Page 114 of Kiss of Wrath

“None. I am not entirely without imagination.”

She backed up. “Wait. Sex isn’t the answer to everything.” Did I really say such a dumb thing? Must be all that vibration loosened something in my brain.

“Hah! It’s damn near enough.” His blue eyes were turning silver with arousal. Already.

To be honest, she’d been ready since she hopped onto that wretched motorcycle.

She should have been continuing to protest, but she was too fascinated by Mordr’s striptease. At least, it felt like teasing to her. Actually, he was naked within moments. And hung like a horse . . . or was that “hung like a Norse”? My brain really is falling apart to make such a crude joke with myself. Good thing I didn’t say it out loud.

“All of us Vikings are,” he remarked.

Oh damn! I did say it out loud.

Instead of coming up to her then, he leaned against the opposite wall and said, “Your turn. Disrobe for me, sweetling. Slowly.”

She laughed. “You’re the one supposed to be seducing me.”

“Betimes a man can seduce a woman just by watching her unveil her hidden body secrets. And, no, I did not learn that from one of my brothers. There are some talents I perfected on my own.”

“Sex talents?”

He nodded and waved a hand peremptorily for her to begin her stripping.

Her pride and her hurt over his absence still had not been assuaged. And she had legitimate reasons for thinking their future together would be a shaky one. “No,” she said, reminding herself that she had to make decisions for six, not just herself.

Instead of frowning, he smiled with satisfaction. “I thought you would say that.” He walked over to a door, which he opened wide, causing an inner light to go on automatically. It was a narrow walk-in closet with a mirror at one end and hanging pegs along both side walls. From two of those pegs hung long silk scarves.

She made the mistake of walking in to examine the closet closer, realizing too late that the door was closing behind them, dimming the lights. Mordr was in the closet with her and he immediately turned on a manual light switch.

“Now the seduction begins,” he purred.

And it did.

Boy, did it ever!

Despite her protests and squirming body, he stripped her down, faster than a starving boy could peel a banana. Too soon, or too late, he had her hands tied to either wall and she was facing the mirror. Buck naked. With a buck naked Mordr standing behind her.

She cringed. “I don’t like this, Mordr. Most women don’t like looking at their nude bodies in a mirror. We see all our imperfections.”

“Ah. Then it will be my job to extol all your perfections,” he said, staring at her reflection over one shoulder while his arms encircled her from behind and his big hands cupped her breasts from underneath. “Like these sweet fruits.” He flicked the nipples with his thumbs while still raising her breasts higher. “See how they bloom, like big pink berries. I cannot wait to taste them.”

She made a gurgling sound, of pleasure or protest, she wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. Her Viking was moving on to new sites.

“Do you still not like this?” he murmured as he kissed her shoulder and rubbed his erection against the crease of her buttocks. He had to bend his knees slightly to put them on the same level and spread to bring himself closer. Meanwhile, his hands were busy caressing her abdomen and belly and hips and—thank you, God—lower. “Sweet cream, your skin is. I cannot wait to lick you all over, like a cat. Your smooth skin, my rough tongue.”

That image had just about sunk in when she felt a light sweep of calloused palms over her red curls. “Threads of fire, coated with honey. Mmmmm.”

It was fascinating to see the contrast of his big hands against her smaller-boned body. It was tantalizing to hear his sex-husky voice murmur against her ear. It was heaven to see how much a man like him could want a woman like her.

“You did not answer me, Miranda.”

“What?”

“I asked if you still don’t like this mirror foresport? Never mind. I got my answer.”

She turned her head and found his lips. Kissing him like this when she couldn’t engage other parts of her body, just her mouth, was a novel experience. She moved right and left and back again, seeking the best fit. She parted his lips with her tongue and explored, even passing her tongue over his fangs, which seemed especially sensitive.

He growled, seductively, and took over the kiss. Masterfully.