And he especially didn’t want either of those things with a woman who reminded him way too much of Alice.
But the second he’d laid eyes on her on the beach, he’d thought of nothing but being with her again. She looked so fucking sexy in the bright pink bikini that clashed with her shocking red hair, and that grandma straw hat, which should have looked wrong on a woman as wildly attractive as Jane, but, well, the hat was pretty damn sexy too.
What was the matter with him? Why was he so drawn to this woman? He’d only spent an hour with her yesterday, ten minutes of that had been spent with his cock shoved inside her. Yet that was all the time he’d needed to know that, while they were explosive in the sex department, she wasn’t his type. At least not anymore. He wasn’t into bold, ambitious women any longer. He wanted someone…wholesome. A woman he could start a family with, who’d have dinner waiting for him when he got home, who wouldn’t argue with him about every goddamn thing. Fine, so it was old-fashioned of him to long for a Suzie Homemaker, but after the fourteen years he’d spent with Alice, he wanted old-fashioned. He wanted safe.
And Jane Harrison was not safe.
Oh no, everything about her screamed danger, from her pouty red lips to those mouthwatering tits to the sass that came out of her sexy mouth.
Stifling a groan, he strode into his cottage, his gaze immediately landing on the phone sitting on the coffee table of the elegant living area. Jane had gone back to her room to change, so he still had time to fix this. To tell her he’d decided he wanted to be alone.
Only problem was he didn’t want to be alone.
He wanted to be with Jane.
The groan he’d been holding slipped out. He kicked off his flip-flops and stared at the doorway leading into the bedroom. Before he could stop himself, he imagined Jane lying on the king-size bed, her naked body stretched across the silk sheets, her red hair fanned over the stark white pillow. His cock instantly hardened.
Damn it, why did he want this woman so badly?
Turning away from the bedroom, he sank down on the leather couch situated in front of the electric fireplace and switched on the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. He channel surfed for a while, but his attention was elsewhere. His gaze kept moving to the front door, anticipating Jane’s arrival. By the time she finally sauntered up to his door a half hour later, his entire body was tense, every muscle taut with barely restrained desire.
He opened the door before she could even knock, causing her to grin and raise her delicate reddish-brown eyebrows. “Have you been waiting by the door this entire time?”
“No,” he lied.
Jane’s strappy sandals clicked against the floor as she walked into the cottage. Her blue-eyed gaze swept around the room, from the living area to the kitchen and dining room, then the bedroom door. Then she turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed. “Are you a drug dealer?” she asked.
“What?”
“You can’t possibly afford this place on a SEAL’s salary. I know, I researched it once,” she said frankly.
Becker couldn’t help a laugh. He should’ve been insulted, both by the fact that she was asking if he was a drug dealer and also because she was inquiring about the finances of a stranger, but somehow it seemed completely normal coming from Jane.
“I am not a drug dealer,” he told her. “And since you’re so curious, I can afford this suite because I come from a wealthy family. Ever heard of BCI?”
She wrinkled her forehead. “The pharmaceutical company?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “My family is the B in BCI.”
Jane looked impressed. “Can you buy me something outrageously expensive?” she said suddenly, an impish smile curving her lips. “You know, so that I can tell everyone the B in BCI is my sugar daddy.”
He barked out another laugh. “I really hope you’re kidding.”
“Of course I am,” she said as she dropped her purse on the arm of the couch. “I don’t need outrageous gifts.” Her voice suddenly grew husky. “Everything I want is standing right in front of me.”
A jolt of arousal sizzled down to his crotch. He knew what she meant. Everything he wanted was standing in front of him. Jane had changed out of the sexy bikini into an even sexier knee-length sundress that clung to her curvy frame. The vibrant yellow dress looked amazing with her red hair, and the way the material swirled over her shapely legs sent another spark of heat to his groin.
“Are we going to keep ignoring it?” Jane asked.
He swallowed. “Ignore what?”
“The fact that we want to rip each other’s clothes off.” She took a purposeful step toward him. “Tell me the truth—have you ever felt anything like this before?”
“No,” he admitted.
He could swear he saw a flicker of vulnerability on her face. “Me neither.” Whatever he’d seen in her gaze was burned up in the seductive fire that filled her eyes. “I don’t quite understand it, but I know I don’t want to fight it.”