“Fucking brilliant,” he says to Pepper. “We need to expand your vocab, bird.”
“Fucking brilliant!” Pepper agrees and squawks.
“His name is Pepper,” I say before storming out. “The housekeeper is in charge today. I’m running late.”
“Fucking demon brat,” Declan mutters.
“Demon brat! Demon brat! Fuck! Help!”
I ignore Pepper, and I try to ignore Declan, too, but it’s hard when he grabs my arm, pulls me out into the hall, and pushes me up against the wall.
He leans in and I breathe him in, my heart and stomach fluttering. He’s intoxicating,smoke and incense and dark musk.
My clit throbs and I press my thighs together, right as he bites my throat.
His teeth on my skin are pure fire, and with it the bite of static electricity. And then he licks the spot he just bit.
The stroke of his tongue sets free a moan as my nipples harden, and I’m glad I’m in black Nike Pro shorts and old ballet tights under my loose, dark gray sweats.
Except…as he nibbles his way up, my pussy is buzzing with need, throbbing, and I can feel the wetness pooling.
Crap, what if a wet spot shows anyway, what…
My thoughts stutter to a stop. His lips are soft and inviting as they feather over mine, soft with just the right hint of firmness as he keeps the kisses light and chaste, making me swoon into them, wanting that prize of bite that I get when the kiss deepens and pierces my soul, makes me shudder, and sends my pleasure centers spinning and skidding and flooding everything with that high only he can give me.
I remember that high. I’ve never done drugs, but he turned me into an addict, making me chase that high no matter what the price, until I went cold turkey when he kissed that girl.
It’s enough to make me shove him away now.
“You might be able to kiss, Declan Murphy,” I spit, “but you won’t be kissing me.”
“I just did.”
“Last time. You’re a cheat, a liar, and a no-good fuck boy.”
He frowns. “I never fucked you.”
“I hate you.”
“You got me locked up on lies because your feelings got hurt, Marlowe. I’d be careful where you go with this. Me kissing another girl when we weren’t even dating, and kissing her for a fucking reason that had to do with my particular job at that moment, and you trying to get me put away forassaulting and molesting you, is not the same thing. And don’t think I’m over that bullshit, either.”
Declan shuts down. There’s an easy smile on his face, but his aquamarine eyes are cold. Icy and bitter. Not fiery wrath, just coldness. And that, I think, is worse.
“Consider the subject closed,” I say. “And consider this your last day in my presence.”
“Go to hell, Molly. I’ll do what I want, when I want, and right now, I want to get to the bottom of why you were there in that truckyard, so I’m not going anywhere.”
“Screw you, Declan.”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” he snaps back. “Not interested. Now move your fine ass, I have things to do.”
“Stop!” Monty Abrahams smacks the top of the piano, then stalks up to me. “You’re out of time, Miss Briggs. Take five and then we’ll go from the top.”
Topher Bell, my partner inSwan Lake, whispers, “What’s up with you, Mar? You seem a little stiff. Please tell me you weren’t doing anything stupid.”
I most definitely was. And the most stupid thing I’ve been doing is waiting downstairs for me.
Why can’t my body react to Topher the way it does to Declan? We even dated, but I felt nothing. Zip. Zero. “Overdid it yesterday when I was rehearsing from home.”
