Page 85 of The Agreement

“You don’t want to see me?” she asked in a low whisper, the words still feeling like a slap to his skin all the same.

It wasn't always what someone said, but how they said it that had the right impact. He wasn’t even sure she knew the effect of her words on him in that moment.

Roman took a step closer to her, his heart slamming beneath his rib cage because, no. Hell no, he didn’t want her to stop.

“No, I want to see all of you,” he murmured. “Every inch—spread you wide. I’ve been dreaming about it. Too much, if I’m honest.”

A faint smile curved her pink lips, and she pushed the nightdress down over her hips without hesitation. It fell to the floor, pooling around her ankles before she stepped out of it. Closer—again—to him.

No panties, he noticed. And the triangle patch of dark hair at the apex of her thighs was trimmed short.

She was prepared.

Waiting for him.

Fully naked in front of him, the moon shone like a spotlight on the soft curves of her slender body. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, taking in the way her dark straight hair fell like a curtain covering her shoulders but wasn’t quite long enough to hide the way her nipples had hardened into peaks standing like she did with the breeze still light in the room. With her arms at her sides, legs spread a little apart, she didn’t look ashamed to put herself on display for him.

“My turn,” he said, smirking just a little.

It only seemed fair.

Roman’s hands flitted over his belt, pulling it out from the loops in his slacks with a woosh, and tossing it aside to the floor. Then, his pants came off. His shirt soon followed. All of the clothing made a forgotten pile on the floor because as soon as they were off his body, he didn’t care. Mostly because she hadn’t stopped staring at him, and with each article of clothing he removed, her eyes grew wider until they were big, blue saucers locked lower on his body.

On his cock, actually.

Already hard beneath his boxer-briefs, there was no hiding the thick ridge of his dick clearly visible against the white fabric. His thumbs hooked around the waistband on the last piece of clothing before he started to tug it down.

Her throat jumped with a swallow.

Roman arched a brow at the sight. She had to have done this before—there was no way the woman was a virgin. He didn’t know one to be as bold as she had been in her demand for him to join her for the night, after all.

Still, it was enough for him to pause.

Only long enough to ask, “Karine, have you done this before?”

Not that he wanted to ask, but the better part of his judgement pushed the words out of his mind before he could really stop them. His cock throbbed painfully between his muscular thighs, the waistband of the boxer-briefs biting into the tender, swollen flesh at the base where he held it, not yet ready to drop the clothing completely.

There was only one thing he really wanted to do right then—be inside her. Except he had never been a gentleman before, but here he was, trying. Even if it was only by asking questions. It was the best he could do.

“Karine.”

She still didn’t—or wouldn’t—answer, instead opting to look away from him, her expression darkening.

“I never said I was offering my history for this,” she muttered.

Roman nodded, saying only, “Fair enough.”

That was fine. She didn’t have to answer his question. He was going to take her however she wanted.

As long as she asked for it.

Roman couldn’t remember a time when he had wanted someone this much—so much, that the need he felt thrummed deep in his bones, and made the blood thicken in his veins. Every breath she took was measured while she watched him, waiting for something he didn’t know; each one left him a little hotter. It was a show of the self-control he liked to say he didn’t have if there ever was one.

Seemed he was a liar.

Because it took everything in him to stand there, and let her look. All the while, those nerves that had shown in her wide eyes and jumping swallows were starting to fade. Instead, he found lust reflecting back the next time her eyes met his. He could touch her, pull her tight to him, and it was enough to drive him insane.

But he didn’t.