I had felt… alive. Electric. Every nerve ending in my body had sparked to life.
All I could think of was how sexy he looked on edge, how in his orbit, I felt like I didn’t have to think at all. All I needed to do was trust him, and everything would be okay.
“There’s nothing wrong,” I said, breathlessly. “I…I’m just…” I didn’t know how to tell him that his touch seared through me, that he looked deliciously divine, and if I spent another minute by his side, I might lose control.
I felt his hand still cupping my cheek and instinctively took a step forward, my lashes fluttering against my cheeks.
That was when a look of surprise crossed his face, a sense of knowing.
“You’re not tired,” he shook his head, cocking his head at me like he was unveiling a mystery. “You’re not afraid, either. In fact, in the car, you weren’t worried at all.”
I couldn’t tell him the truth…I just couldn’t without risking it all.
He stepped forward again, the heat from his body skimming against mine, and I felt my heart lurch to reach out and run my hands over his chest.
“Tell me, Beatrice,” he whispered, leaning down until his lips were mere inches away from mine. “What were you feeling in that car?”
“I was terrified,” I said, trying to cover up.
“No, you weren’t.” He moved closer still, close enough that I could smell his cologne, that spicy, woodsy scent that made my head swim. “Your eyes were bright. Your cheeks were flushed. But not from fear.”
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “I think the danger excited you, and I think you liked it.”
I closed my eyes, letting the space between us stretch into a thin wire, knowing his lips were one brush away from mine, and in that moment, I took a chance.
“So what if I did?” I whispered, daring to open my eyes, and this time my world narrowed to my reflection in his eyes. There I was, standing before him, with my mouth parted open, my voice all high, and my face flushed. I was breathless, spent, and I didn’t think I’d ever wanted a man more than I wanted Arko in that moment. “So what if it excited me…if you excited me.”
I did it. In a bold, senseless move, I showed him my cards.
Arko’s eyes widened with surprise.
“I felt alive,” I whispered, leaning so much closer that there was only a hair’s width of space between us, giving him a daring look. “I felt like every cell in my body was awake for the first time.”
His thumb brushed my lower lip, and I felt my breath hitch in my throat, just as my entire body began to tremble from need.
A hungry look settled in his eyes, showing me he felt the same in that moment. Before I could think, before I could remind myself that he had used my greatest fear against me, I brushed my lips against his.
Soft, sweet, an invitation.
For a second, he froze like I had done something sinful. I felt my heart lose a beat, thinking I’d misread the whole thing, but the next thing I knew, his hand was curling into my hair, pressing against the nape of my neck with a delicious harshness.
“Oh.” I let out a breathy moan, curving my spine to crash my hips against his as a thrilling fire spread through me. He tightened his grip on the back of my neck and pulled closer, growling low in his throat as his lips devoured mine.
He tugged and pulled, kissing me till I lost all sense of the world around me. Until there was nothing left but the feel of his muscled, toned body, digging against my soft curves. He let go of my hair, his hands reaching for the hem of my shirt, his fingers pooling under, skimming against my skin.
I moaned at his touch, and he inched up, up, further up until I was a writhing mess. My hands reached for his shoulders, feeling the jagged edges, wandering down to his buttons. Slowly, through our kisses, moment by moment, I undid each one. When I slid it off his shoulders, he growled and lurched, like my skin against his set his world on fire.
“Fuck, Beatrice.” He reached for my shirt and tugged it off. “You’ve been turned on since I came and got you, haven’t you?”
“Mm-hmm.” I nibbled his lower lip, now dropping his belt to the floor.
Arko slid his hands up my thighs, squeezing tight till I felt my knees give way, before cupping my ass and lifting me off the floor. He led me to the bed, throwing me down, devouring the sight of me lying there in nothing but my jeans and bra.
I watched, breathlessly, every inch of me feeling wondrously alive and ecstatic, as he got between my legs and slowly undid the button of my jeans, then the zip. The sound echoed through the room, fabric against fabric, as he slid the jeans down my ankles and threw them on the floor.
“Fuck.” He had a hungry, devilish look about him that got my heart racing faster than a horse around the track. Withhis eyes, he caressed me from neck to toe, his gaze burning into every bit of flesh.
