The Bachelor Contract(34)

Brant had said it was the best dessert he’d ever had, and then he’d dipped his finger in the frosting and drawn it across her lips.

Don’t let go.

“I won’t,” he whispered, his lips tickling the outer corner of her ear.

Had she said that out loud?

She must have. Because he clung tighter, his chest pressed against her breasts so hard that they moved like one person.

The song ended too soon. The dream faded right along with the music.

Nikki braced herself for the rejection, for Brant to find another woman that caught his eye—after all, he was notorious for sleeping around with celebrities, models, pretty girls.

And her time was up. The spell was broken.

And she found out a long time ago that he wasn’t the kind of prince who ran after the princess, just like she’d discovered that she wasn’t the type of princess who wanted him to chase her until it was too late. Until the moment was gone.

Sighing, she hung her head and stepped away from him. Sometimes, she thought it was actually a gift that she couldn’t see just how perfect and drop-dead gorgeous his list of women were—at least it salvaged her pride to not have to stare at them in the newspaper and wonder.

“Want to go for a walk?”

“What?” She jerked her head so hard she nearly took out his chin. “Sorry!”

His smile was impossible to see, but his laugh…it was rich, sexy. If she had a choice of hearing his laugh or seeing his smile, she’d choose hearing every single time. There was something about the way his laugh wrapped around her body like a hot electrical charge.

“For a masseuse, you’re kind of clumsy,” he joked.

“Probably because I’m so used to touching giant men with muscles all day long that it zaps the strength and coordination right out of me.”

He froze. “Hmm. How does Cole feel about you massaging all those guys?”

“I’m sure he’s used to it,” she answered carefully, then froze. “By the way, how was the afternoon swim?” Her mind worked a mile a minute.

“Frigid,” he said in a clipped tone. “I think Cole’s way of making it up to me was allowing me to dance with the prettiest girl in the room.”

Her heart clenched. So he did know who she was. So why was he acting nice? Kind, even, especially since after the massage he’d been such an ass.

“Fuck.” Brant’s voice had a sudden rough edge to it. “You know what?” It sounded like he was the one pacing now. “I have an idea.”

She crossed her arms and smirked. Whenever Brant got irritated or wanted to change the subject, he would tug at his hair and say, I have an idea. It seemed some things never changed.

“No Cole.” He was in front of her again, a blur of black. His tuxedo felt expensive on her fingertips, the silk of his jacket smooth. “No past, no future, just now.”

Her lips parted. It was tempting. More than tempting.

“Just now, huh?” she repeated, her chest tight. “And what would be the end goal here?”

“Dancing.” He twirled her, even though the music from the lobby was faint. Another twirl. “Maybe a bit of kissing.”

His lips grazed hers.

With a moan, she returned the kiss, savoring his taste, the taste that haunted her dreams. She was stupid to cling to him, stupid to hang on when she knew what would follow once this cease-fire was over. And yet, when he kissed her again, she met him halfway. Confusion warred with the need to be closer—with the sad fact that the only time she’d ever felt truly beautiful had been in Brant’s arms.

“And if you’re lucky…” he said in a low voice, “I may even get naked.”

“Wow!” Still an arrogant bastard, wasn’t he? “I’m honored.”

“You should be. I don’t get naked for just anyone.”

“You sure about that?”

“Shit, does my reputation still precede me? Even now?”

“Does it matter? Since you said no pasts…” She shrugged. “If your past doesn’t matter, then mine can’t, either, right? Isn’t that how these things work?”

He hesitated and then said, “Is that your way of saying I get to see you naked?”

“Does everything end with us naked?”

“God, I hope so.” He crushed his mouth to hers again, sliding his tongue past the barrier of her lips as her body melted against him.

“Now what?” She reached for him again, trying to focus on his face, even though it was blurry. At least it was there, he was there in front of her, and he wanted her.

And maybe she was stupid for taking him up on his offer.

But it was Brant.

And she’d regret letting him walk away a second time—without experiencing him like this.