She pushed her bottom back against him, rubbing sensuously against the growing bulge in his jeans. "Umm, I'm in."

Logan spun her around and picked her up. Cradling her in his arms, he climbed the stairs to their bedroom. "Actually,I'll be the one who's in," he murmured against her ear before nipping the lobe.

Bryn moaned. "Sounds good to me, just hurry."

Logan picked up the pace, reached the top of the stairs and strode into the bedroom. Soon the only sounds heard were soft whispers, moans and the rhythmic creaking of the bed.

Chapter Seven.

At nine-thirty that morning, there was a knock at Hayley's front door. She rose from her desk, her stomach clenching, thinking it might be Jace. When she opened the door, it was to find a delivery person holding a very large mixed bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase. She accepted the flowers and, taking them inside, she placed them on her desk. There was a small card. She took it from the envelope and readForgive me? Jace .

The bouquet was a beautiful mix of pastel flowers, pink roses, white statis, yellow chrysanthemums, white daisies with yellow centers, pale pink delphiniums and some small lavender flowers she was unfamiliar with. She smiled as she looked at it and got a bit misty-eyed. Jacewas going to apologize and she was going to get the chance to do so too. Sitting there, she was struck by the need to do something too. Picking up the phone, she put her own order in at the florist.

Two hours later the phone rang. Hayley picked it up and said h.e.l.lo.

"Did you get my flowers?"

"Yes, I did. Did you get my plant?"

"Yes, I did. Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"Yes. Do you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, sweetheart. I was totally out of line."

"Jace, I started it. I should have never said what I said to you."

"I shouldn't have come charging over there all p.i.s.sed off...but I was worried about you."

"I know you were and it makes me feel good to know you care. I should have told you what

happened."

There was a significant pause and they both laughed. "I guess we finally agree on something," Hayley

commented.

"See, I knew it could happen if we just worked on it a little bit."

"I guess you were right."

"Hayley, sweetheart, I want to see you so bad. If I could, I'd be there now instead of calling. Truth is,

I'm on a job and things are at a critical stage right now."

"It's okay. The most important thing is knowing everything's all right between us."

"I know what you mean. I feel a lot better now. Hold on a sec." Hayley could hear a conversation taking

place between Jace and another man. "Sweetheart, I've got to go, these people are driving me nuts. I'll talk to you soon, all right?"

"All right. Bye."

Hayley hung up the phone and sighed. She'd told the truth when she'd said it was important knowing that things were okay between them, but she wanted so much more, especially in light of what Logan had told her the night before.

"Patience, girl, patience," she warned herself and went back to work.

Hayley shut the television off and stretched. It was eleven-thirty and the news broadcast had just ended.

She was debating whether to try writing a new scene she had in mind for her next book or to just call it a day when the phone rang. She picked up the portable phone. The number on the caller ID was unfamiliar but she answered it anyway.

"h.e.l.lo?"

"Hayley?"

"Jace! Hi."

"Hi. I didn't wake you did I, sweetheart?"

"Nope. I just shut the television off. I was sitting here trying to decide if I wanted to work a little more or

go to bed."

"How about you talk to me for a bit instead?"

"I think I could do that," Hayley teased with a pleased smile curving her lips. "So how are things going?"

"Pretty good, now that I've got the customer and his wife to agree on a few things. It's kind of hard to

stay on track when they're pulling in two different directions. Especially when they want to alter the plans midstream."

"Oh dear, that doesn't sound good."

"Believe me, it's not. When the work progresses to a certain point, some changes just aren't going to happen. So how are you?"

"I'm all right." Hayley leaned back on the sofa. "Working on the new book, puttering around in the yard. I planted some iris bulbs and a couple of small flowering bushes out front. The iris should look really pretty next spring."

"Not as pretty as you." "Thank you. You really are sweet, you know that?" "Just tellin' the truth." "If you're trying to get on my good side, it's working. So how areyou ? You sound a little tired." "I am a bit. I was just, uh, watching a little television myself." The slight pause in Jace's voice stirred Hayley's curiosity. "What were you watching?" "Oh, um, just a movie." "Was it good?" "Yeah, it was okay." "Hmm." It suddenly struck Hayley just what kind of movie Jace might have been watching. "What?" "Jace McKenna, were you watching a p.o.r.n flick?"

There was a slight pause before Jace answered. "Okay, you caught me. Yeah, I was."

"I knew it," Hayley crowed. "So, I repeat. Was it good?"

"Hayley, it was p.o.r.n. It wasn't exactly Oscar-worthy material."

Hayley chuckled, loving the slight embarra.s.sment in Jace's voice. Without stopping to think about it she

asked, "So did you jack off while watching it?"

The line went completely silent.

"Jace, are you still there?"

"Hold on. I think I just swallowed my tongue."

Hayley laughed out loud. "What's the matter? You're not embarra.s.sed, are you?"

"Truthfully? Yeah! First you get me to admit to watching p.o.r.n, then you want to know if I got off while

watching it. Darlin', I'll say one thing for you, you're not shy."

"Is that bad?" Hayley bit her lip, worrying that maybe she'd gone too far.

"No, it's not bad at all. It's actually exciting."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I think it's kind of exciting too. I mean, picturing you watching the movie and

touching yourself." "Oh f.u.c.k," Jace murmured, his voice going husky. "Sweetheart, if I could, I'd be crawling through this d.a.m.n phone line to get to you. You've got me rock-hard again. I was watching that movie 'cause I keep thinking about what you did to me in the kitchen. You made me feelso good. I can't get it out of my head, and just thinkin' about it has me walking around half hard all the time." "Umm, baby. I like the sound of that," Hayley purred. "So, in the movie, did the guy have dark hair like you?" "Yeah, why?" "And the girl? Was she blonde?" "Yeah." "Did you imagine she was me, that he was f.u.c.king me?" "h.e.l.l no! I imaginedI was f.u.c.king you. No one else touches you, Hayley. Ever. Not even in a fantasy,"

Jace growled. His intensity sent a shiver down Hayley's spine and shaft of l.u.s.t straight to her already moistening p.u.s.s.y. "You know, you have quite a possessive streak. It's very s.e.xy. It makes me feel like you really want me."

"Oh, darlin', Ido want you. And not just for s.e.x. Haven't I made that clear?"

"Well, yeah, but maybe I'm a little insecure about it. n.o.body's ever made me feel the way you do," Hayley confessed.

"Hayley, sweetheart, you've got nothin' to be insecure about. In case you haven't figured it out, you got me wrapped around your little finger."

"Jace." Hayley bit her lip, touched at Jace's admission. "Baby, I don't want you wrapped around my finger. I just want you wrapped around me."

"Oh nowthat I can do. As soon as I get home, yeah?"

"Yeah, but in the meantime, since you got me all fired up, I think it's only fair you do something about it."

"Igotyou fired up? Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"Wellll, maybe," Hayley drawled. "But anyway, would you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Come for me."

"Oh f.u.c.k."

"What?"

"There went my tongue again."

Hayley's laugh was soft and sensual. "Is that a yes or a no?"

"It depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you're gonna get naked and play with that sweet little p.u.s.s.y of yours for me."

"Whoa," Hayley breathed. "This swallowing of the tongue thing is becoming contagious."

This time it was Jace's turn to laugh. "Two can play this game, you know. In fact, a game like this absolutely requires two."

"I can totally see that. Um, just let me get ready."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to the bedroom and get naked. If we're going play I want to be comfortable."