Mysterious Read Online Free Page A

her. His eyes were very blue. He hesitated only briefly, and then with a fine mastery and a softly spoken word he once more lowered his lips to hers, rubbing over hers with a velvet abrasiveness, his tongue exploring every sweet soft hollow it could find. Fleetingly it occurred to her that never in her life had she been kissed so thoroughly. Then she heard a little sound of pleasure that she realized must have come from her.
    He leaned back into the cushions and willingly she followed, her body lying half on top of his. Her breasts were pressed into the hardness of his chest. But together the material of her dress and the cloth of his shirt were not thick enough to keep him from feeling her firming nipples thrusting tightly into him. He shifted a little, and she felt her whole body quiver as her nipples scraped his chest through their clothing.
    Hot excitement, beautifully controlled, was being transmitted from him to her. She had just enough sense left to realize that he was bringing her along slowly, and somehow the thought that he could control her body with such ease, such finesse, made her thrust her tongue more deeply into his mouth.
    He responded. With even more force he delved his fingers into the tangled silk of her hair and his lips devoured hers. Then he licked away the hurt.
    "Jerome." His name was little more than a sigh, a wish, a dream, against his lips.
    He answered by running his hand down her back to her hips and moving the white jersey cloth in hard, pushing circles against the tender skin of her buttocks. Subtly his pelvis began to move against hers, his hand applying a sensuous pressure, keeping their bodies together.
    He had a wonderful sense of rhythm and timing. Timing. Vaguely the word came to her. Timing. Then she remembered. Time. It was the wrong time. This man, at this particular time, couldn’t be! She pushed against him and immediately he slackened his hold. She gulped air, managed to steady her breathing, and then said, "I’m sorry, but I’ve got to leave."
    "Leave? What’s wrong?" Jerome questioned huskily, his brow creased in concern. "Jennifer, what is it?"
    His mind slowly cleared, and as it did, he cursed himself. For someone who had intended to proceed so carefully with the evening, he had nearly lost control. But dammit, if he had been affected by their kisses, so had she. He would be willing to bet almost anything that her responses had been genuine.
    Something was very wrong. He knew it as certainly as he knew that she was the most softly sensual woman he had ever met. He also knew that he wasn’t going to let her go until he found out what it was. If then.
    "Jennifer ..." he began again, but in the next instant Jerome went quite cold and still. He jerked his head toward the quiet muffled sounds of someone at the door attempting to turn the doorknob.
    It could be anyone. It could be someone who after a long night in a strange city found himself with a key that wouldn’t fit and hadn’t yet realized he was at the wrong door. It could even be a maid on the late shift who mistakenly had been assigned to clean the suite. It could be, but Jerome’s instinct was telling him that it wasn’t. And his quick glance at Jennifer’s face confirmed it. She had gone as white as her dress.
    Quickly he moved to the end table and switched off the light. Dropping to his knees beside the couch, he covered Jennifer’s mouth with his hand. He couldn’t see her clearly, but he could feel her tenseness.
    "Be very quiet and do exactly as I say," he whispered.
    Only after she nodded did he release his hold. Snatching up his coat with one hand, he grabbed her with the other and soundlessly led her to the door. With his back pressed to the wall beside the doorframe, he could now hear low voices. Damn! There were at least two of them.
    His eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness, and they darted about, seeking something that could help him. Before he could act, however, Jennifer lunged for the