Seth was determined to win.
Since he was having little luck with her mouth, he seduced her with slow, damp kisses along her throat, let his tongue lap along her neck, and grazed his teeth along her jaw until she trembled. He took his time, leisurely stripping away her resistance until she was overwhelmed with the sensual sensations he was creating.
Gradually, she stopped struggling. Her chest heaved with panting breaths, and the hand he’d manacled with his fingers grew slack. He went back to her mouth for another try; this time she was waiting for him, her lips already parted. She didn’t resist him when he settled his mouth over hers, didn’t protest when his tongue sought entrance and glided silkily along hers.
Hunger and need ripped through him, taking him by surprise. He’d meant to teach her a lesson . . . not fall into a trap of his own making.
Letting go of her hand, he gently framed her face in his palms and opened his mouth wider over hers. His tongue swept deeply, swirling sensually. Her response was tentative at first, then she moaned in acquiescence and gave him exactly what he was after. Surrender and pleasure.
Kissing her was just as magical as he remembered. Her mouth was just as honey-sweet and generous as in his dreams. No one had ever matched him so perfectly, no one had ever excited him more than the woman currently sitting in his lap. His body hardened, and he thought about how good it would feel to bury himself in her sleek warmth, how incredible she’d feel moving beneath him, her legs wrapped tight around his hips as she arched shamelessly and moaned her own pleasure.
Their wedding night suddenly seemed a million years away, and he wondered if he could talk her into getting married that afternoon.
Something gouged his shoulders, and it took him a moment to realize that Josie was using the heel of her palms to push him away, to try and break free. She was no longer caught up in that enchanting spell—she must have finally realized just how willing and eager she was for him.
Satisfied that he’d proven his point, he lifted his lips from hers, removed his hands from her face, and let her go. She shoved hard at that moment and squirmed away . . . and slid off his thighs and dropped like a rock onto the hardwood floor.
She winced and groaned at the excruciating impact, then glared up at him as if it were all his fault. Her fire was back, seething in her eyes. He wondered if she was angry with him for kissing her, or angrier at herself for kissing him back and enjoying every minute of it.
He grinned down at her. “So much for a woman having more control than a man does, hmm?” he couldn’t resist teasing. His jibe earned him a scathing look, but he didn’t care, because he was having too much fun. “Since you seemed to enjoy that kiss every bit as much as I did, a marriage of convenience is out of the question.”
“Go to hell,” she hissed.
He chuckled deeply. “You just put me there, darlin’” he said, referring to the stiff erection straining against the zipper of his jeans. “But we’ll take care of that problem on our wedding night.”
Before she had a chance to respond—and he had a feeling her reply would have had a heated, insulting edge to it—Seth heard a heavy thump, thump, thump coming from the other room and watched as Josie scrambled up from the floor. She straightened just as her daughter shuffled into the kitchen, looking from her disheveled mother to Seth.
The young girl’s green eyes widened with wariness at finding him in the kitchen, and he was amazed at how the child’s presence could put an immediate damper on his aroused state—thank goodness. Instinctively, she moved closer to Josie, seeking reassurance for his presence. Josie placed an arm around Kellie’s shoulder in a protective manner, and his jaw tensed in annoyance. Did she think he was some kind of monster who would hurt her child?
“‘Morning, honey,” she greeted the girl, her
George P. Pelecanos
Seth James
Adrian Phoenix
Patricia Briggs
TASHA ALEXANDER
Zacharey Jane
Virginia Coffman
Kat Jackson
Mora Early
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