His eyes dipped to my mouth, and he ran his bottom lip between his teeth. “I’m not telling, either, so I guess we have ourselves what’s called a Mexican standoff.”
“Looks that way.” I lost my smile. He looked like pure desire just then. Total pleasure. I gulped and hurried to change the subject, to get our minds on the right track. “When I’m taken I want you to kidnap Luc from here and take care of her until I return.”
“Consider it done.” The teasing light slowly extinguished in his eyes. Before I could protest, he rolled over and pinned me.
I held my breath as he stared down at me. Hell, even the room seemed to hold its breath. A thin beam of moonlight slipped past the curtains over the window, illuminating his bronze skin. A gentle breeze caused those curtains to dance over us, circle us in a wispy, private haven. My pulse leapt.
He braced himself on his hands, and his gaze raked over my clothes. His lips twitched. “Did you really think locking the balcony doors would stop me?”
Stay strong. Don’t give in. “Look, we have more to talk about.”
“You’re right. We’ve got a lot to talk about.” Reaching behind him, he tugged his shirt over his head.
My mouth watered at the sight of his pecs…his shredded abs. “Put your shirt back on.” I didn’t sound convincing, not in the least.
As he stared deeply into my eyes, he tsked under his tongue. “Silly girl. You’re going to be the death of me. You know that?” He leaned down, placing his mouth within a whisper of mine. His warm, soapy scent enveloped me. “Talk later. Fuck now.”
Then he was kissing me, and I was kissing him back. I forgot what I wanted to tell him, forgot everything but this man and his wicked mouth. Without slowing our kiss, he peeled away my clothes and weapons, as if I’d never been stupid enough to don them.
I tore off his pants, wanting—needing—skin-to-skin contact. His hardness to my softness. Nothing else mattered. I might hate myself for it later, but there it was. I knew how he felt buried deep inside me, and I craved that again. I knew how my name sounded on his lips as he found his pleasure.
I would have that again.
“You didn’t cut into my skin this time,” he whispered huskily against my lips. He stood, scooped me up and tossed me on the bed. The mattress bounced with my weight. He was beside me in the next instant. “That’s progress.”
“Why are you talking?” I tugged him down on top of me. He gave me his full, muscled weight.
I cradled his long, thick erection between my legs and rubbed against him, already wet, already willing. The friction nearly caused me to go off like a rocket. My honey scent blended with his pine scent, fragrancing the air.
He paused while I nipped at his jawbone, his neck, and he blinked. He pulled back, searching my gaze. Then he slowly grinned. “You smell like honey when you’re turned on.”
I stilled. I didn’t deny it, but I didn’t confess, either.
His smile widened. “I may be slow, but I finally figured it out. That day in the gym…”
“So what?” I snapped, my cheeks heating.
“Admit it, baby.” He laughed with genuine amusement. “I rocked your world then, and I’m rocking your world tonight.”
His male superiority irritated me. My eyes narrowed, and I seductively licked my lips. “Just for that,” I told him, “you’re going to be punished.”
Heat flared in his eyes, melting the ice into blue fire. “How? A spanking?”
He sounded so eager, I almost laughed. “Not a spanking.” Though I liked the idea of inflicting a bit of innocent pain, then easing away the sting.
“You sure?” A bead of sweat rolled down his temple and dangled at his chin. “I probably deserve a good, hard one.”
“You have to make me come three times.”
“Three?” He smirked.
“You only managed two last time.” I traced my hand between our bodies, letting my fingers graze his erection.
“Damn, you’re evil,” he said, but there was a layer of anticipation and relish in his tone. “Thankfully I’m up to the task.”
He swooped in and gave me another tongue-thrusting, frantic kiss. His hands and fingers worked over my body, plumping my breasts, pinching my nipples, caressing between my legs before darting away.
Within minutes, I was writhing and moaning his name. He licked his way down my body, and my belly quivered. Without pause or breath, he drove his tongue into the heart of me. I had to bite my hand to cut off the screams I couldn’t allow, causing sultry, hungry moans of total abandon to emerge. His tongue tormented me, made me ache and claw at his shoulders.
“You taste like you smell,” he murmured against me. “Honey and cinnamon.”
The moment he worked two fingers inside me, I shattered. I arched and writhed and chanted his name in my head. Still he didn’t stop. He worked me with his fingers, rubbing deliciously—without ever entering me—until I climaxed twice more.
“That was three orgasms,” I gasped when I was able.
“I’m going to give you an extra one because of the naughty thoughts I’m having.”
I would have laughed if I’d had the strength.
“Am I forgiven for teasing you?” he asked, his chin resting on my pubic bone, his breath fanning my stomach.
God, yes. I nodded.
I thrummed and pulsed from the force of my last orgasm as he climbed up my body and entered me. Hard. Swift. Expertly. I wound my hand around his neck and drew his head to me. Our lips met, our tongues clashed. He tasted hot, like me, like himself. Like pure passion. A taste I already craved like an addiction.
His hands coasted to my hips, gripped them and urged me higher, to take him deeper. His teeth nipped at my lips. I nipped back. We were fierce and growling with our need.
“It shouldn’t be this good,” he said hoarsely, darkly. As he spoke, one of his hands moved to my breast and pinched the golden nipple between his fingers. His hips began a rotating dance that increased my pleasure.
I came again, squeezing his back, gripping him.
His orgasm quickly followed mine. He bit the cord of my neck to contain his roar. So good, so good, so good, my mind chanted as I floated to the stars.
Afterward we lay together, silent. He rolled to my side, keeping me cradled in the strength and torridity of his arms. A sensuous spell wrapped around us. I could have stayed there forever, I think. And that scared me.
Business, remember. I swept my hair from my sweat-beaded face. “Did Jonathan say anything else to you?” I asked, getting back on track.
Lucius didn’t speak for several minutes, and the wall clock ticked away. Finally he said, “After he made the offer to help me, he started acting strangely.”
“Strangely how?”
“He wouldn’t meet my gaze and hurried me out of his office. He’s up to something, I’m sure of it. Something more than acquiring you for me.”
“Any idea what?”
He pushed out a frustrated breath. “I think something’s going down. I think another girl is going to be taken. He got a call and, well, I listened from the two-way. He talked about needing a girl for one of his associates while flipping through a file of pictures. I tried to find out more, but he never brought it up again.”
So. Another girl could very well be taken. I couldn’t let that happen. Not when there was something I could do. “I can find out what he’s doing,” I said hesitantly.
Lucius’s gaze sharpened on me. “How?”
My next words froze in my throat. I’d kept this part of myself secret for so long. Even Michael didn’t know. Telling someone now was difficult. It exposed me, made me vulnerable. Lucius wouldn’t hurt me, would fight to protect me. I knew that deep down. I never would have slept with him otherwise. But…