She stared at him, considering. "So, you want to be lovers?"
His blue eyes darkened. "Don't you?"
A shiver went through her at the idea. To her chagrin, she realized that she was tempted. "For how long?"
One brow arched upward. "For as long as the arrangement suits us both."
"And when I decide to leave? When I no longer want to be your wife or your lover, what then?"
His hand stilled. "You'll be free to go, exactly as promised."
"So this … arrangement will really just involve sex?" she challenged.
A small silence fell. "That's right. Just sex."
She swallowed and glanced away.
Should I do it? she wondered.
More to the point, could she do it? Could she be his paramour and nothing else? If she agreed, she had no doubt he would bring her exquisite pleasure. He was a superb lover-a powerful, virile man with a strong sexual appetite. She would have no cause for complaint in his bed. But if she said yes, would she merely be giving in to his will? Allowing him to find yet another means of controlling and using her?
On the other hand, if this was strictly about sex, then maybe she would be gaining as much as she gave. Maybe she would be using him, taking advantage of him for her own physical gratification. As he said, they were married, so why not indulge? Why not get something out of this cold-blooded union other than an empty bed and an endless string of lonely nights?
But what about her feelings?
What feelings? she scolded herself, brutally casting aside the question. The instant she'd read those settlement papers, her love for him had died.
In fact, she was ashamed now to think of how she'd felt then, to know what a gullible, innocent simpleton she'd been to fall so easily for his blandishments and his lies.
Well, she wasn't innocent anymore. Her eyes were fully open now, and she saw him for precisely what he was. A gorgeous, charming, heartless rake, who liked to play cards and pleasure women.
Should I let him pleasure me?
"So?" he drawled. "What do you say?"
Slowly, she met his gaze, wavering on the thin edge of indecision. Then, before she gave herself too much time to think, she plunged ahead. "Yes," she said, casting herself into passion's abyss.
///
He grinned, his smile wide and wicked.
"This changes nothing, though," she stated in a deliberate voice. "I want there to be no misunderstanding about the fact that I still hate you."
His grin fell away, his eyes turning hard. "Hate me all you want, but don't ever try to deny that you love doing this with me."
In a devastating move, he stroked his hand over her naked bottom, then slid a pair of fingers deep into her aching core. Her spine arched, instant bliss flooding her system.
Cupping the back of her head, he drew her down for a torrid kiss, ravishing her mouth without mercy as he drove her passion high. Her breath came in panting little gasps, her body shuddering as he pushed her relentlessly closer to her peak. She waited, needing the release she knew he could give her, hungry for the oblivion only he could provide.
And suddenly she was flying, shattering into a million tiny pieces as rapture spread through her in a hot molten flow. She moaned and shook, pleasured beyond any coherent form of expression.
She'd barely begun to recover when he started again, driving her up in a way that was just short of agony. Biting her lip, she fought to retain some faint sense of control, struggled not to lose herself completely beneath the mastery of his touch.
He scattered a line of kisses across her cheek, then paused to catch her earlobe between his teeth. "Tell me, Grace."
"What?" she panted, half-dazed.
"Tell me how much you love this," he demanded, as he continued pleasuring her with unrelenting intensity. "Admit that you adore every wild, wanton thing I make you feel. That you couldn't bear it if I stopped."
And he was right, she did love it. And she would be devastated if he stopped. But he had to know that already, since her body was quite literally weeping from the ecstasy he'd given her, and was giving her still. Yet pride demanded she not say the words, no matter how true they might be. Clamping her lips shut, she closed her eyes.
"No answer, hmm?" he said. "Let's see just how long that lasts."
Suddenly and without warning, he withdrew his fingers.
For a terrible moment, she feared he really was going to stop. Instead, he rolled her over on her back and shoved her nightgown to her waist. Sliding his palms under her buttocks, he spread her legs open and settled his broad shoulders in between.
Quivering with relief, she waited in eager anticipation for him to take her.
Instead, he bent low, sliding down her body so that his head was positioned between her thighs. And then, he kissed her where she'd never imagined she could be kissed.
Her hips arched off the mattress, as though she'd been struck by a bolt of lightning. Acting on instinct, she tried to shift away, but his powerful hands held her in place, forcing her to accept his shocking, astonishing embrace.
Reaching down, she tried to push him aside, her entire body suffused with heat and mortification. But he wouldn't let her go, instead opening her wider as she squirmed against him. Only then did she realize that he'd positioned her for maximum access, leaving her helpless to resist whatever it was he had planned.
Her heart hammered in violent beats as he licked her, sweeping his tongue over her swollen flesh in a way that made her writhe. She shuddered and moaned, unable to keep herself from responding. Then he began to suckle too, pausing to kiss and lave her in between, employing a merciless rhythm that made her burn hotter than she'd ever burned before.
Held in complete thrall, she surrendered abruptly, her need too profound to deny. Instead of resisting, she began to urge him on, no longer the least bit interested in having him stop.
Flinging her arms over her head, she gripped the headboard. The wood creaked beneath her grasp, moans coming from her throat that she was helpless to control.
With each caress, he brought her higher. With every new sensation, he forced her closer to the edge. Yet every time she thought she was on the brink, sure that the very next touch would be one that sent her toppling over, he would let her slide back, easing off just enough to deny her. Then he would begin again, tormenting her until she feared she was close to madness.
And that's when she realized what he was doing.
That's when she knew he was going to make her beg.
She whimpered as he forced another helpless moan from her lips.
Moments later, he paused and raised his head, meeting her gaze across her recumbent form. "Did you say something?"
"N-no," she whispered, shuddering at the cessation of his caresses.
"Oh. My mistake. Shall I continue?"
Continue tormenting her, he meant. Still, how could she say no?
"Please, Jack."
///
"Please what?"
Despite their intimacy, she felt her cheeks flush. "Y-you know."
"I'm sorry. I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific."
She blushed more and groaned. "Don't do this."
"Do what?"
"T-torment me."
"Is that what I'm doing? I thought I was pleasuring you."
"You are, but you're not letting me-"
"Letting you what?" he drawled in a devil's voice.
"God, I don't know how much more I can take."
His eyes darkened. "Oh, you can take more. A lot more. Then again, just say the words and I'll give you what you want. Tell me how much you need this from me. Tell me how much you love this from me."
Still, even aching and desperate as she was, the words didn't want to come.
His jaw tightened. "Perhaps you need a bit more incentive."
Before she could react, he leaned down and located a particularly delicate bit of flesh with his tongue. Drawing it farther into his mouth, he suckled intently. She shuddered, bucking in his hold, only seconds away from completion.
Then, as suddenly as he'd begun, he drew away.
"Aaaaagh," she cried. "God, don't stop."
"Why not? Is it because you like it?"
"Y-yes," she whimpered.
"Is it because you love it?"
"Y-yes," she admitted, her voice and willpower breaking beneath the strain. "Yes, I love it. I absolutely adore it. Now, I swear to God if you don't tup me, Jack Byron, I'm going to do something diabolical to you."
"Diabolical, hmm?" he said with a devilish grin. "Maybe I'll let you try that later. For now, I believe you have a reward coming. Or should I say, you'll get your reward by coming."