“Stop,” he said, voice tight, but not angry. “Don’t… don’t make me think about that.” His face was grim, but the swirling purple lights in his eyes betrayed the restraint he was trying to hold.
I smiled sweetly.
“Why? It’s only words, Theo. You read and speak them everyday, it’s not like we’re doing anything. It’s not like I am walking over to your table, lying down on my back, inching my dress up higher and higher over my legs.” My fingerstrailed up the inside of my thigh.
He swallowed hard but didn’t move, trying hard to hold his mask of indifference in place.
“I am going to warn you one last time, Mae. There is too much at stake here for us to be distracted by such… basic… urges.”
A laugh escaped me. Only he could make the sexual tension between us sound like something from a biology book.
“Well, the way I see it, you have read extensively about those…basic urges,and I am simply telling you what’s been on my mind lately. I see nothing wrong with that,” I said.
He huffed and shifted his stance to the other leg, but didn’t move a stretch closer.
“Did one of your books ever mention what it would feel like if someone took the feather of your quill and ran it down your bare chest?” I asked softly, letting my hand wander from the base of my neck, down between my breasts and lower still towards my navel, stopping just before my waist.
His jaw clenched, muscles working like he was holding something back. I thought this would be the moment he gave in, walked straight over to me.
But he didn’t. Instead, I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard, and something in his expression shifted.
“You’re good with your words, Maelis. You’re the wordsmith after all,” he said, pushing himself off the bookshelf behind him. “You’re good, but I think I am getting quite tired now and should be getting ready for bed.”
The air left my lungs. There was no way he was thinking about sleeping right now! My body was on fire, I was aching from head to toe, desperate for him to touch me.
He grinned at me, reveling in the fact that he had caughtme off guard for once.
And then I gasped. Because he meant what he had said quite literally and indeed started getting ready for bed, right here, right now, in his office.
He met my gaze and began unbuttoning his tunic, one deliberate button at a time. As each fell away, strips of skin were revealed, warm and enticing. Dark chest hair framed the lines of his muscles, and I felt heat coil low in my stomach, certain I was moments from melting entirely.
When he reached the last button, he pushed the tunic over his shoulders and let it drop to the floor with a soft thud.
Holy fucking hell, he was absolutely beautiful. His chest was sculptured, but not unnaturally. It was clear that years of training had shaped his body. To my surprise, a few scars marred his otherwise flawless skin, and I could still make out the spot where Ignara had hurt him nearly a month ago.
“What’s up Mae, you are suddenly very quiet.” He smirked, barely able to hide his amusement.
I swallowed hard, not trusting my voice.
“I am only admiring your… basic… anatomy,” I rasped, and Theo chortled.
“Oh, what are you admiring exactly?” It was a challenge.
Our roles had been reversed.
“Well, for one… you look well… nourished,” I improvised and received a raised eyebrow for that.
I racked my brain trying to remember my biology class from school.
“Your body is characterized by… well-defined musculature and balanced proportions. The chest muscles are well-developed, providing a broad, firm chest…” I was dying inside. “Overall, the skin appears healthy and firm, with visible veins indicating good blood flow and low body fat, typical of a physically active individual.”
He roared with laughter, and I couldn’t help but giggle too.
“Mae Mae Mae, you truly know how to do the sexy science talk,” he said.
Enough. I had to take back control of the situation.
“So that’s it? Are you going to sleep in your trousers?”
