Kenzie gasped. “You didn’t?”
“I did.”
“Lord, man, you’re nuts.” She shook her head and scanned the crowd, he assumed to spot Jocelyn. He pointed her out, and he thought he might have caught annoyance in the chocolate gaze, but it was gone too fast. “Tell me everything you said.”
“I will. Let’s dance.”
“I don’t think I should…”
He took her hand, not accepting no for an answer. Just as a slower melody began, he tugged Kenzie into his arms. Her head fit just beneath his chin, giving him a sense that she belonged there. Once again, her small hand trembled, but this time he held it and made sure she didn’t get away. She did stumble a few times and apologized over and over. He brushed the breathy words aside and drew her even tighter into his embrace. Together, they swayed to the music, and he tried turning her only once. When she nearly tumbled to the floor, he scooped her in and balanced her with the strength of his arm.
“I’m not usually like this,” she croaked. “I can dance. I promise I can.”
“These people intimidate you?”
She appeared about to deny it, but then nodded. “I never imagined they would. I keep trying to get a grip, but I can’t. This has never happened before. Of course, I’ve never been among the upper crust.” She pierced him with a hot glare. “It’s your fault for telling me there are multimillionaires and billionaires here. I shouldn’t have come.”
“You’re wrong.” He guided her toward the hall. When they reached it, Kenzie caught her breath, and he watched her facial expression at the wide passage, both sides of which held mirrors stretching from the floor to the cathedral ceiling. Chandeliers, placed at intervals, reflected light that accentuated the sparkles in her dress. Easton dropped his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face one of the mirrors. While people walked behind them, he explained what he saw reflected back at them. “Have you seen yourself? Since you arrived, every man here has had his eyes on you. Every woman disappears next to your beauty, and each man wants a chance to see what’s beneath the dress that clings so well to your body.”
She trembled under his touch and licked her lips. “You shouldn’t talk like that.”
He leaned down close to her ear. Just as he said, every other person disappeared. To have her again, he would stoop to any level. “Do you know what you’re doing to me right now? I want to lift your dress, pull your panties down, and fuck you from behind. Tell me you want it.”#p#分页标题#e#
Her startled gaze met his in the mirror.
“Tell me,” he repeated.
She raised a hand to her face and swiped it across her forehead. When she tried turning away, he tightened his grip on her shoulders to keep her where she stood. He knew a submissive woman when he saw one. Kenzie seemed strong, and ran her shop with precision from what he saw. He admired her business sense, but she waited for a man strong enough to show her what she had been missing. He was what she missed.
“Maybe I should spank you right here.”
She swallowed.
“Or I suppose I could take you into an unused room in the back, bend you over a sofa, and drive into you until we are both satisfied.”
She jerked away and walked on shaky legs farther down the hall. A few curious glances were tossed her way. Easton took his time following. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and kept his gaze on her retreating back. If he watched the sway of her hips, everyone would know what occupied his mind.
She stopped some feet away and turned her back to the mirror. The pretense in studying a vase did not fool him. “Don’t say that stuff to me. You need to say it to Jocelyn. No, not those particular words. It sounds like you want only one thing.”
“Oh, but I do.”
Her gaze flew to his face. “You mean me. Well, stop it. Tonight is about her. Tell her what I said in the notebook.”
He pulled his hands from his pockets and folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll say it word for word if you will agree to come to my place tonight.”
“I’m not for sale!”
He considered stepping closer but stayed where he stood. She appeared skittish. If he pushed too hard, she would deny herself the pleasure he knew she craved at his hand. “I’m not buying.”
She faced him. “Easton, I wish you would take this seriously. You act like you don’t want your inheritance.”
At the end of the hall stood a second entrance than the one they had used to gain access to the ballroom. He strode forward but slowed his gait when he drew in line with her. He allowed his arm to brush across her breasts and was satisfied that the little peaks pushed against the thin fabric of her dress. His cock ached, but he would find satisfaction before the end of the night.