She studied him, a sudden realization dawning on her. He was trying to scare her off. Trying to keep her at arm’s length. As if he thought she was on the verge of falling for him, and he wanted to avoid that at all costs.
The fact he was right pissed her off. The realization bruised her pride. Well, she had news for him—she didn’t go around leaving her heart at the feet of men who didn’t want it. She snatched that organ up and crammed it back into her chest where it belonged, all while glaring at Stone. What an ass.
“You’d make a lousy dark hero,” she practically shouted, suddenly in the mood for a fight. “Sure, you’re tough on theoutside. Your job demands it. But inside, you’re a stickler for rules. Hell, that’s why you’re mad. I didn’t play by your rules. Newsflash, alpha types don’t give a damn about rules.”
“You’re mistaken if you think my actions are governed by them,” he countered with a steely edge.
“Prove it,” Sophie dared, her eyes locked on his.
His nostrils flared. “How exactly would you have me do that?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, her voice casual but her mind racing. “You’re the alpha. Figure it out.”
“You won’t like my choice.” His voice was a low growl. Like he was a caged animal being toyed with.
Sophie ignored the danger signs and flashed him a mischievous smile. “How about you prove it by breaking your rule to never get involved with a client?”
He closed the distance between them, his presence hot and overwhelming. “You’re playing with fire,” he warned, his voice a dangerous whisper.
“Fraud much?” she taunted lightly, challenging his self-control and the very rules he clung to.
Stone grabbed her shoulders, and for a heart-stopping moment, they stood locked in a silent standoff under the dark sky, his breath shallow, her heartbeat thundering in her ears like a frantic drum.
“If you’re smart, you’ll tell me to stop. Right now. This moment.” His voice was rough with restrained intensity.
Sophie met his gaze unflinchingly. Just because he wasn’t worthy of her heart didn’t mean she didn’t want to finish what they’d started this morning. “You’re bluffing.”
With a low groan, he pressed her back against the railing of the rooftop garden, the lights of Manhattan twinkling like distant stars.Whoseroof garden she couldn’t be sure and didn’t really care. All that mattered was the darkness enveloping them, the solitude of their high-rise retreat, and the raw intensity in hiseyes as he promised she’d just poked a bear. A bear who vowed to prove her wrong.
Sophie tried to drum up a little concern and found none existed. The truth was she wasn’t a bit sorry at the idea of Stone schooling her in such a way.
“I don’t bluff,” he warned, his voice a rough whisper that brushed against her skin just before his hands cradled her face. Then, his lips assaulted hers in a kiss that caused her whole body to wake up with fiery need. A kiss that shouted resisting was a waste of time.Like that was going to happen.She’d waited her whole life to be kissed like this.
Sophie raised her hands and allowed her fingers to trace the contours of his chest until they rested at the nape of his neck; then she danced them over his newly shaven head.
She paused, a flicker of curiosity about his choice to return to being bald. Part of being her cinnamon roll hero boyfriend was having hair.
His hips pressed against hers, snapping her back to the heated moment at hand.
After years of devouring romance novels where the tortured hero surrenders to his deepest urges for the forbidden woman, Sophie was finally experiencing it in reality. Every bad boy decision she’d ever made had been with the hopes of this deliciousness. Of feeling the hard evidence of a man’s arousal pressed against her, signaling that his need had him twisted up in delicious torment. And finally—finally—she’d found a bad boy who actually delivered on the fictional hype.
His tongue dove into her mouth, and she released a moan so primal it rippled through her, sending a shiver of anticipation spiraling down to her core. His hands traced a path from her face to her shirt, his touch electrifying. He pulled back just enough to catch a glance at the word she’d emblazoned there in hot pink,then flashed her a wicked grin. “The next shirt I wear of yours better screamalpha.”
Before she could even nod, his lips claimed hers once more, fervent and insistent. His hands charted a tantalizing path down her chest to the hem of her shirt, slipping beneath the fabric with a boldness that sent her pulse racing. They ascended her stomach in a slow, seductive crawl until they found their destination, cupping her breasts through the delicate lace of her bra, lingering there in a bold, possessive hold. Squeezing.
Sophie’s fingers itched to explore just as brazenly. She reached for his belt. Her hands, slightly clumsy in their eagerness, fumbled. With a low chuckle, he stepped back and undid it himself. With a few swift movements, he stripped down to his boxers and then stood proudly before her.
Holy fairytale endings. The tip of his cock, poking out of his boxers in a most delightful display of readiness, met all her book boyfriend fantasies…and then some. “The epitome of Victorian-faint-worthy yumminess,” she managed to murmur, causing him to laugh.
Before Sophie could mirror his daring undress, he swept her back into his arms, his movements decisive as he steered them to a secluded wall away from the ledge. With a swift tug, he peeled her shirt over her head, his fingers deftly unhooking her bra clasp. The cool wall at her back contrasted with the heat of his urgent touch, sending shivers of anticipation down her spine.
As she let her hands drift down, her bra slipped from her shoulders and fluttered to the floor, his eyes following its descent before returning to hers.
“Magnificent,” he murmured, reverently. His voice thick with awe, painting a vivid portrait of an alpha on the verge of losing control.
A playful breeze teased around her neck, coaxing a shiver from her. She drew him in closer, craving his warmth, and was instantly rewarded by the firm press of his chest against hers.
Sophie had always been a sucker for a romance where the man was carved with six-pack abs and possessed the rough touch of chest hair. This was her first actual encounter with such a man who had both.
