Read Online The Theory of Attraction by Delphine Dryden - Free Book Online

in his face, the way his upper lip flexed as he geared up to his full problem-solving mode.
    “It’s impractical.”
    I shrugged, failing to stifle a tiny defeated sigh. “It’s extremely practical. It does exactly what it’s designed to do, Ivan. Which any normal human guy with normal human guy needs would know has absolutely nothing to do with keeping me warm.”
    Then I turned and half whispered as I reached for the doorknob, “Any straight guy, at least.”
    Before I could open the door, a pair of hands slapped against the wall on either side of me, trapping me between two lean arms. My world constricted in a heartbeat to the cinderblock wall in front of me, cold and gray with layers of glossy institutional paint…and the body behind me, hot and firm and undeniably male.
    “Camilla,” he growled, “I want to make some things perfectly clear to you, and you are going to listen to me. Do you understand?”
    Unable to speak because my heart was threatening to pound its way out of my chest, I nodded. Then I whimpered as he leaned closer still and his breath tickled over the fine hairs behind my ear.
    “First thing. I am not stupid.”
    “I never said—”
    “Quiet! You started this, but I’m going to finish it. I am not stupid. I may not like people, I may have asked for help getting through this fundraiser, but that doesn’t make me an idiot about all human interaction. And I don’t appreciate being teased.”
    Miserable, excited, I held my tongue and tried to think about anything but the shivering, melting sensation that was beginning to course through my veins. The slight draft near the door could never account for the goose bumps prickling over me. And nothing but Ivan’s proximity could possibly explain the effervescent heat between my legs.
    “Second thing. I am not blind. If you flash your cleavage enough times, eventually I will not be able to avoid getting an eyeful. That shirt ups those odds considerably. So unless you really want to be ogled, I can’t imagine why you would go around wearing such a thing. It’s nothing like your usual style. You don’t need to wear something trashy to get noticed.”
    He noticed my usual style? It was news to me. Also news that he knew the difference between trashy and not, and knew I normally chose the latter. Not that this shirt was trashy, although I had to admit it skirted the line pretty closely.
    “And third,” Ivan continued, leaning in closer, “I want to stress that I am a completely normal human male in a lot of respects. And since I am most decidedly not gay,” he added, pressing his hips forward into my ass so I couldn’t possibly mistake his prominent hard-on, “you’re playing a pretty dangerous game. I can only take so much teasing, Camilla. Sooner or later, if you keep it up, I am going to assume you want me to follow through. That would come with some additional requirements you probably aren’t prepared for.”
    Offering a silent prayer to any love gods who might be listening, I arched my back a little so my backside pressed more firmly against that delicious, hot length of barely restrained need.
    “Why would you ever assume anything else?”
    He hissed through clenched teeth, pulling away for a second and then pressing forward with a groan to pin me to the wall. His hips ground against me, and I shivered as his hands left the wall and circled my upper arms.
    “I don’t play these games out in the real world, Cami.” His voice was rough, almost resentful. Torn, he sounded torn. I felt a surge of raw hope and need, even as he said everything he could to deter me. “I know how to fuck. I like to fuck. I just don’t do well with people, and I have very particular tastes.” He had worked his hands forward between me and the wall now, and he cupped my breasts and plucked sharply at my nipples through the infamous shirt. “I can’t be nice about it. I’m tempted by you, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, but I’m not like the