“You’ve come to a wicked place, full of wicked men. Have youno care for your reputation?”
“Don’t you know, sir? Wickednessismy reputation.”That coquettish smile curled her lips further. “Are you not goingto reprimand me?”
“Whywould I do that?”
A creaseappeared between her brows. “Most would.”
He studied her.“It is not for me to say. You are an adult woman, past her majorityand the head of a household. You have a brain and, it is obvious,you know quite well how to use it.”
Her gaze flickedaway. “Most would not think so.”
He shrugged.“Most people are fools.”
Shudderingthrough a breath, she turned back to him, her eyes holding himcaptive. “You are a rare man, Stephen Farlisle,” she saidsoftly.
Shifting hisstance, he shrugged again. He had only spoken the truth, and thechurn of emotion her soft words stirred within him had no place inthis game they currently played.
With anotherbreath, she squared he shoulders and, circling the table, trailedher fingers over the baize covering the bolster. Before his eyes,she recovered herself, becoming wickedness personified once more.But he knew, beneath the wickedness, she was Sera.
Games, however,were eminently amusing, and he was more than willing to partake.“Do you play?”
Fingerscaressing the baize, she cocked her head. “Play?”
He couldn’t draghis gaze from her fingers, gently stroking the pile one way, thenback. Over and over. He thought of all the places those fingerscould dance over, the feel of that light teasing touch on hisflesh.
“Billiards.” The word was a garbled mess.
“No.” She swished around the end of the table, making sure herskirts flared to display her ankles. He, of course, noticed,precisely as she’d intended. “Show me?”
Without a word,he strode for the rack adhered to the wall and dislodged a cue, onehe judged well-suited to her height. Not, he knew, that she had anyinterest in using it. This was all part of the game. “What isthis?”
She looked atthe cue. Then she looked at him. “A stick.”
Christ. A singleword should not make him shudder. “It is a cue. This is what youhit the ball with.” Making his way to her, he took her hand andwrapped it around the cue. “Feel the weight of it,” hemurmured.
Wide eyes heldhis. Nervously, her tongue darted out to wet her lips.
He stifled agroan. His cock, already aching, hardened further. Forcing himselfto focus, he slid her hand along the cue. “Feel how smooth it is.How strong. Absorb the length of it, the width.”
Her tongue wetthe corner of her upper lip. “Are you sure we are speaking of thecue?”
A smile tuggedat his own mouth. “Of course. What else would we speak of?” Takingher other hand, he positioned it on the cue. “Now, we bring it tothe table.” Turning her, he positioned the cue in her grip, hischest scraping her back as he stood behind her. “Hold it in yourhand, like so.” He slid his hand over hers, positioning herfingers.
Her back pressedagainst his chest as she drew breath, her skirts curling around hislegs. Bracing his hands against the table, he caged her within hisarms as he battled with himself to keep this ostensibly aboutteaching her billiards when what he really wanted was to haul herinto his arms. “Sera,” he said thickly.
She bowed herhead, the nape of her neck vulnerable. “Yes?” she repliedbreathlessly.
Loose strands ofhair decorated the bared nape of her neck. He stared at thesoft-looking skin, wanting to know its taste. “Do you know whathappens to women who follow men into abandoned rooms?”
Dropping thecue, she turned in the circle of his arms, her mouth a whisper fromhis. “What happens to them, Stephen?”
“I—”He couldn’t think. He could only stare at her mouth, at the lipsslightly reddened with cosmetics and wet from the sweep of hertongue.
“Isit the same thing that happens to the wicked men who lure them?”Her hands curled around his forearms as she leant closer. “Do theydiscover how the other tastes?” Her eyes drifted to his mouth. “CanI kiss you?”
Beguiled, henodded, and then she took his mouth with her kiss.
She kissed himaggressively, with determination, and Christ he loved it. He lovedher boldness, her determination. He loved her wickedness, how she’ddared to come to a gambling hell knowing all the consequences anddismissing them. He loved her playfulness, and her pain, and thatshe controlled the kiss. He let her play with him, her sweet mouthteasing his, making him desperate, making him hard. He leant intoher and her hands gripped his hair, holding him still for herpleasure.
