Undone by Her Tender Touch - Maya Banks Page 0,2

those brooding lips,” she muttered.

Ashley giggled and then clapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes sparkled merrily.

“Stop staring at him!” Pippa hissed. “You may as well be holding a sign up announcing we’re talking about him.”

Ashley turned her back to Cam, a grin still flirting with her mouth. “So how’d you get him to help out? Did you bat those gorgeous green eyes?”

“I don’t even know,” Pippa said in bewilderment. “He offered. I was kind of rude to him.”

Ashley snickered. “You? Rude?”

Pippa glowered at her. “Shut it.”

Ashley put her hand on Pippa’s arm and rose up on tiptoe to look over her shoulder. “I think I’m being summoned. Seriously, though, Pip. I’m not worried about the food so much that I want my best friend to be the serving wench for the evening. Go put the tray up and join us for a drink.”

Pippa switched the platter from one hand to the other as she surveyed the room. There were too many important potential clients to just shrug off such an opportunity. Ashley had given her the chance and she wasn’t going to squander it.

“I’ll check with you later, Ash. I have mingling to do. Your guests look hungry.”

Before Ashley could respond, Pippa was off, wading into the crowd, a bright smile on her face.

* * *

“Are you out of your mind?”

Cameron turned to see Devon staring at him as if he was nuts. Cameron set the empty tray onto the sideboard and grinned at the look of absolute what-the-hell? on his friend’s face.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been asked that.”

“You’re playing waiter tonight?”

Cameron shrugged. “Pippa needed help. She looked like she was close to melting down. I figured that wouldn’t make Ash very happy.”

Devon frowned as he studied Cameron for a long moment. “I think you’re full of crap.”

But Cameron ignored Devon as his gaze caught Pippa melting into the crowd. She moved with effortless grace. She was mesmerizing to watch. He tracked her progress across the room as she smiled and greeted many of the guests. She laughed, and irritation sparked that he hadn’t been able to hear what it sounded like.

He’d been watching Pippa for months. She’d drawn his notice the very first time he’d seen her. He hadn’t actually met her then. They hadn’t been officially introduced until the third time they were at the same event. Even then he’d treated her as he treated most people. Cordial politeness. Faint disinterest. But he’d been anything but disinterested.

She hadn’t realized it, but he’d marked her from that very first moment. Like a predator marking prey. He watched and waited for that perfect moment. Working up to when he’d take her to bed and lose himself in that satiny skin and silky mane of glossy dark hair.

He could just feel the strands brushing through his fingers and falling down around them both. Her astride him, head thrown back as he pulled her down onto him again and again.

He muttered a foul curse when his body reacted fully to the erotic fantasy. He was at a housewarming, for God’s sake. The focus was supposed to be on babies, happy homes, puppies and rainbows. Not how fast he could get Pippa to his house a half mile down the road so they could indulge in a night of hot sex.

He was certain she was as attracted to him as he was to her. Often when she thought he wasn’t looking, her eyes glowed warm with lust as she fixed her gaze on him. He enjoyed those stolen glances because that was when he could see the honesty in her eyes.

The rest of the time she hid behind that brassy facade, the take-no-crap-off-anyone exterior. But inside? He was absolutely sure she was warm and gooey and all feminine purr. He couldn’t wait to run his fingers over her body and elicit that throaty sound of pleasure.

“Cam, what the hell, man? Hello? Anyone home?”

He blinked and turned to see that Devon was still standing there. He scowled. “Don’t you have a wife to tend to?”

Devon shook his head. “Do you have any idea how pathetic you look mooning over her from across the room?”

Cameron’s nostrils flared. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Devon said with a snort. “Good God. Just go over there and get it done with. And then get a room, for Pete’s sake.”

“Oh, I’ll get a room,” he said softly. “She’s going to be locked in mine the entire night.”

Devon made