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“You aren’t from around here. Are you?”
I was falling deeper into the quicksand of lies, but it was obvious he had no clue who I was. “No. I’m just visiting friends.”
“That means you don’t have the benefit of knowing who I am.”
“Is that important?”
“If you’d known then you wouldn’t have dared enter the lair of such a bad man.” He narrowed his eyes and I realized he wastrying to terrify me. Or maybe entice me. He seemed different than I remembered, even more intense.
And the years had made him even better looking. I was in so much trouble.
“I don’t scare easily.”
“You should learn, lovely doll. Fear helps you live longer.”
“That’s not what my father told me. He told me to embrace fear. But you have me curious. Does that mean you have intentions of hurting me?” The fact I was being so bold surprised me.
He took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds. “If by hurting you mean punishing you, perhaps. We shall see.”
Punishing. I couldn’t stop tingling, my heart thudding like some racehorse coming close to the finish of a long race. It would be so much easier if I hated him or felt some sense of abhorrence about his life and lifestyle, but that simply wasn’t the case.
When he lifted his other arm, cocking his head as he brushed the backs of his knuckles down my cheek, I did everything I could not to shiver audibly.
I failed.
Jesus Christ. He was even better looking than I remembered, the nine years doing the six-foot-three man only favors. Even the slight lines fanning from the corners of his cobalt blue eyes created a debonaire look, the two-day stubble the kind that I’d craved rubbing my cheek as we kissed. I could not believe I was thinking this way.
“I’m nobody to you.”
“Wrong again. I do enjoy collecting dazzling things. And you are truly beautiful,” he said in a husky tone, his voice dropping dangerously low, the vibrations skittering across my skin. “But I sense a hint of the bad girl inside of you.”
I couldn’t help myself, kneading my fingers against his stark white shirt, the contrast with his tanned skin only adding to my arousal. “Life wouldn’t be nearly as fun if I remained good all the time. Now, would it?” I’d never known this side of him. I felt a mixture of repulsion and a rush of adrenaline from his possessive tendencies. But if he got a look at the girl locked away inside, he’d know just how right he was in his assumptions.
He smiled, his eyes lighting up like wands of neon that tourists carried in the streets. When he allowed his gaze to fall further down my neck to my chest, another wave of excitement tore through me, my pulse skyrocketing. Instant attraction was something very real and I’d been lucky or unlucky enough to be caught in the moment twice in my life, but neither had been good experiences, the men merely wanting more from me than I’d been willing to give.
The energy and electricity coursing through me at this moment was more like a tidal wave, a series of feelings and emotions that shouldn’t be dissected. And couldn’t be explained. Yes, I’d been attached to him for as long as I could remember, but as a child would, one who needed a solid base of people around her who cared.
Or so I’d liked to believe.
Maybe I’d been lying to myself because the way I felt in his arms was entirely different.
“Perhaps not, mysterious woman, but asmyfather would say, ‘Les mauvaises filles apprennent très tôt le sens du mot conséquences. C’est alors qu’ils comprennent également que des punitions sont souvent nécessaires.’”
“French.” My whisper was barely audible.
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?” Instead of answering, he lowered his head, his nostrils flaring, the thick cords in his muscular neck pulsing as quickly as my heart was beating. I shouldn’t do this. I needed to push him away but resisting him was all but impossible.
“Perhaps one day I will tell you.” His heated breath skipped across my skin and I couldn’t contain a wickedly sinful moan.
As he captured my mouth, I clutched my fingers around his shirt, arching my back in an involuntary attempt to get even closer. I was lightheaded, refusing to try to think about what a horrible idea this was. Instead, I closed my eyes, allowing the fevered moment to continue, basking in the taste of him, bourbon and cinnamon. The combination was irresistible, my lips instantly opening in response to the light push of his tongue.
I was shocked a man of his prowess could be so tender, caressing my back as if we’d been lovers for a long time. The kiss was even gentle.
At first.
But after a few seconds, he slid his hand down to my buttocks, pulling me onto my toes, grinding his hips against mine. The feel of his throbbing cock pressed tightly against my stomach left me with butterflies, an entire swarm of them. I rolled my arms overhis shoulders, tangling my fingers in his hair as dazzling spots of color formed in the periphery of my vision.
