Three different earrings, I reminded myself.He was wearingthreedifferent earrings the first timeyoumet.
That helped to brace me against him again, but not much. Why did I care who he’d been with before? I shouldn’t, yet the thought of him with so many women made jealousy churn in mystomach.
Corson was all hunting grace when he stalked toward me. I tilted my head back to stare at him as he stopped before me. When his hand cupped my cheek, I didn’t push it away as I should have. I craved his touch against my skin. His thumb traced the arch of my cheekbone before sliding down to caress my lips. My breath caught and I waited to see what he woulddonext.
“You’re exquisite,” hewhispered.
Shock rolled through me. I’d seen myself in enough mirrors to know I wasn’t ugly, but no one had ever said anything like that to me before and I didn’t know how to respond. “No,I’m—”
I stopped speaking when his eyes shot up to mine and his lips thinned out. “Yes, you are. I donotlie.”
“You spout pretty tales to get women into your bed though,” I retorted, hating myself for saying it, yet unable to stop myself from doing so. What was it about him that drove me so crazy in every single way and turned me into a cattybitch?
“No,” he said. “I don’t spout anything to get a woman into my bed. I have no reason to. Women come to my bed because they want to be there, not because I talked them into being there. Every woman I’ve been with has known there would never be anything more than sex between us. Some of those women I took to bed again, most Ididn’t.”
“I see,” I said. “And now I knowittoo.”
“Are you coming into my bedthen,Wren?”
“No.”Yes!My body screamed at me. I felt as taut as a bowstring right then, and I wanted him to be the one toreleaseme.
“If it makes any difference, I don’t want you toknowit.”
I frowned at him. “What doyoumean?”
He shook his head as if confused by his words and pulled his hand away from my face. “What of you, Wren? What have you told the men you took to your bed?” he asked. “Did they believe it was something morewithyou?”
“I didn’t tellhimanything.”
Something dark flared within his eyes. It was something I’d never seen from him before. Was it possessive?Angry?
“Him?” he asked, his voice hoarser thannormal.
I threw my shoulders back and lifted my chin as I stared defiantly at him. “Yes,him. I was curious; Todd was there. It happened a few times. I didn’t see the big deal about sex and ended it with him. Now he’s dead, as are so manyothers.”
He went to grip my chin, but I leaned away from his touch. “Wren…” His hand fell. A lost look flashed over his face before he bowed his head and stepped backfromme.
Idespisedthat lost look onhisface.
“I’m curious about you too,” I admitted on awhisper.
* * *
Corson
I wasn’t sure I’d heard her right, and then her words sank in. My eyes fell to her mouth, and it took everything I had not to pounce on her. I’d scare her if I did, so I remained where I was,barely.
“And what are you curious about?” I inquired in a hoarsewhisper.
Her soulful blue eyes held mine as she responded. “If it would be as mechanical with you as it waswithTodd.”
“Mechanical?” What had that man been doing with her if she considered sexmechanical?
“Yes.” A line appeared across the bridge of her nose as she pursed her lips. “Maybe there’s something wrong with me. Maybe, after everything, I’ve become broken or frigid orsomething.”
“You’re not frigid or broken,” Iassuredher.
“And how do you know that?” shedemanded.
