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Authors: Stephanie James
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something of a switch, isn’t it?” she tried to ask mockingly and failed miserably. Her amber gaze was darkening with tension and the unknown aspects of the moment. “Isn’t it usually the woman who—” She broke off, unable to continue. Her crimson nails dug anxiously into the blue silk shirt.
“I’m not concerned with how it ‘usually’ is,” he rasped. “I’m only concerned with how it is for me and you. I want you, Brenna, but I’m willing to take the time to make it right for both of us. I’m willing to wait for you. I’m warning you that if you give yourself to me tonight, you won’t find yourself free of me in the morning. Do you understand now? I won’t play the part of a summer novelty for you to explore while you’re running around outside your ivory tower.”
“No! I never meant…”
He shook his head. “I know I represent a different world to you, and perhaps under the spell of the evening and your own curiosity you find yourself attracted. If that’s all it amounts to, you’d better back away from the flames before you get singed.”
“It’s not like that at all!” she proclaimed fiercely, the need to reassure him somehow more important than a close look at the truth. “Believe me, Ryder, it’s not like that…”
Knowing no other way to counter his accusation, Brenna caught his face once more in her hands and ground her mouth almost savagely down on his. She would not, could not, examine her options in the intellectual way she ought to. Brenna only knew that the night must not end with Ryder Sterne walking out her door.
Ryder’s arms tightened around her with rough gentleness as he slowly sat up against the pressure of her slender weight. He never broke the kiss but Brenna found herself cradled across his thighs, her arms wound passionately around his neck.
Then, in a surge of masculine power, Ryder was on his feet with Brenna in his arms. Still holding her mouth in the compelling mastery of his own, he started toward the stairs of the loft.
Chapter 4
O ne of Brenna’s high-heeled red sandals slipped off and fell on a step as Ryder carried her effortlessly up the stairs. She wasn’t really aware of the small loss, but the toes of her nylon-clad foot curled in a tiny gesture of gathering sensual tension. Ryder’s arms felt strong and secure about her, and she nestled against his chest in languid, delicious abandon.
At the top of the stairs he at last broke the enthralling, lingering kiss to lift his head and search her bemused, heavy-lidded expression.
“Tonight you’re a golden-eyed witch,” he told her huskily.
“And you?” she countered, touching the corner of his mouth with a fingertip. “What are you tonight?”
“Only a man. But one who wants you very much. Will that be enough for you?”
What was he asking? Brenna wondered distantly. Whatever the real question, she wanted nothing more than to reassure him.
“It will be enough.” Perhaps he was concerned that she would ask too much of him, demand more than he could give. Yet he had been the one who had talked of commitment. She didn’t understand but she didn’t want to get too involved in an analysis of the situation, either. Not now, not tonight. Tonight was a special place and a special time and she wanted only to exist within those borders. “Ryder, I’m not truly a witch. Only a woman. Will that be enough for you?” she heard herself ask a little anxiously.
“It’s all I want,” he whispered, his voice as deep and gentle as she had yet heard it.
He carried her to the bed and lowered her carefully to her feet beside it.
“Oh!” The small exclamation came as Brenna stumbled slightly against him and instinctively braced herself with palms splayed across his shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” He steadied her at once.
“My shoe.” She smiled in soft amusement. “I seem to have arrived with only one.”
“Playing at being Cinderella after the ball?” He eased her to a sitting
“I’m not concerned with how it ‘usually’ is,” he rasped. “I’m only concerned with how it is for me and you. I want you, Brenna, but I’m willing to take the time to make it right for both of us. I’m willing to wait for you. I’m warning you that if you give yourself to me tonight, you won’t find yourself free of me in the morning. Do you understand now? I won’t play the part of a summer novelty for you to explore while you’re running around outside your ivory tower.”
“No! I never meant…”
He shook his head. “I know I represent a different world to you, and perhaps under the spell of the evening and your own curiosity you find yourself attracted. If that’s all it amounts to, you’d better back away from the flames before you get singed.”
“It’s not like that at all!” she proclaimed fiercely, the need to reassure him somehow more important than a close look at the truth. “Believe me, Ryder, it’s not like that…”
Knowing no other way to counter his accusation, Brenna caught his face once more in her hands and ground her mouth almost savagely down on his. She would not, could not, examine her options in the intellectual way she ought to. Brenna only knew that the night must not end with Ryder Sterne walking out her door.
Ryder’s arms tightened around her with rough gentleness as he slowly sat up against the pressure of her slender weight. He never broke the kiss but Brenna found herself cradled across his thighs, her arms wound passionately around his neck.
Then, in a surge of masculine power, Ryder was on his feet with Brenna in his arms. Still holding her mouth in the compelling mastery of his own, he started toward the stairs of the loft.
Chapter 4
O ne of Brenna’s high-heeled red sandals slipped off and fell on a step as Ryder carried her effortlessly up the stairs. She wasn’t really aware of the small loss, but the toes of her nylon-clad foot curled in a tiny gesture of gathering sensual tension. Ryder’s arms felt strong and secure about her, and she nestled against his chest in languid, delicious abandon.
At the top of the stairs he at last broke the enthralling, lingering kiss to lift his head and search her bemused, heavy-lidded expression.
“Tonight you’re a golden-eyed witch,” he told her huskily.
“And you?” she countered, touching the corner of his mouth with a fingertip. “What are you tonight?”
“Only a man. But one who wants you very much. Will that be enough for you?”
What was he asking? Brenna wondered distantly. Whatever the real question, she wanted nothing more than to reassure him.
“It will be enough.” Perhaps he was concerned that she would ask too much of him, demand more than he could give. Yet he had been the one who had talked of commitment. She didn’t understand but she didn’t want to get too involved in an analysis of the situation, either. Not now, not tonight. Tonight was a special place and a special time and she wanted only to exist within those borders. “Ryder, I’m not truly a witch. Only a woman. Will that be enough for you?” she heard herself ask a little anxiously.
“It’s all I want,” he whispered, his voice as deep and gentle as she had yet heard it.
He carried her to the bed and lowered her carefully to her feet beside it.
“Oh!” The small exclamation came as Brenna stumbled slightly against him and instinctively braced herself with palms splayed across his shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” He steadied her at once.
“My shoe.” She smiled in soft amusement. “I seem to have arrived with only one.”
“Playing at being Cinderella after the ball?” He eased her to a sitting
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