“I’ll be the judge of that,” he murmurs, opening the door. A blast of cold air hits me when we step inside, and it’s a welcome cure to my overheated skin.
“Do you own this place?” I ask as he strides through a wide glass-domed entryway. Sunshine spills into the bright airy space from overhead, showcasing a myriad of marble tables with various vases adorned with colorful blooms. Underfoot, his feet squeak on beige porcelain tiles.
“Affirmative.”
“You’re so weird.”
Cue more laughing. “I’ve been called many things, but weird is a new one, kitten.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“No.” He waggles his brows as he strides past a ginormous kitchen with white and gray gloss cabinets and expensive marble countertops. Dishes are piled high in the sink, and various items clutter the top of the island unit.
“Okay, Gage.” Two can play that game.
Fiero flashes me a set of perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth, and I’m suddenly conscious of how close we are. A light dusting of freckles is scattered on the bridge of his tan nose, and a small, thin jagged scar resides on one side of his top lip. I’m all pressed up against him with my nose brushing the side of his hair. He smells like saltwater and peppermint and everything I should steer clear of. “Put me down,” I command again.
“Never,” he whispers, holding me tighter against him as he walks into a large living room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a black-leather L-shaped sectional positioned in front of a giant TV and entertainment center. Various items of clothing litter the floor, and the top of the coffee table is covered with half-empty takeout cartons and discarded beer bottles. Magazines are stacked in a pile to one side of the couch as Fiero gingerly sets me down, placing my legs lengthways on the soft leather.
“I should probably apologize for the mess,” he says with an impish grin, looking completely unapologetic.
“You need a cleaner.”
“You offering?” he asks as he carefully removes my shoes.
“Is this the part where you tell me five million dollars is not just for lying on my back and spreading my legs?”
He has the nerve to look offended. “Don’t be so crass.”
“You’re the one who told me you’d be filling all my holes!”
“Jesus, kitten. Wash your mouth out.”
“Did you or did you not say that?” I ask, pushing my body up with my hands.
“You’re a lady, and ladies don’t speak such vulgarities.”
Oh my god.Is he for real?“I’ll add hypocrite and archaic to the list of adjectives I use to describe you,” I bark, watching as he removes supplies from the bag.
“You have a list?” He waggles his brows, and I scowl at him. “I’m flattered.”
“Don’t be. It’s the opposite of flattering.”
“I don’t believe you.” He dazzles me with his signature grin, and my ovaries swoon. “Hold still.” Taking my injured ankle, he lifts it onto his bare thighs, and I bite back a gasp as fiery tremors shoot up my legs from the skin-to-skin contact. It’s worse when he inspects my heel with gentle fingertips, and I chew on the inside of my mouth to stifle my moan. “You have a cut, but it’s not deep.”
“Okay.” I cringe at my high-pitched tone, especially when Fiero looks up and grins. He knows how he affects me, and he’s going to milk it nonstop.
I have never had such a strong physical reaction to any man ever before. Not even Damiano, and I was seriously hot for my high-school boyfriend. Pain spears me through the chest even now as I recall how that relationship was the catalyst for everything that subsequently happened to me.
“This might sting a little.”
I brace myself as he cleans the wound with a sterile wipe, and it does sting, but it’s nothing compared to the injuries I’ve sustained before. I’m quiet as I watch him pat the cut with a gauze pad and apply ointment and an adhesive bandage. His callused palms linger on my feet as his eyes trail a path along my bare legs. I swallow heavily, and the air is thick with electrifying tension. His gaze captures mine, and I forget how to breathe. He is so beautiful, and I’m captivated by his wide blue eyes and the heated intensity of his stare. My pussy pulses and clenches with raw need, and thick desire curls deep in my lower belly when his fingers begin to travel up my legs. My breath hitches, and my heart pounds. Warmth invades my flesh every place wherehe touches me, accompanied by sizzling tingles that crank my desire to dizzying heights.
When his fingers breach the hem of my dress, I snap out of my lust-filled daze and clamp my hand down firmly on his to stall his upward trajectory.
We stare at one another, neither of us moving, both drowning in the potent chemistry we share. My eyes plead with him to stop, and his seem to saynever. My heart is thrashing wildly around my chest cavity, and my panties are damp with the evidence of my arousal, but this can’t happen. I’m married and his deal is only temporary.
Fiero withdraws his hand and averts his eyes. “There.” His voice is deeper, gruffer. “You’ll live.”
