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“Okay, okay.” She leaned her head back, closed her eyes for what seemed like three seconds. But when she opened them again, they were through the gates and pulling up in front of the house. “Did I fall asleep?”
“For about five minutes.”
“That was just wine, right?”
“Absolutely. The next part of our program is a hot bath.”
“A bath isn’t…” She reconsidered as they stepped inside. “Actually, that sounds pretty good.”
Ten minutes later, while water gushed into the tub and swirled in the power of jets, it began to sound better. But she arched a brow when she saw Roarke begin to undress. “Who’s the bath for, me or you?”
“Us.” He gave her a tap on the butt, nudging her forward.
“That’s fine then. It’ll give you a chance to tell me all about saving the life of a beautiful woman.”
“Hmm.” He slipped into the frothy water, facing her. “Oh. I can’t be held responsible for actions that took place in a former life.” He passed her another glass of wine he’d had the foresight to pour. “Now, can I?”
“I don’t know. Isn’t the theory something like you repeat things, or learn from them, or don’t?” She held the glass aloft and dunked herself down, resurfacing with a sigh. “You figure you were lovers, or what?”
Considering, he trailed a fingertip up and down Eve’s leg. “If she looked then the way she looks now, I’d certainly hope so.”
She gave him a sour smile. “Yeah, I’d guess you’d go for the big, beautiful, exotic type then and now.” With a shrug, she drank more wine, then toyed with the stem. “Most people figure you stepped wide of the mark with me.”
“Most people?”
She downed the rest of the wine, set the glass aside. “Sure. I get the drift when we’ve got to make time with some of those rich and high-toned business associates of yours. Can’t blame them for wondering what came over you. I’m not big, beautiful, or exotic.”
“No, you’re not. Slim, lovely, strong. It’s a wonder I looked twice.”
She felt ridiculous and flustered. He could do that to her just by the way he looked at her. “I’m not fishing,” she muttered.
“And it surprises me that you’d give a damn what any of my associates thought of either one of us.”
“I don’t.” Damn it, she’d stepped right in it. “I was just making an observation. The wine’s got my tongue running away with me.”
“You annoy me, Eve.” His voice was dangerously cool. A warning she recognized. “Criticizing my taste.”
“Forget it.” She dunked again, surfaced like a shot when his hands clamped over her waist. “Hey, what are you doing? Trying to drown me?” She blinked water out of her eyes and saw that his were indeed annoyed. “Listen—”
“No, you listen. Or better yet.” He crushed his mouth to hers, hot, hungry, hurried. It made the top of her lead lift off and spin. “We’ll just move to the third part of our program a little early,” he said when he let her suck in a gulp of air. “And I’ll show you why I’m precisely on the mark with you, Lieutenant. Precisely. I don’t make mistakes.”
She scowled at him even as the blood hummed under her skin. “That arrogant routine doesn’t work for me. I said it was the wine.”
“You won’t blame what I can do to you on the wine,” he promised. He tilted his hands so that his thumbs traced the vulnerable fold between thigh and crotch. “You won’t blame it on the wine when I make you scream.”
“I won’t scream.” But her head fell back as a moan tore through her lips. “I can’t breathe when you do that.”
“Then don’t. Don’t breathe.” He lifted her up until her breasts were above water, and his hands busy below. He dipped, caught one dripping point between his teeth. “I’m agoing to take you. You’re going to let me.”
“I don’t want to be taken, unless I take back.” But even as her arms came around him, he ripped her to peak, made her body buck and her arms go limp.
“Not this time.” He was suddenly ravenous for her, just this way, limp and open and mindless.
“How do you do that?” Her voice was weak and slurred.
He nearly chuckled, though the need was growing painful. Saying nothing, he stood, lifted her. Her eyes fluttered open as he carried her out of the bath.
“I want you in bed,” he said. “I want you wet, inside and out. I want to feel your body tremble when I touch you.” He laid her down, fastened his mouth on her throat. “And taste you.”
