“What’s gotten into you?” she muttered as he dragged her into the dining room and shut the door.
He leaned back and eyed her, sipping his drink slowly. Seeing her nervous sent a slow throb through his blood. An edge of fear made desire that much sweeter, and he could already see hers burning bright in her tawny eyes. “You’re avoiding me.”
“I’m not.”
Her answer was a little too swift, a little too heated. Just what he’d hoped for. He stepped closer and tipped up her chin with a fingertip. “Did I scare you?”
He didn’t know what answer he preferred more. No…or yes.
She shook her head and let out a tinkling laugh that didn’t soften the worry lines between her brows. “You couldn’t.”
“I think I could.” His finger wandered up to the corner of her mouth before sliding along the fullness of her lower lip. Her involuntary jerk made him smile. “You asked me for my fantasy. I gave it to you. Honestly.”
“I did ask.” Her throat bobbled. “I’m fine with it.”
“Are you now?” His nail trailed along her lip and she darted a look up at him, full of trepidation. And arousal. There could be no missing that. “Have you ever submitted to a man, Victoria?”
She jolted, stumbling back. He caught her with a hand locked around her wrist, holding her in place when he could tell she wanted nothing more than to retreat. But not just because she was unnerved. Excitement leaked from her pores, as fragrant as her earthy scent. “I…no. No, I haven’t. Not the way you mean.”
“You’ve never been bound with scarves or handcuffs? Or even just hands on your wrists, pinning you until you begged for relief?” At her stubborn head shake, he trapped her racing pulse beneath his thumb. “Someone as adventurous as you living such a vanilla existence. You surprise me.”
Her chin came up. “There’s nothing fun about someone restraining me.”
“What if the restraints are all in your mind?” He pressed into her skin, knowing he would leave an indent. Wanting to. “And what if that someone was me?”
She hissed out a breath and yanked her arm away. “I’m not into that. Sorry.”
Even steeled for her reply, disappointment sheared through him. Until he saw her trembling lips and the way she couldn’t stop staring at him, as if he’d trapped fire in his gaze and she liked to play with matches.
“I don’t believe you,” he taunted softly. “I think you’re wet for me. So wet you can’t tighten your legs enough to hide what I’m doing to you.”
She tilted up her chin. “Why don’t you come here and find out?”
If she expected him to refuse, she was sadly mistaken. He shoved her dress up her thighs, fisting the cotton at her hip as he dragged her closer to fuse his mouth to hers. She gasped, going soft and pliable against him while he licked his way between her lips. Teasing her tongue to come out to play with his in a deliciously hot tug-of-war that made the pulse in his cock turn into a crash of cymbals.
He toyed with the knot at the side of her panties, coaxing a moan from her that flowed into him more sweetly than the dark chocolate from the torte they’d had for dessert. She drove her tongue against his, warring with him while he edged ever closer to the triangle of heat between her thighs. He could imagine all too well what she’d feel like as he sank into her. Inferno-hot, desperately tight. Her need spilling over his skin. Imprinting him with her scent just as he’d wished to do to her with his touch.
“Your body can’t lie to me, even if your mouth can.” He rocked his hard length into her belly and absorbed the quiver that went through her with a victorious smile. “I’m breathing you in.”
She huffed. Laughter exploded outside the door and he bit her lip to quiet her as she started to speak. “Shh,” he interrupted. “Don’t want to get caught twice in one day.”
“Three times in two weeks,” she muttered.
He smirked. “Three strikes and I’m in…if you play your cards right.”
They stared—glared might’ve been a more accurate description in her case—at each other as the voices faded away, then Victoria swished her dress from his hands and stepped back. “I want a tour of the house.”
Suppressing a sigh, he shut his eyes. The intimate fragrance of her desire had branded itself on his brain and he doubted anything would ever remove it. He ached to taste her. But he couldn’t, not right now.
He set aside the drink he hadn’t finished. The brandy heated his throat and gut nicely, but he wanted his senses clear. He needed every one of them to deal with Victoria.