Page 23 of One Wealthy Wedding

He leans down. Those light green eyes are gleaming with unholy fire. Even when he’s annoyed, the arch in his left eyebrow makes him look playful.

“It’s never mediocre with me, princess. I’d make you scream. You’d see god, but you’d be shouting my name.” His lips tilt, and he angles his head like he’s imagining me naked.

My whole body flushes warm. Fire. I’m playing with fire.

“No, thank you.” My voice is stupidly breathy.

“I bet I could convince you,” he murmurs. His voice rasps over me. The rest of the world doesn’t exist. If you asked me what city we were in, I couldn’t tell you. “You wouldn’t be calling it just a kiss. I’d rewrite your entire world.”

“You’re not that hot. Not enough to tempt me.” Lie. Theo is the man against which I’ve compared every other for my whole damn life.

My words do nothing to deflate him. Instead, he’s still in my space, his broad shoulders and strong neck filling my vision. Ink peeks out from the collar of his white shirt. The tattoo. I want to unbutton the smooth cotton and see where it goes.

“I’d wager I am.” He’s still smiling, the arrogant ass. Flirting for Theo is like breathing. Perhaps even more essential. If the tabloids are anything to go by, orgasms are more important to him than oxygen.

I raise my brows. “We are not having sex. Ever.”

It’s my line in the sand. Sex with Theo Archer would destroy me.

“Do you expect me to be celibate, then?” He frowns.

“Could you be celibate?”

“I’ve never attempted it. As a general rule, I try not to do things I hate.”

“Perish the thought,” I say. “I thought perhaps that the rumors were exaggerated.”

He gives me a cocky grin. “Whatever you’ve heard, it’s worse.”

“What I’ve heard is that you have a trail of shattered hearts behind you and no intention of changing anytime soon.”

I wish more than anything that I weren’t part of that group.

“And your point?” he asks.

“My point is that I know where it ends if we have sex. Orgasms for both of us, because presumably you have learned how to use it with all the practice you’ve been getting, and then we’re done. One of us would want more, and things would get messy. And frankly, I don’t have time for that. But I don’t expect either of us to be celibate, just discreet.” I shrug. A muscle in his jaw feathers.

“You’re right,” he finally says. “Wouldn’t want things to get messy. Since you’re so busy.” The emphasis on the word tells me exactly what he thinks of that.

“So you agree?” I press.

He grabs the paper and pen from me, scrawling across the page in confident slashes—No sex. Not even if you beg.

“I would rather die,” I say.

His mouth curves in a smile that doesn’t meet his eyes. “Don’t get me excited.”

“Anything for you, darling.” I give him an equally sharp smile. I’m imagining Theo’s balls as trophies right now, and the image is deeply satisfying.

I will destroy you, my eyes say as they narrow on his.

His smile broadens until I can see his perfect white teeth. Not if I destroy you first.

10

Theo

Ihave to get out of this car before I do something very foolish, like continue that kiss from earlier. Cat is so close and so tempting. I can still feel the imprint of her lips from earlier. It’s all I can do to not run my tongue over my lips, hoping for a taste. Pathetic. Just like I was at twenty-one, lusting after a girl who thought she was better than me. I rap on the privacy divider so I can talk to Daniel.

---