Page 72 of What Doesn't Kill You…

She melted against him. "Then shut up," she said before she kissed him again.

This time, Max did as he was told.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

This was Violet's first attempt at seduction, and she thought it was going very well, so far. Much better now Max had stopped questioning everything. She wasn't a novice when it came to sex, but generally when she went to bed with a man, it was all planned out and she knew what to expect. Not so with Max. She felt as though he'd blindsided her. No matter how hard she tried to keep her distance from him, he still managed to get close—even to the point where he was somehow getting her to sleep on top of him.

The whole thing was strange and confusing, and tempting and exciting. She wanted to touch, wanted to explore, wanted to figure out why he attracted her so. And the wanting was making her crazy because she should have been more focused on protecting his ass. They were in the middle of a dangerous op and instead of doing her job, she was rubbing herself all over her client, like a cat in heat. It wasn't professional. It wasn't even on the same planet as professional. And yet, she couldn't stop doing it.

Worse.

She didn't want to stop doing it.

She broke the drugging kiss to remind him of a few things. "Don't get too carried away," she said. "We need to keep an eye out for danger. Remember, I'm still your bodyguard."

"Don't get too carried away?" He sounded both confused and amused.

Violet feared he was already too far gone and couldn't think straight. "Never mind, I'll stay alert for both of us."

"You'll stay alert for both of us?" he repeated.

Yep, he was definitely past the point of thinking clearly. On the one hand, she pitied his inability to stay aware of their surroundings. On the other hand, she felt quite smug that she'd managed to kiss his ability to reason right out of his head. This seduction was going very well indeed.

She slid her hands under his T-shirt, feeling the muscles of his abdomen ripple. "You work out," she said.

"No need to sound surprised," Max said. "I thought we weren't allowed to talk."

"We can talk, you just can't ask any questions, or analyze anything, or go digging for motive or story."

"So," he said. "I'm only supposed to be your sex toy, is that it?"

Oh, she very much liked the sound of that. "Yeah, that works for me."

He chuckled. It was low and sexy and made her privates tremble. "Then what do you want me to do first? You're the boss."

Violet felt quite giddy at the thought. "We need to get out of these clothes," she decreed. "Now."

He sat up in one smooth motion, taking her with him until she was sitting on his lap. With a twist of his body, they were perched on the edge of the bed. Strong hands placed her on her feet in front of him. Fast as lightning, he whipped off his T-shirt.

This wouldn't do at all. "We need more light," she said. "I can't see a thing." She reached for the lamp, but his hand clasped her wrist.

"Let's open the skylight instead," he said.

She nodded and hit the button to retract the blind from the skylight. Moonlight flooded the room, painting everything in a seductive silver light.

"Better," Violet said as she stepped back to look at Max. "Pants off." She gestured to his pajamas.

With a wicked smile, he stood and slid them down his legs.

Oh my.

"Do I meet your requirements for a sex toy?" he asked in a low drawling tone that made her stomach clench with need.

Violet nodded. "I don't have the words."

"That's because most of them freak you out." He stepped close to her and started unbuttoning her pajama top.

"I can do it," she said reaching up to move his hands.