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‘I know you want me,’ he rumbled, revelling in this sensation that was moving through him. ‘I can read it in the way you respond to me. Every time. You can’t help yourself.’
‘I don’t do any such thing,’ she argued, but her voice was faltering. Insubstantial.
A revelation.
‘Would you care to put that to the test?’ he asked gruffly, the ache stirring inside him all the more.
There was a beat of hesitation before she answered. ‘What kind of test?’
A thousand thoughts raced through his head. Each one dirtier than the last. He reined them in quickly.
‘A kiss,’ he told her simply.
‘A kiss?’ Her eyes raked over him searchingly. It might as well have been her fingertips.
He shivered.
‘Yes,’ he confirmed. ‘If you respond, you’ll admit the attraction. If you don’t respond... Well, that won’t happen.’
‘Such humility,’ she needled. But her eyebrows knitted together, as if she was trying to see the catch. ‘That’s it?’
‘That’s it,’ he confirmed, willing her to accept.
When was the last time he’d wanted anything so much?
Oti pursed her lips, her brow pulling tighter as she tried to decide whether she could deceive him.
He didn’t know why he held his breath, willing her to bite. And then she lifted her head and jerked her chin to him defiantly.
‘Sure, why not? One kiss to prove you wrong.’
It was almost comical, the way she sat up, folded her hands into their usual place on her lap and closed her eyes as she tilted her head to the side.
Before he could think better of it, Lukas scooped her up and lifted her off the bed.
‘Wait—where are we going?’
Wordlessly, he carried her out of her bedroom and to the sitting area, before sinking onto one of the couches with Octavia sprawled in his lap.
She struggled to right herself. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Setting your mind at ease,’ he lied. ‘I figured you would prefer to do this...test kiss in here, rather than on a bed. I don’t know if I can trust you not to get too carried away.’
No need to tell her that he barely trusted himself not to get too carried away.
‘Right,’ she muttered huskily, not even realising that he hadn’t tried to deny it.
He rather liked that. Just as liked the heat of her backside against the solid length of his sex. Making it more of a gratifying ache than a painful one.
‘Now what?’ she quipped. But the tremor in her voice gave her away, betraying her desire, just as he’d hoped.
Encouraging her to loop her arms around his neck, Lukas dipped his head to her, inhaling that fresh scent he remembered from the cathedral. It smelled more of tropical hair shampoo than any heavy, cloying perfume—only making her seem that much more innocent.
‘Now what?’ Her voice seemed to flutter around her, and he couldn’t hold himself back any longer.
Bending his head, he didn’t wait, he didn’t warn. He just took.
* * *
