But he could disguise his intentions in her Game. A Game that, if she accepted, he planned to win, if only because he did not aim to stop until she succumbed to pleasure.
Five. Four.
“Are…” Her lashes lowered, gaze dusky and full of longing. “Are you going to kiss me or what?”
Kieran moved his hand from her cheek, drawing the tip of a finger over her lips. “I’m afraid I can’t indulge that particular request.”
She let out a breathy growl. “What does that even mean? Why? Why can’t you just kiss me?”
Because I would never stop.
Two. One.
He was out of numbers.
“I think, however,” He let his finger glide down her neck. “I could indulge a round of your Game.” He swallowed, breathing growing slow and husky. This was costing him as much, if not infinitely more, than her. “If you are agreeable, that is.”
“I thought…”
“The Game was over?” The almond sweet scent of her flooded his senses and it took all his focus not to inhale. This reckless plan was going to backfire. He knew. He knew that talking like this, touching her at all, tempted madness. But now that he had gone this far he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t bring himself to pull away from the warmth of her skin, wanted to sink further into her and forget everything else. He took a step closer, his fingers skimming over her shoulder, her neck, the exposed skin above her bodice, as if he feared that any pressure might propel him beyond restraint.
“However,” he stilled, a tremor starting in the hand clenched at his side. “However, should you have no wish to play when I’ve been nothing but inhospitable, infuriating, and ‘the-coldest-asshole-to-ever-live’, if memory serves, then your ‘no’ will end this here and now.”
For the love of the Divine. Please. Just say no.
He eased her back a step, another, until her spine straightened against the door. It was not a heated advance, but a slow purposeful glide into insanity. He set one hand flat against the wood. He was no longer touching her, afraid that if he continued his control would falter. Instead, he waited for her answer. Praying that it was to push him away.
Sera’s body was braced against the door, scarcely an inch between them, and he dared to meet her eyes again. For the past several minutes his head had been blissfully focused on nothing beyond Sera. And more than that, he realized that in just the few days he’d spent limiting all contact with her, he had started to miss her.
“Sera?” He pressed, needing her clear, unmistakable answer.
“I thought you said not at work?” She countered, voice sultry, suggestion in her eyes.
He was almost in danger of losing already, his body responding to hers in all the imperceptible ways. Blood and heart and coiling tension. This was thrill. Excitement. He couldn’t remember the last time anything had felt exciting. Gods, it was euphoric.
“I said not in the open.” He lowered the hand braced on the door and locked it.
Kieran leaned, stopping just shy of her painted lips. “Your answer, Seraphina?” He relished the shiver he felt ripple through her, the barest shudder in her limbs. Even as he hated himself for influencing her response, but then, he feared he was no longer in his right mind. If she did refuse him, he might not recover.
“A word from you and this stops. Immediately.” He meant it. He would probably have to gently ease her out of his office,shut the door, lock it, and proceed to find some other outlet for the anticipation and lust coiling impossibly tighter, so tensed a whisper might set him off, but he meant it.
Her dark eyes were wide, unsure, then flitting closed. He watched her throat as she swallowed. She nearly relented, nearly allowed her chin to tilt upward.
She opened her eyes. They shared each deep, trembling breath.
His fingers clenched on the door.
“Sera,” he said. Though he managed to keep the pleading from his tone, it was with great effort. “Do you wish me to stop?”
“I should. It’s the wiser choice,” she whispered.
Disappointment locked in his joints as he prepared to pull back. Yes, sheshouldtell him no. Thank gods one of them seemed to realize it. This was exactly what he had hoped for and yet… and yet…
There was something wrong with him. A lifetime of holding back andnowhe couldn’t manage his lust? Or maybe that was the problem. He had kept his desires so tightly controlled his grip had finally slipped and it was all spilling out at once.
He removed his hands from the door, effectively releasing her from the cage of his body. He prepared to open the door and get Sera on the other side of it, so he could return to reality. But her hand flew to his shirt, fingers digging hard into his waistcoat.
“But I have never been good at making wise decisions.” She pulled him closer. “And if you stop right now I’ll fucking die, I swear to the Divine.” Her head rose to meet him and, somehow, he managed to still her with gentle fingers over her lips.
