But I know he’s watching the way I react to him.
With a small smile, he waits, cataloguing every response.
When he’s ready, he uncrosses my arms and lowers them.
Suddenly chilled, with goose bumps racing up my arms, I pull my shoulders back.
Even though I want to run, I will not cower.
And I will do my duty.
He slides his palms up my ribcage, making me remember the humiliating way I reacted at the bridal shop when he slid a hand inside my bodice to toy with my nipple.
No matter how I feel about this man, my body reacts to him.
His touch deliberate, he strokes the undersides of my breasts through the thin lace of my lingerie.
My nipples tighten instantly, becoming traitorous little peaks that press against fabric that feels too tight, too revealing.
Heat gathers low in my belly, slick and insistent, and the knowledge infuriates me more than anything else.How dare my body remember the night he bought me a drink and made the world tilt?How dare it betray me now?
With one hand, he reaches back to unhook the bra.
Cool air whispers over my bare skin, and my nipples draw even tighter.
I remain where I am, proud and defiant.
“Oh, Valentina…” He lowers his mouth but not to kiss me.To taste.
His tongue circles one aching peak, slow and deliberate.Then he draws it deep.
Pleasure spears straight through me, and my knees buckle.His arm bands around my waist, holding me upright while his mouth continues its ruthless exploration—sucking, licking, scraping teeth lightly enough to make me gasp, hard enough to make me arch.
Every pull of his lips sends another pulse of wet heat between my thighs.I bite my lip until it stings.I won’t give him the satisfaction of hearing me moan.
He switches to the other breast, giving it the same thorough attention.
Deliberately I fist my hands at my sides and squeeze my eyes shut, promising myself I will not touch him, won’t thread my fingers into his hair and pull him closer.
Not ever.
But the man is a master of my body.
Betraying me, my hips rock forward of their own accord, seeking friction.
“That’s it, wife.You’ll give yourself to me.”
Never.
Within seconds, he has my gown on the floor, around my ankles.
Then he kneels to hook his fingers into the lace edge of my panties.
With a single smooth tug, they slide down my legs.He helps me to step out of all the material.And since the alternative is falling, I reluctantly accept the assistance.
Now I am completely naked while he remains fully dressed.The imbalance burns.
“God.Damn.You’re fucking delectable.”
