“We shall see.”
Before I had a chance to disobey him, he was pulling me from the vehicle. With his hand on the small of my back, he led me away from the car. There was a sudden joy in him, unlike the darkness I’d come to enjoy.
Everything about him had me on edge, but in a good way. Even now, butterflies swarmed my stomach, every touch of his hand creating little tremors and goosebumps.
I heard the jingle of keys and knew he was leading me from the sidewalk into a building.
“Stand right there,” he commanded.
With him hovering over me, I did as I was told, trying very hard to figure out where he’d taken me.
In less than a minute, I sensed his presence behind me. He rubbed one hand down my arm and I shuddered audibly. He had even more of an effect on me than before. When the blindfold was finally removed, I blinked several times.
“What is this?” I turned in a full circle, studying the space. The big, beautiful empty space.
“This is your new coffee shop. Simply the Best.” In his hand were two glasses of champagne.
I studied the grin on his face, suddenly overwhelmed by the rush of feelings washing through me. It was as if I was seeing him in a different light. Not because of the gesture but the look on his face, the sparkle in his eyes. And the smile that could light up a room.
There was a sense of freedom in his mannerisms and the jovial look on his face, while still commanding, was freer than before. He’d even forgone his signature suit for a more casual look.
Scrumptious.
“This is incredible.” And it was. At least four times larger than the space the shop was currently in, and it fronted an area of the French Quarter with all the cool bars and restaurants. The lease would cost a fortune.
Sinclair moved closer, his nostrils flaring. “I’m glad you like it. I’ve already hired one of the best restaurant designers in the country to create whatever you want. At my cost of course.”
When our fingers touched once again, my legs began to tremble. “What do I need to give you in repayment?” I flicked my heated gaze to his face, licking my bottom lip since I knew how much the gesture drove him crazy.
He glanced at the ceiling, rubbing his jaw and making a funny face. “Ah, I know. Your full obedience. And every inch of your body for as long as I hunger. Which will be for a very long time.”
“I’m not certain I can give that to you, sir. That’s very close to sexual harassment. I’m certain you wouldn’t like to get in trouble with the law.” I took a sip of the bubbly, backing away. When the bubbles tickled my nose, I laughed. I felt more lighthearted than I had in a long time.
“Well, since I don’t play by anyone’s rules, then I guess we won’t have an issue when I take full control of your body. And your soul.”
“I guess if I’m not careful, you’re going to try for my heart.” The words just fluttered from my mouth before I even realized what I’d said. Or maybe the sinful truth was that my subconscious had been floating the idea of giving it to him.
There were dozens of reasons why I shouldn’t, including that he was a very bad man. Self-admitted, but I’d thought a lot about what his brother had told me during the last two nights when I’d lain awake watching him finally catching some shut-eye.
He was just a regular guy even though he was powerful and dangerous. And I’d fully admitted to myself how much I adored his dark and perilous side. He could certainly keep things interesting.
And sexy.
And exciting.
And my heart fluttered every time I was even near him. With a single look, it was almost as if he was crooking his finger, beckoning me. Of course, I had a way of doing that with him. With the lick of my lips.
Being the wildcat he’d accused me of being, I dared drag my tongue across my bottom lip a second time. I should know better with him. With a single long stride, he was right in front of me, sweeping one arm around my waist and pulling me tightly against him.
“You should be careful teasing a predator.” His husky voice floated around me, the soft sound delicious.
And a promise of sinful things to come later.
“Maybe I like living recklessly.” I rose onto my tiptoes, sliding the tip of my tongue around his lush lips. I followed with my finger, teasing him relentlessly. It was another delicious shock when he pulled my finger into his mouth.
Laughing, I shifted my hips back and forth, the friction doing exactly what I knew it would. The intense throb of his cock kept the butterflies fluttering and my heart racing.
He sucked on my finger for a full thirty seconds. When he released the wet hold, I raked the wet tip from one side of his jaw to the other.
