“Your turn,” he said, gruffly, shifting again. Damned erection. One day, he’d grow accustomed to her, and her allure would lessen, surely.
“I speculate you detested me on sight at our first meeting.”
“False.”
She gave him a dubious look—but hope glimmered in her sky-blue eyes.
“I saw a spoiled, over-confident slip of a woman. The sort I learned to avoid years ago.”
She lowered her sable lashes. “I remember. So it’s not false, it’s true.”
“I wasn’t finished,” he said in a low voice and unfolded from the chair.
Her gaze snapped to him. She watched him with an expression of wary fascination as he moved to stand before her, then bent, hands clamped on her armrests, and brought his face even with hers.
“I judged you, classified you in an instant, and that should have been the end of it. But I couldn’t take my eyes, my thoughts, off you.”
Wonder lit her eyes, though the light faded almost at once. “Of course, you couldn’t. I made it my mission to put myself in your path. I made a total cake of myself. I was so sure. So”—her shoulders lifted and fell in a heavy sigh—“overconfident. Since turning pretty, I’d never met a man who didn’t fall under my spell. Until you. I hated you for that. I was—am—everything you claimed.”
He crooked a finger under her chin, guiding her face up ’til their eyes met. “You still haven’t let me finish, Annabelle. I knew what you were playing at, that you’d taken one look at me and decided to reel me in like a fish on the line, and I had every intention of dismissing you. But I couldn’t. I heard your laugh, and a smile spread over my face. I caught you flirting and wanted to bash in the mouths of the men who had your attention—many of them my friends. I imagined the feel of your skin—soft as silk, the taste of your lips—like candy and wine, and finally, unable to take it, left—and bloody dreamt of your perfume for a week.”
She gaped, blinking up at him. “Is…is all that true?”
He barked out a laugh, straightened, dragged a hand through his hair. “Yes, damn it.”
“Then, I must tell you, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
He splayed his hands on his hips, vexed beyond reason. “Is that really your response? That’s all you’re going to say?”
“No.” A siren’s smile spread over her face. She rose, bringing them toe to toe, then twined her arms loosely around his neck. “I wish to claim my forfeit.”
Blood rushed in his ears. She’d spoken so earnestly, and gazed at him now with such evident longing, he didn’t have the heart to tell her it wasn’t her forfeit, but his.
“Well, then. What will it be, madam wife?”
Chapter 26
What will it be, madam wife,her newlywed husband asked.
But how could she choose? She wanted so many things. She wanted his kiss. Wanted his touch. Wanted his breath in her ear.
She wanted his skin bared, to feast her eyes, her hands, her mouth wherever she so desired.
She wanted him burning with desire, for her, and only for her.
She searched his eyes. “I want…” She bit her lower lip.
Arching one thick brow, he drew his hands to grasp her on either side of her waist. “Do you need help choosing? Perhaps I can be of some small assistance,hm?” As he spoke, his thumbs traced small circles over her rib cage, tickling her deep inside.
She nodded, drawing a shuddering breath. “Y-yes. Yes, I think that would be good,” she said, her voice no more than a husky whisper.
Heat flared in his eyes, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I think we should relocate for this particular endeavor.”
She frowned in confusion.
“Come.” He took one of her hands and led her toward the side of his large four-poster bed.
They stood facing each other, gazes locked.
