Page 17

“Apparently, I shouldn’t.”

Her cheeks color. Fuck.

That blush takes me straight back to the stable this morning, to the sounds she made and the way she looked at me when she surrendered to what was happening between us. My body responds immediately.

I see her notice. Her gaze drops for the briefest second before returning to mine, and there it is. The same hunger darkens her golden-brown eyes. Christ.

I sit forward, resting my forearms on the table. “We’re not going to make it through dessert.”

Her breathing changes. I watch her face go through a series of emotions until she finally surrenders, coming to terms with what’s going to happen. I stand and hold out my hand. “Come here.”

She doesn’t hesitate. She pushes back her seat and stands, then closes the space between us before placing her hand in mine. The second her fingers close around mine, I know there is no going back.

I pull her toward me, and she comes willingly, her body fitting against mine as though it has always belonged there. I lower my head and murmur against her lips, “There is no going back after tonight.”

“I know. So, I’ll tell you this.” I wait, expectant. “I haven’t done this before.”

I freeze as the meaning of her words sinks in. Dio mio!

I suspected it from the way she sometimes reacted when I cornered her, but she has always matched my hunger. Knowing that my woman will only be touched by me makes me want to roar to the heavens and declare my ownership.

Katya is mine. “Fuck, Bella. You’re mine,” I growl, then I take her lips.

I walk her backward through the hallway, my mouth never leaving hers, my hands gripping her waist to guide her. She doesn’t resist. She doesn’t hesitate. Katya trusts me to lead her even though she has no idea where we’re going, and that trust hits me like a physical blow.

She’s never done this. She’s giving me something no one else ever has.

The knowledge burns through me, hotter than any lust I’ve ever felt. I push open the door to my bedroom and pull her inside. The space is large, dominated by a bed that suddenly seems too big for what I have planned. I want her close. I want her surrounded by me.

“Strip,” I order, my voice rougher than I intend.

She doesn’t flinch. Her golden-brown eyes hold mine as she reaches for the hem of her silk dress and pulls it over her head. No hesitation. Just that quiet confidence that makes me want to worship her and ruin her in the same breath.

Her bra follows. She stands before me in nothing but a thin scrap of lace, and I have to force myself to breathe.

“All of it,” I demand.

The panties drop. And there she is. Pale skin, toned from years of riding, breasts that fit perfectly in my palms, and the dark triangle between her thighs that hides the only thing I want in this world right now.

“Christ,” I breathe, stepping closer. “Look at you.”

She lifts her chin, watching me watch her. “Your turn.”

I almost laugh. Even naked and vulnerable, she issues commands. That’s my Katya. I strip quickly, my shirt flying somewhere, my pants kicked aside. When I free my cock, her eyes drop, and for the first time since she walked into my office, I see something like uncertainty flicker across her face.

“Don’t worry,” I murmur, gripping myself at the base. “I’ll fit.”

“I wasn’t worried,” she lies, and I love her for it.

I close the distance between us, my bare skin against hers for the first time. The contact makes us both inhale sharply. She’s warm and soft and trembling just enough to tell me she’s not as composed as she pretends.

I cup her face, tilting her head back so she has to look at me. “Tell me you want this.”

“I want this.” No hesitation.

“Tell me you want me.”

Her eyes flash. “I want you, Dario. I want you inside me. I want you to show me what this feels like.” She pauses, her voice dropping. “I want you to be my first.”