He slammed his mouth over hers, taking possession with a slow grind of his hips timed to his moving tongue. She opened to him, softened under him, throwing her arms around his neck and clutching him close. Those pretty lips flowered open under his sensual assault and her tongue came out to shyly brush his.
Pure fire whipped through his system. He craved her, needed her-and that rankled him. He'd nearly lost her to a thug who'd meant to gut her with that knife. Now, he needed to drag her skirt up and shove his cock deep in order to remind himself she was still warm and alive.
He fumbled for the zipper at her back and jerked it down. He lacked all his usual grace and nearly ripped the designer gown off in his haste to touch her skin. Now that he was kissing her, giving in to his desire, he wouldn't tolerate anything between them.
She gasped as he tugged at the bodice of the dress, freeing her breasts. She raised her hands, covering the plump mounds.
He stepped back with an arched brow. Was she going to play innocent? "No games, Tori. You either want me or you don't. If you do, I want to see what you're offering me. Show me your breasts."
She hesitated, biting her lip and breathing hard. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders. Her blue eyes clung to him, almost pleading. But he'd told her what he needed from her-his stare on her body now.
When she didn't obey, he almost turned away. His cock practically howled at the notion, but he wouldn't get on his knees and beg and pledge his devotion. This wasn't about love. It was about possession. Obsession. He needed to take her once and purge the emotion forever.
"All right." Her voice shook. "But if you laugh at me, I'll kick you in the groin, and right now that looks like it could hurt."
Slowly, Tori lowered her hands, revealing her breasts. They weren't huge, just two perfect handfuls. Creamy ivory skin with pink-tipped nipples teased him. Those hard tips looked like they longed to be sucked and tormented with his teeth and tongue.
"Why would I laugh?" He sidled closer again. "You're fucking beautiful."
A confused little frown flitted across her face. "Earlier, I got the idea that you don't like me anymore, Oliver. I thought you only wanted me for revenge, though I don't understand why. I know I shouldn't have let Callum kiss me any more than I should let you."
Let? He wanted to growl at her to try to stop him, but that would make him no better than the bastard who had held a knife to her. "Why are you letting me then? I'm going to do a hell of a lot more than kiss you, Tori."
"I want to know how it feels to make love to a man I want. Maybe it's not smart, but it's honest."
He had to hand it to her. She knew exactly how to manipulate him. Everything about her-from the way her lip trembled to the innocent bat of her lashes-called to his long dormant protective streak. "This isn't love. It's sex. If you want love, you should call my brother. I'm sure he'll play to your fantasy."
"Oliver, I know you don't love me, but please, just promise me one thing."
Ah, here it was, the bargaining. He could have her in bed if he would just buy her this or that. He hoped she wouldn't go too far. He was willing to pay for his pleasure, but he wasn't going to promise her devotion or shackle himself to her for life. "What?"
"Be kind to me. I'm leaving anyway, so I'm just asking that you be kind to me for one night. You don't have to pretend to love me, but can you make believe you like me? The way you did before?"
He had liked her. Tori was smart and funny, and he felt alive when she entered a room. They'd spent hours going over strategy to fix the company image. She likely didn't know it, but he'd drawn those meetings out simply because he enjoyed being in a room with her. He'd liked her quite a bit until she'd proven herself to be just another faithless cheat.
Not all relationships were as bad as his, Oliver knew. Sometimes things didn't work out, and it wasn't anyone's fault. She'd been away from her fiancé for half a year and the bugger had never visited her. Could she be blamed for craving someone's touch?
Why was she asking him for the one thing she should always expect from a lover? How had the men in her past treated her? "I do like you. I simply cannot love you, and that's a very good reason for me to walk away."
She released the dress and let it drop to the floor. His breath caught.
"I don't need love," Tori murmured. "I just want to feel something I've never felt before. I realized that if that attacker in the lobby killed me, I wouldn't have left this earth with very many precious memories. I would have lived all these years and experienced nothing joyful that really made me feel alive. I might regret this choice but … Make me feel, Oliver."