Sweet Seduction Shield(47)

My legs buckled. A ridiculous reaction to have to such a simple, but decidedly suggestive move. His fingers kneaded my butt, while his free hand slipped under my t-shirt, not waiting for an invitation, but seeking entrance on his terms. He pulled me firmly against his groin, let me know exactly what effect the kiss had over him, let me feel the rigid length of his arousal. I swear with every slow rock of his hips I became wetter and wetter still.

Then with a smooth flick of his fingers his hand found my naked breast. A small whimper left my lips and he responded with a rock of his hips and a low growl from the back of his throat. He pinched the nipple, swept his thumb over the sensitised tip, then placed his entire hot palm over my breast and squeezed.

Every single move he made was determined. In charge. Hungry and eager, but utterly controlled. He slowed the kiss down when my legs became numb. He sped it up when my fingers began their own quest over velvet flesh. He deepened it when he wanted to hear my reaction. And he alternated between all three, again and again, until I couldn't tell what was up, or what was down. Or where the hell I was anymore.

I'm not sure how much time passed, but the sound of a car pulling into the driveway broke through the haze of lust we were in, and gave, at least, Ryan the impetus to pull back. We were both panting, flushed, our eyes liquid pools of desire.

He pressed his forehead to mine and whispered, "Fuck."

I concurred, but couldn't find my voice. I was achy, but not the achy of having just had a bad car accident. I was needy and unfulfilled, desperate to assuage the fire that he'd just lit inside. His gaze flicked over my face and he smiled. One of those male cocky smiles. The one that lets you know exactly what they're thinking; Yeah, I did that. I put that look on your face, baby.

A long burst of air pressed out of my lips and he chuckled.

A car door slammed, but still he didn't turn around to see who had arrived. His eyes remained on my face, his attention - or so it seemed - locked on me and nowhere else.

"This isn't over," he promised. Hell, no it wasn't. "Tonight you and I are going to sort a few things out," he added, and all I could do was nod my head.

Another smirk.

I thought it time to slip into my alter ego, the one that shields. Not that I felt an overriding amount of need to shield myself from Ryan just then. But I sure as hell did feel the need to find stable ground. Confidence, or the illusion of it, allowed me to steady my feet.

"Shouldn't we see who just arrived?" I asked, pulling back slightly, trying to gain a little distance. A little breathing space to find my balance.

Pierce obviously decided he wanted me to remain off kilter, because with one forceful tug of his arms around my waist, he hauled me back against his chest.

"Jaguar XJ. 5 litre, V8, supercharged petrol engine. Goes from zero to one hundred in 5.2 seconds flat. Top speed of 250km/h, limited. This one will be silver and driven by Gen's man, Dominic Anscombe," Pierce announced, rattling off the now silent car's specifications without even blinking.

"Oh," I managed, just as a deep, highly amused masculine voice said, "Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?"

"Dom," Pierce muttered, eyes still on me. Then louder, "Private. Fuck off!"

The man, Dom, coughed, possibly a laugh, and then we heard his shoes tap up the deck steps as he headed for the back door to the house.

"The mood's kind of been ruined now," I pointed out.

Pierce pulled me closer, leaned in and kissed the sensitive skin beneath my ear and whispered sexily, "I'll always be in the mood to kiss you, Tiger, if you respond to my lips like that."

A shudder ran through me, making Pierce chuckle again.

"Fuck have we been wasting time," he murmured, nuzzling his nose into my hair at the side of my head. "Tonight," he promised again, and pulled back finally to look at me.

His hand ran down the side of my arm, then slipped, fingers interlacing, into mine. For a frozen second he looked right into me, right through my shields, right into my heart.

And he looked... sad. So not what I would have expected when he caught a glimpse inside my soul.

I stared back at him, unsure how to take his look right now, his reaction to seeing the real me. I had no idea what it meant, and for a long moment he said nothing.

Then, "Dom's arrival is fortuitous," he announced. I raised my eyebrows in query. "He's a lawyer," he added, and the world turned a little dark. As if clouds had blotted out the sun, stealing its heat, blanketing me in frigid air.

"A lawyer," I whispered, my voice sounding a little broken on that word.

"Marie," Pierce started, but I pulled my hand free of his and shook my head.

"You think I need a lawyer."