AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He reached into the box and lifted out a red rain-drop, handing it to her. Her fingers avoided his like the plague and the gesture was all the more intriguing. Where had her bravado gone from the night before? He had threatened her, it was true, with following through with her flirtation.
And yet he’d still expected her to behave true to form – which for Claudia La Roche was like a party girl from way back. What was with the demure act? Was she trying to fool him into letting her leave sooner?
Not bloody likely.
The only thing it achieved was making him want to stir her, looking for more of a reaction.
She placed the ornament with great care, then turned to him. “White.”
He arched a brow. Perhaps he wasn’t the only one stirring?
“White what?” He said, his eyes holding a warning even as he felt a smile tickle his lips.
“White please, sir.”
Holy hell. She was definitely stirring him back. Stavros’s erection strained against the fabric of his pants, he was instantly hard and he pictured her calling him sir in myriad other, more satisfying positions.
He reached into the box and retrieved a white bauble, but when he handed it to her this time, he caught her wrist and held it, then placed the bauble in her upturned palm. He reached for her fingers and closed it over the top of the bauble, his eyes on hers the whole time.
He saw the way her breath was rushed and her cheeks were pink. And his erection grew.
“Next?” It was a gruff request. He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t wait for her next use of the word ‘sir’.
“Next what?” She responded, her eyes huge in her face as she turned to face him, blinking her lashes and smiling like an innocent ingénue.
He frowned, not understanding.
“What would you like next, Claudia?” She prompted, the dangerous game of cat and mouse one she was playing expertly.
He tilted a brow. “What would you like from me, Claudia?” He asked, changing the wording slightly yet significantly, so that he saw her tongue dart out and moisten her lower lip.
“I’d like…” she tipped her head to one side, raking her eyes up and down the length of his body, “red, please.”
“Sir?” He reminded her.
She nodded. “Sir.”
Heaven help him, he was about three seconds from yanking her off the step ladder and going all Tarzan on her and that was most definitely inappropriate. She might be into casual sex but he no longer was. And nothing about sleeping with his ward was casual!
He owed her and Christopher so much more than that.
With great effort, he turned away and lifted a red ornament out of the box, passing it to her without touching her this time. Her smile showed that she thought she’d won. And perhaps she had.
“Gold,” she murmured, without turning to face him. “I think another gold.”
“Gold, what?”
She looked over her shoulder, casting him an exasperated look. “Pass me a gold, Stavros. We both know you’re not going to take me over your knee and spank me for not using my manners.”
They both stared at one another, completely stunned by the imagery that had stabbed into the room.
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” he muttered, turning back to the box and lifting out a gold ornament.
Claudia either didn’t hear, or pretended not to hear. He reached for a gold ornament and passed it up. Her fingers curled around it and she studied it for a moment.
“This is really special.” She swallowed, and he found himself staring up at her, watching the play of emotions across her face. “I’ve got a trillion ornaments,” she said, placing the decoration with care before flicking her gaze down to him. “Turquoise.”
He moved back to the box, lifting a pale blue decoration out and holding it up. She pressed it amongst the branches and smiled, her fingertip tracing the fine sparkle that ran across its base.
