He wrapped his arms around her, moaned against her lips as surrender. And he kissed her back.
Chapter 12
Juliana had expected Ellis would give in the moment his gaze had flickered over her from head to toe and she’d seen his desire for her. It had been a triumph to recognize he wanted her. That she had some power over this powerful man. And when she kissed him, she had expected him to be swept away.
Only he…wasn’t. He held her, cradled her like she was something worth her weight in gold. His mouth moved over hers and it was so infinitely gentle. Almost reverent as his hands fisted against her back and his tongue breached her lips.
She shivered, and he cupped her closer, molding their bodies until there was no space between them, no breath between them. She clung to him, tilting her head to allow him deeper.
Some small part of her shifted as he tasted her. As she tasted him. She was not going to make it out of this unchanged, no matter what happened next.
As if she’d said that out loud, he cupped her waist and pushed her aside gently. He stepped back, his breath coming short. “Don’t do this, Juliana.”
“To myself or to you?” she asked, her voice shaking as hard as her body.
He met her gaze, and there was a desperation there. “Both,” he whispered.
Her lips parted at that one word, spoken in a tone that broke her heart. He was trying so hard to be cruel, to be cold. To push her away and be the villain he’d been his whole life. But it wasn’t real. He was vulnerable.
And she realized in that moment that she would not walk away.
“You need me,” she said softly.
He shook his head even as his gaze moved over her again. “No, I don’t. I don’t needanyone, angel.”
“Liar,” she said, without heat. Without cruelty.
He nodded. “Yes. Absolutely. I tell lies to beautiful creatures like yourself, and all of them believe me. They give me what I want and itmeans nothing.”
She saw the truth of him now and so the harshness no longer stung her. She placed her hands on her hips and arched a brow at him. “Then what did you get from me?”
His brow wrinkled. “What?”
“You said you only trade on what you get. So what did you get from me?”
His jaw set. “Fun,” he ground out, his angry tone belying the meaning of that one little word.
She smiled. “Good. I want that fun, too. And in return, I’ll help you.”
He jerked back and she almost laughed, for he looked truly confused. “Help me?” he repeated.
“Yes, I want to help you,” she said. “It means to render aid. Be of assistance. And I’m doing it so you might as well stop arguing with me, you great oaf.”
Looking at Juliana Shelley, hands on her hips like an angry governess, green eyes flashing, absolute certainly on her utterly beautiful face, all of Ellis’s act slipped. How could he pretend to be cold when she was so…so…so utterly mystifying?
“I know what the words mean,” he said. “I just…you want to help me? How do you think you could possibly do that?”
She clucked her tongue. “Come now. You’re supposed to be some great underground lord, aren’t you? You must see what use I could be to you. Winston Leonard isn’t just some everyday villain. He is a duke’s son.Lord Winston. And I have access to parts of his world that would be far more challenging for you to breach. That means I can find things you cannot.”
“Juliana,” he gasped, and reached for her. He caught her wrist and tugged her a fraction closer. “That would be very dangerous.”
She covered his hand with hers and stroked her fingers across his skin. “I’m not afraid of dangerous, Mr. Maitland. Or haven’t you figured that out yet.”
“You should be,” he snapped even as he staggered back from her temptation. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Perhaps not,” she said and smiled at him. “Certainly, I would be much safer if a man from that world was protecting me and helping me, just as I am helping him.”
“God, you are relentless,” he barked as he paced away from her. “You are out of control.”
