Page 39 of Twelve Nights of Nights of Christmas

‘You want to know how it would feel?’ He rose to his feet so suddenly that she actually took an involuntary step backwards and he registered her retreat with a sardonic smile. ‘I’ll tell you how it would feel, Evie. It would feel good. We’ve both felt the chemistry. It would be incredible. Hot and crazy. For a short time.’ His voice was thickened by emotion. ‘And then I’d break your heart. Like that—’ He snapped his fingers in a cruel, casual gesture that made her flinch. ‘Easy.’

The blood was pulsing in her ears and it was difficult to breathe. ‘That’s fine.’

His gaze mocked. ‘You’re saying it’s fine for me to break your heart?’

‘No. I’m saying you won’t break it. To break it, I’d have to be in love with you and I’m not in love with you. I wouldn’t be that stupid.’

His lids lowered, half concealing black eyes that glittered dark and dangerous. ‘Perhaps I’m not in the mood for a gentle seduction.’

Evie felt a spasm of fear, intermingled with the most fierce excitement she’d ever experienced. It was like a drug, urging her on to be more and more daring. ‘If you’re trying to scare me, you’re not succeeding.’

‘Maybe you should be scared, Evie.’ His voice was lethally soft and cold as the ice that had formed on the windows. ‘I’m not the right man for you.’

‘I know that.’ They were alone in the room and yet she was whispering. ‘That isn’t what this is about.’

‘So what is it about? What are you trying to prove to yourself? Or is this good girl seduces bad boy, just to see how it feels?’

‘No! I—’ Evie broke off, struggling to breathe. ‘I don’t know what this is. All I know is…I thought you wanted…earlier you said…’

‘I know what I said. I know what I wanted.’

‘So—’

‘Earlier, I didn’t know what I was dealing with.’

Evie flushed. ‘Because I love Christmas and believe in happy endings? I said I didn’t believe in happy endings with you.’

His eyes held hers. ‘If you play with fire, you’ll get burnt.’

‘Will you tell me why you hate Christmas?’

‘No. And you’re making this personal. A basic female mistake.’

‘All right. Nothing personal. No questions.’ Part of her was shocked at herself. What was she doing?

‘You think you can go to bed with a man and not make it personal?’ There was a layer of humour in his voice. ‘You think you can do that?’

‘Yes.’ No. She had no idea.

Rio stared at her for a long moment and then lifted his hand and took a strand of her hair in his fingers. ‘You should be more careful with yourself, Evie Anderson. You could get seriously hurt.’ The backs of his fingers brushed her cheek and Evie shivered, dazed by the spark of electricity that shot through her body.

Her heart pounding, she turned her head and ran her tongue along his fingers.

His response was instantaneous. With a growl, he cupped her face in his hands and brought his mouth down on hers in a punishing, possessive kiss. He’d kissed her before, but this kiss was different. This kiss demanded everything and Evie felt all her senses ignite with explosive force. Within an instant she was light-headed, her limbs weak and wobbly.

With a moan, she slid her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, feeling the firm swell of muscle beneath her hands. He’d discarded his bow tie and undone the first few buttons of his shirt and her fingers slid inside, seeking, touching, exploring. She felt the pulsing heat of his body beneath her fingertips and made a small, desperate sound deep in her throat and then he was kissing her again and his tongue was hot against hers, his relentless seduction so much more practised than her own desperate offering.

The kiss seemed to last for ever and she felt her entire body stir, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment to come alive. And the feelings were so intense that it was impossible to stay silent.

When he pressed his mouth to the hollow of her throat she moaned, and when he dragged his mouth lower and toyed with the straining peak of her breast she arched her back and gasped his name. She wanted more, much more, and when he closed his hand over the hem of her nightdress she didn’t stop him. There was a tearing sound as he ripped it from neck to hem and then she was naked, her body visible in the warm glow of the firelight.

If she’d thought that the semi darkness might give her some protection, she was wrong. Rio drew away from her, his breathing audible as he scanned her body, his gaze lingering on the fiery red curls that nestled at the juncture of her thighs.

‘You can still change your mind.’

‘No.’ Emotion clogged her throat and the only thing in her head was a desperate need for this man. ‘I don’t want to change my mind.’

His fingers speared her hair and tightened, drawing her head back. His eyes were fierce, black and focused—focused on her.