“In a sec.” A door opened then closed. Beautiful warmth flowed over her, and she shuddered again as he lowered her to her feet. “Did you peek?”
“Of course, not!” She huffed out a laugh, her eyes still shut. “You’d probably make me pay in some form of sexual punishment.”
“Pity.”
At his teasing tone, Darci snorted and opened her eyes. Her gaze widened and swept past him. She took in the two-story, wooden chalet with its open-plan kitchen and living room where a fire spluttered in the stone hearth. At the far side of the room, a narrow staircase led to the upper level. Beneath it, an arched entrance preceded into a corridor and probably more rooms. “Wow… It’s beautiful. Where are we?”
“Our cabin in the Highlands.”
“Hardly a cabin. This is enormous.” She pivoted to him and grinned. “I love it! I’ve never been to Scotland—heck, I’ve never even left New York.”
“It’s good you like it...” Blaéz slowly undid his tie and tossed it onto a small table near the couch. “Because I’m not letting you out of bed. If you leave, I’ll just make love to you wherever I find you.”
At his intense stare, and despite his sensual threat, her heart tripped—her love expanding more than she believed possible for this quiet but absolutely lethal warrior.
His dark brow arched as if daring her to counter him.
Biting back a smile, Darci pulled off his tux jacket and dropped it onto the couch. Closing the small distance between them, she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth. “Does it look like I’m protesting, hmm?”
“No, you merely like to torment me.”
True. But she knew better than to say that. She unfastened several buttons on his black shirt, slid the material apart, and glided her palms over his hard, muscular chest, loving the feel of him. She pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his sternum, then trailed her lips to his flat male nipple. She licked the tiny nub.
A low growl escaped him. His eyes gone an inky-blue, he slowly rolled up his sleeves and walked around her. He deftly removed her veil and dropped it on the armchair. Then utter silence followed.
Frowning, she cut him a quick look over her shoulder and found him staring blankly at her back. He’d folded his one arm over his chest while his right hand rubbed his sensual lips as if trying to figure out what to do.
Darci hid her smile and waited, aware that he faced an army of almost thirty or so tiny buttons that marched down her back bodice to her hips.
Warm hands settled on her nape, and he unfastened the first satin-covered closure. “Did they leave any buttons for the next gown?” he asked drily.
“I think they’re all on my dress. Just to torture you.”
“Indeed.”
As he undid the next fastening, he pressed his lips to her exposed flesh. Her breath hitched, her smile vanishing. Goosebumps spread over her skin, and her blood went into a slow burn. Another button loosened, followed by another sensual kiss, this time with a little flick of his tongue, and desire swept through her. Oh, God. Darci shivered, prayingshesurvived his sensual onslaught.
Finally, he worked free the last button with a slow, heated, stomach-churning kiss low on her spine. His palms glided up her back in a lingering caress before he strolled to her front, appearing cool and calm while she was about to dissolve into a puddle of goo at his feet.
A slight smirk at the corner of his mouth, Blaéz eased the dress off her shoulders. In a rustle of satin, her gown flowed to pool around her feet. He went motionless, his teasing expression vanishing.
A little anxious, Darci stood there in her heels, clad only in her ivory silk panties and a matching garter belt that held up her sheer, thigh-high stockings.
His dark gaze swept down her body then slowly tracked up again to linger on bare breasts. Her nipples pebbled—at his intense stare or the chill coasting over her skin—she had no idea. She only knew she wanted him to touch her.
“You’re staring,” she whispered.
“Indeed…” A nerve pulsed in his jaw. He held out his hand and helped her over the frothy pile of ivory satin. “You’re a godsdamn siren—a temptress sent to torment me. It would be a bloody sacrilege not to look my fill.”
Darci blinked. She didn’t really like garters, but for this moment alone, seeing her man thrown for a loop—heck, it was so worth it. She ran her palms down her hips and fingered one satin strap. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it?” He hauled her to him and tipped her over his arm.
Her breath escaped in a rush. “Blaéz!” she squealed, clutching his biceps.
“I’m so fucking desperate to be inside you, but with you looking like this, it’s only right that a temptress should be worshipped…and then devoured.”
He bent his body over hers and dragged open-mouthed kisses over the swell of her breast, followed by punishing little nips before he licked away the sting. His free hand cupped her other breast and he squeezed, his thumb lightly tracing her areola.
