Billionaire Bad Boys of Romance 2(113)

Eyeing him speculatively, she murmured, “It seems there’s no love lost between the two of you.” She could hardly keep the curiosity from her tone as she awaited his reply.

“If you mean, do we love each other?” he began, slanting a cynical glance her way, “Then no. I’ve never considered love as a criterion for a good marriage. Mutual respect, physical compatibility, yes. But not love. Unlike you, I believe?”

Keyonna found herself glaring at him with defiance. “I guess you’re indirectly asking me if I’d marry a man I didn’t love. I believe you know the answer to that.”

Now he huffed skeptically. “Ah sure; and the reason you turned Mark down was because you didn’t love him. Yeah, right. You never did strike me as the sentimental type – so I’d rather go with: you don’t want to marry him because he just isn’t rich enough for you.”

He sent her one of his sardonic looks even as she bristled speechlessly.

“After all, Mark Tucker is simply the nephew to Marilyn Tucker who actually holds the reins of whatever wealth the family owns. Mark’s father wasn’t the one who amassed all that Tucker money – Marilyn did. Mark is probably going to have to at least work his way up the ladder within the family’s holdings and see where that gets him. But it’s really up to his aunt how far he goes and once he’s through with his military career, she just might start him at the bottom. My point? He’s no trust fund baby and he relies too much on his family name which only goes so far as the whims of his doting aunt. Which makes him far from loaded – certainly not rolling in enough dough to impress you, I’m certain.”

Keyonna was gasping, unable to piece a proper sentence together while she felt so totally slayed by his unfair comments. Where the hell was all this coming from? He had no right – no freaking right – to say these things to her and she marveled at how much thought he put into his opinions of her. And much as she hated to admit it to herself, it really, really hurt.

“You’re such a jerk,” she managed to choke out at last. “First you call me cold and heartless – and now you’re implying I’m a gold-digger. What the hell?”

He pinned her with a quelling glance, before looking carelessly away again. “Like I said earlier, I’m simply making conclusions. Whether they’re accurate or not remains to be seen. One thing I know for sure…you’re far from cold.”

From the look he sent her in that moment, Keyonna felt her face flush as she knew he was referring to that brief, steamy kiss on the balcony.

Well truth be told she’d put her all into that kiss. She could recall probing inside his hot, moistly sweet mouth and feeling the flashing heat of his tongue against hers.

Keyonna squirmed just thinking how damned good that had felt. She’d never forget that faint waft of his cologne; so masculine, expensive and thrilling. A man's kiss had never tasted so good and feeling his hands grip her waist had been so erotic and had made her just want to melt against him, into him. He was one sexy son of a bitch and she detested herself for wanting him as badly as she knew she did deep inside.

Looking away from his devilishly handsome face and outside the window, she ignored the twitching in between her treacherous thighs and muttered, “I really hope Rachel dumps you for real, Nick. Even I wouldn’t marry a beast like you.”

He chuckled humorlessly, obviously unperturbed. “You’d better pray she doesn’t dump me, dear Keyonna. Or you’ll be next in line.”

The soft menace in his words vibrated in the air around them, throwing Keyonna into confusion. She was barely aware that he’d brought the car to a stop right in front of her apartment; her head was in such a whirl. But then when she felt him grip her chin between his thumb and index finger, her eyes flew to his in surprise. He gave her no chance to react as he suddenly swooped his head down and owned her lips.

Yes, owned. Because the moment his mouth touched hers, he gave her no doubt who was in charge this time.

Firm yet sensuous, his lips ground into hers with a fiery passion nothing like his habitual ice-cold demeanor.

Keyonna couldn’t control her breathing; sharp gasps of excitement spilling from her parted lips. She could feel his dominance in every demanding brushstroke of his mouth over hers, which brought the juices fizzing through her panties.

The kiss grew harder, more carnal and Keyonna was tempted to moan with bliss. She hated that she liked the way his lips felt over hers; the way his tongue mimicked the act of wicked, hot sex. Hot damn. Her fingers squeezed tight on her clutch purse as she resisted the strong urge to grab his lapels and pull him hard against her now throbbing breasts. Beneath her bodice, her nipples felt like lead thimbles; thick and heavy. Within her hidden folds, she pulsed and trickled. Deep in her feminine core, she clenched with a need greater than any she’d ever felt before.#p#分页标题#e#