Page 29 of Seven Princes: A Very Dirty Fairtytale

“Your desire to get into my pants.”

Archer began to laugh, a deep throaty chuckle that sent shivers up and down her spine. Claudia told herself to get a grip considering who this man was, but she couldn’t help that she loved the sound of his laugh.

“Well, now. I must say, the honesty is very refreshing.”

“No point in beating around the bush, is there?”

“Indeed.” He looked thoughtful for a moment before he shook his head. “I won’t deny that it is a part of my plan.” He perused her thoroughly making her feel more vulnerable than if she was standing in front of him, stark naked. She wondered at the effect he seemed to have on a lot of women, and she wondered if he knew and secretly used it to his advantage.

“However, that isn’t my whole plan.”

Claudia titled her head to the side. “Are you planning on luring me into one of your dungeons and have your wicked way with me?”

Archer grinned. “That was part of the plan, yeah. Discovering the wanton woman who hides beneath that carefully composed façade.”

Claudia straightened her back and looked him directly in the eye trying to pretend that the color of his eyes didn’t just make her want to drown in a pool of silver. “Yes, well, sometimes plan are ruined much to our dismay.”

He gazed back, and apparently, he liked what he saw because he gave her a 1000 Watt smile. “That can easily be fixed.”

Claudia gave him a blank look. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Archer took a step forward, and before she knew what he was doing, he had his hand on top of hers and was stroking it gently with the pad of his thumb.

Claudia glanced down at their intertwined hands and frowned. “I won’t be persuaded, Mr. Paisley. So, whatever it is you think you’re going to accomplish, you’re wasting your time.”

Archer gave her a slow indulgent smile. “Yeah, I know you’d like to convince yourself of that, but I’m just not buying it.”

“Frankly, I don’t care whether or not you do.”

Archer tugged on her hand, so that she stumbled forward. “I think you care. You care very much what I buy especially if it’s you.”

Claudia laughed dismissively. “You’re fooling yourself. I don’t care. Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d release my hand.”

Archer stared at her for a moment before he stopped what he was doing. Claudia couldn’t help the stab of disappointment that flashed through her, so she tried to ignore it by pulling her hand away and letting it lay limply at her side.

“What are you so afraid of, Claudia?” He tried to get her to make eye contact with him, but she resolutely refused afraid of what her twin pools of hazel would reveal to him, and how he might somehow be able to see right through her like she always thought he could.

“I don’t fear much, Mr. Paisley. Bankruptcy as businesses mostly do, and occasionally faulty plumbing or architecture, but other than that, I think my list is fairly small,” she said, very slowly, and very calmly.

Archer studied her very carefully before he let out a long whistle. “Somebody really did a number on you, didn’t they? I don’t know what they did to you, but it’s high time you moved past it, I think. Also, don’t you think it’s high time you dropped the whole Mr. Paisley act and actually used my real name?”

A flash of annoyance crossed her face. “It’s not an act. This is how we treat patrons here, and using your first name would be intimate, which is something we aren’t.”

“Not if I can help it,” he murmured as he took a huge step forward. Surprised, Claudia stumbled backward. “Would you stop doing that?”

“Doing what?” he asked innocently, a little too innocently for her to believe that he wasn’t doing it deliberately. His hand reached up and undid the first button on his shirt sleeve.

Claudia pointed between them. “Trying to start something between us.”

Archer took another step forward till he had Claudia backed into a corner. “If I were trying to start something between us, you’d know, Claudia. I wouldn’t be so subtle. I’m not the man who will hide behind pretenses and play games. I’m very clear and direct about what I want.”

“Okay.” She breathed trying not to let his presence affect her, but the smell of his heady perfume was wafting into her nostrils and making butterflies erupt in her stomach.

“Do you know what I want, Claudia?” he asked in a very controlled voice.

Claudia allowed her eyes to look into his eyes. “What?”

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