in deeper.
He could see the raw hunger in her eyes shining with that same intensity that had been pulling him in all along. It made his own desire burn hotter.
She opened her mouth, caught between a teasing challenge and a reluctant admission, and damn if it didn’t drive him wild.
“I think you’re too used to getting what you want.” She ran her nails over his chest.
He swallowed, watching her, enjoying every second of this game she was trying to play. Every second she made him wait, every moment she made him work for it, his pulse thrummed, knowing exactly how it would turn out for her.
He could hold out. For now. It was what made the whole thing with her so thrilling.
“Is that so?” he asked, his voice rough as he bumped his body closer, his groin pressing against her belly.
“I only offered you food.”
“And that’s all you want to give me?”
She chewed the edge of her lip, her gaze flicking up to meet his.
“Isn’t that enough?” Her voice carried just the right mix of challenge and curiosity, as if testing how much further he would push.
Her eyes held his, unwavering, daring him to take the next step.
He leaned in just a little closer, loving how she shivered.
“If that’s all you’ve got, then it works for me,” he said. “But I think you’ve got more...”
He pulled back, his eyes locked on hers, full of knowing. “Don’t you, love?”
For a moment, she hesitated, the tug-of-war between pride and desire warring within her.
Then, with a small, reluctant smile, and a hint of vulnerability, she whispered, “Okay. Yes. I’ve got more…”