Cal scraped scrambled eggs onto tortillas. “Any time you are willing. Although I think you should get some rest first. I find I have endless energy for you.” He gave her that stunning smile again before he turned his attention back to their midnight snack.
She realized she was still staring at him a few minutes later when he presented her with a burrito, crunchy fried potatoes and fruit salad.
“Wow,” she said, pretending she was talking about the food. “This looks wonderful.”
“Are you free tomorrow?” he asked.
She nodded. “Except for a lunch date.”
“Would you like to get together after lunch, then?”
“Possibly. Can I call you? I don’t know how long I’ll be.” She speared a strawberry, hoping he wouldn’t think she was blowing him off.
“Of course. I’ll give you my card.” His self-deprecating smile told her he also thought it was a funny thing to say after what they had just done together. “It will be interesting to see how you respond to higher voltages, other metals, maybe a few probes.” His eyes danced with sparks and desire stirred inside her, making her wonder exactly how much of his energy she could handle. If she heard music when he was in control, what would she feel if he let go? A full-body orchestra?
She swallowed. “Do not turn me on and kill my appetite for this beautiful meal.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad it’s not just me.”
“Definitely not.”
They finished the meal in charged silence. Afterward, he waved away her offer to help with the dishes and walked her to the door, dimming the lights as they reached the hall.
“Are you up for a quick experiment?” he asked.
“Always.”
He had shed the leather coat while he was cooking. Now he reached into the hall closet and pulled a long-sleeved turtleneck over his head. “I want to kiss you goodnight, but you have to promise not to touch me.”
Her heart slammed in her chest. She nodded, stood waiting, dying.
His mouth pressed briefly against hers, as if he were testing their connection. His lips were soft and his breath faintly smoky. She flattened her palms against the door. “Can I kiss you back?” she whispered against his lips.
He nodded and she took the lead, opening her mouth. Her tongue sought his. Pure lust crackled through her, making her head buzz and her ears ring. Blue fire flashed behind her closed lids and she opened her eyes. She held his gaze, so close, transfixed by his brilliant blue eyes.
His hands slammed into the door on either side of her head, holding his body away from her as his mouth moved roughly over hers. Energy swelled between them, a tangible force. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the melody.
Abruptly, the music cut off.
He pushed away from her, taking a few stumbling steps backward, and grabbed the banister for support.
“Um, hmm.” She blinked at him, pressing her fingers to her tingling lips. “That was…something.” She waved a vague hand at the space between them, which still seemed to vibrate with potential energy, hoping he would infer her question from the charged air between them.
He licked his lips and she moved toward him, wanting more. “For a woman who claims to have no interest in kink, you submit beautifully.”
She stopped. Was that what she had been doing? Submitting? She forced the logical part of her brain to start working again. Under normal circumstances, would she allow herself to be so easily overpowered? Would she walk toward fire while the air turned blue and smoke rose in the air? Hell no—she’d run the other way.
He cleared his throat. “It’s only natural that you would feel some residual effects from our session.”
Residual effects? She would have thrown herself at him and let him incinerate her. “Is this what BDSM is like? Is that why people do it?”
“Sometimes,” he said, walking toward her again.
She took a step back toward the door, determined to show some self-preservation, but when his finger traced a tingling line down her cheek, a soft sigh huffed out of her throat and she leaned into his touch.
“But it isn’t always this intense,” he admitted.
He pressed a card into her palm. “Text me when you get home, so I know you’re safe. And don’t forget to let your brother know you made it out of Bluebeard’s cave alive.”
He opened the door and she stepped outside, not surprised when a porch light flickered on above her head. When she reached her car, more lights lit the driveway and fairy lights twinkled in the trees as she drove away. In the darkness of her car, she felt a stupid grin spread across her face. She sighed.
Calvin Davis was dangerous, all right—just not in the way he thought.