Because the sensations rampaging through her were not even remotely childlike. The mind-blowing, intensely arousing sensation left behind a trail of fire that heated her up far more than her anger and hurt had. That dragged liquid heat between her thighs and a fierce blush to her face the moment he released her.
Thick silence filled the room, punctuated by their loud breathing. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, to risk him seeing just how intensely,carnallyhis spanking had affected her.
Dear God, could this get any worse? Could she really be turned on by such an act? But deeply compelled, she couldn’t stop herself from pushing back the curtain of hair blocking her view. Watching in fascination as his eyes squeezed shut and his fingers speared in his hair repeatedly.
And then his eyes flew open to reveal smouldering fire aimed at her. ‘Come here,’ he ordered with a voice so guttural it was barely audible.
She moved almost independent of thought and will, with an even deeper, bewildering fascination, this time at herself. At her willingness to be so compliant with this man.
His knees parted, making room for her. Room she breathlessly accepted.
And it was as she slotted herself into the place she yearned to be that she registered the fine tremors rippling through him.
A few more beats before the enormity ofwhysettled even deeper. Valenti witnessing one sister perish was bad enough. But even the outside possibility of witnessing two…
He surged to his feet, but before she could stop herself, she raised her hands and placed them on his chest. A deeper trembling unravelled through him, and his eyes drifted shut for another beat or two before they opened, fierce, perhaps even a little unhinged, to hook into hers.
‘Perdóname,’ he rasped.
‘Apology not accepted,’ she echoed his response. ‘Unless you accept mine.’
A low bark of laughter escaped him as he shook his head once. ‘You drive me to the fucking edge,’ he hissed, then his jaw clenched tight.
‘Too soon,’ she teased, but that died away because the charge between them, rather than dispersing, grew, spun around them like an unstoppable vortex. A black hole pulling them into intensely alien territory.
‘Promise me you won’t ever do something like that again,’ he pressed with hot, ragged insistence.
Her hand scrambled up, curled on his shoulders, her breath coming in gasps as she felt him tremble again. ‘I promise.’
Her ready promise made his eyes narrow for several moments. Moments during which she found herself swaying even closer, his aura gripping her tight, craving that warmth and care she’d missed so very much for what felt like all of her life.
For just one moment, she wanted to experience the heady knowledge that she was the single most important being in hisexistence. Even if it was a delusion she would need to wake up from eventually.
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered against his lips.
For one long moment, he remained silent, their positions frozen. Then the icy drips of reality started to invade the warmth.
It would never go beyond this.
She was once again on the brink of humiliating herself before this man. Her stupid crush refused to die. A sound burst from her throat, wounded, chagrined and much to her horror, a little lost. A lost little lamb no one wanted, destined to be always left out in the cold.
Angry with herself for the pathetic self-pity, and yes, with him for making her needy when she’d been imperfectly lonely on her own, comfortably self-deluding, she lurched back, eager to get away from him.
He made that sound again. Pained. Frustrated. Intensely annoyed.Ravenous.
Strong, firm hands halted her retreat. Then reversed it. Pulling her into his body with the same urgency he’d returned them to the cabin with.
‘Right to the fucking edge,’ he growled against her mouth, before he slammed it on hers.
CHAPTER SIX
Ofcourse.
It was disarmingly predictable that a kiss from the man she’d futilely crushed on for more years than she cared to admit should be earth-shattering.
Had she not been in the process of having her mind and body smelted by the great Valenti Domene, Lotte would have been deeply resentful.
Shewouldbe. At some point in the distant future, she was absolutely certain.
