“Admit it, Poppy. You enjoy letting someone else take control.” He grinned and lifted his glass in a mock toast.
“That’s ridiculous,” I muttered, but heat climbed up my spine. He might not believe in love, but he sure used romance and that dirty, wicked mouth to his advantage.
“Is it?” Ivan’s mouth twitched harder.
I looked away, keenly aware that I’d been staring at it as he drank.
I definitely was not wondering what it tasted like.
“It is.” I unfolded my napkin over my lap to give myself something to do. The slippery linen managed to bring some warmth to my bare skin.
“You know what I think?” Ivan’s voice dropped lower, a dangerous purr that vibrated across the table.
“I’m sure you’re about to tell me,” I retorted, taking a sip of wine for courage.
Ivan leaned forward, closing the distance between us. “I think you’ve spent your whole life being responsible. Taking care of everyone else. Making the safe choice.” His eyes traced my face with such intensity I felt physically touched. “When was the last time you did something just because it felt good?”
“Yesterday. I made chocolate chip cookies and ate the dough,” I quipped, though my voice betrayed me by coming out breathless.
His laugh was unexpected—rich and genuine. It transformed his face, softening the dangerous edges into something almost boyish. My stomach did a little flip.
“You’re delightful, Poppy,” he said, the humor still dancing in his eyes. The light from the small votive candle cast gold flecks in them. “Speaking of control, take off the cardigan.”
Heat rushed between my legs. I shifted without thinking, only to realize he noticed. The way his smile coiled said he knew.
“Excuse me?” I stammered.
“You heard me.” His voice was soft but left no room for argument. “I want to see you.”
“We’re in public,” I hissed, glancing around nervously.
Ivan’s smile turned predatory. “And yet, I notice you didn’t say no.”
The worst part was he was right. I hadn’t said no. I’d made an excuse.
Instead of opening my mouth to argue, I became a marionette. Invisible strings lifted my hands. Slowly, with deliberate intention, my fingers worked the three small buttons along my sternum. I held his gaze, not backing down from the challenge.
The cardigan whispered from my shoulders, the feeble shroud falling and losing its protection.
There I sat. Bare skin on display. Body at the mercy of his terrible gaze.
It felt…exhilarating. A madness that felt like freedom.
“There you are,” he murmured.
The first course arrived, some delicate arrangement of seafood that I barely registered. Ivan watched me take a bite, his gaze tracking the movement of my fork to my lips.
What was I doing? This wasn’t me!
I was a good girl, content to live a quiet life.
And yet, I spent the rest of dinner trapped in a song and dance with the very devil who’d offered me no choice but to stay his prisoner.
Chapter 16 – Poppy
“What is this place?” I breathed.
Ivan cut the engine. “I own several clubs and bars, but Nosh is the beating heart of my territory.”
