The man was so infuriating, but he stopped immediately and, in a few seconds, he pulled me to my feet, turning me around to face him.
Thank God, no one walked in, or I’d be the laughingstock of the entire town. Panting, I gripped his arms to steady myself, wanting to hate him even while continuing to tingle all over.
My pussy throbbed as he lowered his head. I tried one last time to come to my senses and push him away, but as with almost everything else in my life, I failed miserably.
Which was why when he captured my mouth, all acts of common sense were tossed aside. The taste of his lips alone was enticing, the hint of bourbon fusing with the rich notes of blackberry from my wine as breathtaking as the way he was holding me.
As if he’d never let me go. Ridiculous, of course. This was his way of asserting whatever level of dominance he believed rightfully belonged to him. As soon as I shifted in his arms, he rolled the flat of one hand down my back, cupping my bottom. The material of my dress was so thin I could feel the clear definition of his fingertips digging into my skin.
Even worse was the pulsing sensation of his cock pressed between my legs. He was rock hard.
I willed myself to push him away, almost succeeding when I drove my hands into his muscular forearms. The failure allowed me to roll one arm over his shoulder, grasping a handful of thick, soft hair.
He swept his tongue inside, dancing his against mine, but there was no doubt which one of us was in control. I’d had men kiss me before, some I’d believed amazingly passionate, but none had never directed butterflies to my stomach or made me feel lightheaded.
The sense of being swept away, as if nothing else mattered but this moment and this man was overwhelming.
As the kiss continued, a series of stars floated in front of my eyes. My God, the man was hard all over, so strong that when he lifted me off my feet, it felt as if I was flying.
While he’d been tender yet demanding at first, the irrevocable passion exploded between us, the kiss now an embodiment of sin. When he pulled our lips free, easing me to the floor, he tightened his hold on my hair. The fact his mouth remained only inches away was thrilling. Challenging. I clung to him, wrapping my fingers around his shirt as I licked my lips.
His eyes were hooded, studying me as intently if not more than before.
“Fleur. Are you in here? You need to see… this because…” Bekka’s voice trailed off and while I couldn’t see her expression, I had no doubt her eyes were saucers, her mouth hanging open. “Oops.”
That clinched it. There was no way I’d live this down. Heat was no longer just finding a home between my legs. My neck and cheeks were flushed, the fire we’d shared causing a single bead of perspiration.
With a smug look replacing one of intense desire, he allowed me to back away, but not before swiping the tip of his finger through the bead of sweat. Why was it that everything about him was sexy as hell, including how he rolled the drop between his fingers?
All while never blinking.
But he was smiling as if he’d won a round with me.
In the different light, he seemed almost familiar, but not in a way that would indicate I’d met him before or had even seen him on the street in my present or former life. It was the sense that I’d known men like him, wildly dangerous to a treacherous level. Completely devoid of a conscience, their only concept regarding morality decidedly black.
The thought alone should drive me away from him, keeping me behind locked doors until he decided to leave town; not leave me finding him even more intriguing than before or wanting nothing more than to slide a little into his pitch-black world.
I stood my ground, lifting my head and rolling the tip of my finger around my mouth. “Not bad,” I said, almost in passing. “Now you can run along.”
His laugh was low and throaty, a deep rumble that sent shockwaves through me as the sound reverberated in the dense space.
“Oh, wow,” Bekka said from behind me.
“What were you trying to tell me, Bekka?” I asked, never taking my eyes off him.
“That um… That Zoe. You remember, Zoe? Anyway, she’s riding the bull. There’s a bet going on.”
“I’ll be right there.”
When she didn’t budge right away, I slowly twisted my head so I could see her out of the corner of my eye. Fortunately, she got the message, backing away with continued uncertainty, even bumping into the edge of the counter. Now befuddled, she finally managed to claw her way out the door.
Now we were the only two people in the overheated room once again.
“You’re an insufferable bastard.” My words seemed hollow, without any ounce of conviction.
And he knew it.
“Yes, I am.”
