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SEVEN
Seraphina decided onAhati for the night because his reputation preceded him. They both understood this was strictly for physical pleasure and he wouldn’t expect or want anything more beyond the sex sharing.
She made meaningless chatter, but her thoughts were on Roarke Callim. Her body still buzzed with tiny flashes of pleasure from their brief interaction. Walking away from him had taken a spine of Targalon steel but she’d done it.
“How about we go to my room?” Ahati asked, leading her toward the ballroom exit.
He had one arm around her waist, his fingertips grazing her hips and caressing the bare flesh revealed by the cut of her dress.
At any other time, she’d be eager to follow through on the promise in his stormy gray eyes if not for thoughts of another. She forced a smile to her lips and nodded. It was only sex sharing. She’d done what she came here to do anyway.
The crowd had grown and thanks to alcohol and oral stimulants, the atmosphere bordered on out of control. Someone stopped in front of them. Her gaze jerked up. She stilled at the tall dark-haired man blocking the way. Heated brown eyes glared at the arm wrapped around her.
Possession and demand flowed from the silent look. She shivered. Ahati continued talking, oblivious to the interruption, until he realized she’d stopped walking. He stared at the man in their path and arched an imperious brow.
In an affable tone, Ahati said, “Pardon us, we’re leaving, mate.”
Keeping his gaze on her, Roarke’s mouth curved in a taunting smile. Another shiver tripped its way down her spine. He reached up and cupped her jaw, tilted her head to stare directly into her eyes.
Her face tingled from the grip of his fingers. Not tight but firm and controlling. She couldn’t dislodge his hand unless she put effort into it. Which she didn’t.
“Someone told me to come see you,” he stated boldly.
Her breath caught. Though she’d issued the challenge, she hadn’t expected him to take her up on it. The playboy façade was gone and in its place was hunger. Pure, undiluted hunger in all its raw form. Moisture gathered between her thighs, her mouth dried and her heart stuttered.
That. That was what she wanted. What she craved. The darker aspect of his nature to feed the jagged hole in her soul which grew every year Coco’s death remained unavenged.
His fingers shifted to trail across her chin, thumb pressing on her bottom lip. She gasped, eyes flying wide and leaned toward him in a daze. His lids lowered in a sensual cast before Ahati cleared his throat and broke the spell. Roarke dropped his hand to his side.
“She’s taken,” Ahati declared and shoved them forward.
The sudden move caused her to stumble and trip. Off balance, her weight tipped her toward the floor. She cried out in shock as Ahati’s arm slipped from her waist and put her hands out in desperation to catch herself.
Roarke cursed and lunged for her. His hands locked about her hips and yanked her back into his chest. Trembling, she fought to catch her breath. Roarke’s arms tightened, filling her with a sense of safety and relief. He bowed his head to the side of her face and murmured, “I have you.”
Ahati narrowed his eyes on Roarke holding her and yanked at his wrinkled jacket sleeves. “You can let her go now.”
Seraphina recovered but didn’t pull away from Roarke. Instead, she kept her back pressed to his chest and frowned at Ahati. He’d let her go to save himself from falling. If Roarke hadn’t caught her, she could have been seriously injured. “I think I’m fine where I’m at.”
Surprise flashed across Ahati’s face then fury replaced it as he thrust a finger at her. “We had an arrangement.”
Roarke tensed behind her, his body poised to attack, making her more certain of her initial impression of him. Seraphina reached down and softly squeezed his forearm still braced around her midsection. She had this, though she appreciated the readiness in his stance. “I’m exercising my right to change my mind. I prefer a man who takes care of the woman he’s about to sex share with. Your actions spoke loudly, Ahati.”
He sneered and stepped in close. In counterpoint, Roarke eased them a step back. She snickered at the frustration creasing the corners of Ahati’s mouth.
“You think you’ll get from him what I would have given you?” Ahati huffed and eyed Roarke from head to toe in dismissal. “My family could buy his ten times over. Be careful of your choice, Tempest. This is your last chance. Go with me to my room or I’ll grace another woman with the pleasure you’d be foolish to turn down.”
She smirked. The only reason she’d considered Ahati was because she’d walked away from Roarke. He met her basic criteria and rumors did speak highly to his skills in the bedroom. It was never about the wealth of her partner no matter what Ahati or anyone else here thought.
Tempest could have her choice of men when she came to the Ice Ball. What she wanted wasn’t measurable in credits. She sought oblivion. Respite. Unimaginable pleasure. So, her answer to his pompous threat was easy. “No, thanks.”
Ahati jolted. His lips firmed and curled in distaste. “You’re loss.”
He turned on his heels and stormed across the ballroom in search of his next option. The hands at her waist slid up her torso in a smooth glide then back down. Voice husky, Roarke said, “I can’t believe that was my replacement.”
And with those words she spun in his arms and laughed. A genuine laugh that rolled from her core. She clasped Roarke’s shoulders as chuckles continued to bubble forth. “Poor choice on my part, bad decision at best.”
Roarke’s lips twitched, his brown eyes warming. “Does that mean I’ll have the honor of entertaining you tonight?”
