Page 16 of Fast-Track Fiancé

‘Apart from you being twelve years younger than me, and the fact that I’m technically your boss, I pulled you into this ridiculous deal in the first place, dangling your freedom from your contract in front of you. For me to seduce you would be taking advantage of you.’

She found she wasn’t bothered by the age gap or the fact that he was her boss. ‘What if I wanted to be seduced? Is that against your rules?’

‘Nina...’ he warned.

She moved closer, testing him by reaching up to place both of her hands on his shoulders. He could move away if he wished, or he could tell her no. But the burning desire she could see in his eyes told her that he wouldn’t do either of those things. Feeling emboldened, she reached up and was delighted when he immediately lowered his head to hers in response. He let her control the kiss, making himself pliable under her hands and lips as she explored him. He tasted just as delicious as she remembered, the sensations of the breeze upon her hair and his hands snaking around her waist to pull her closer against his hard body were like heaven. She heard a moan, and realised it came from her own throat.

Kissing Tristan again was as explosive as she knew it would be. It was the kind of feeling she usually got only when driving full throttle around the track, as if she were flying through the air. It made her stomach twirl and her thoughts turn blank. All she could feel was him, all she could think about was how it felt and how badly she wanted more.

So much more.

He pressed her back against the railings, pressing himself against her, and she could feel the hard ridge of his erection against her abdomen. She was wearing jeans, and he was wearing linen trousers, but still the intimacy was almost too much for her. They might as well have been completely naked for all she knew, the way her insides turned to molten fire, and she ground back against him.

Her sensual movements made his body harden even further against hers, and she heard a low growl in his throat as he speared his fingers through her hair and took control of the kiss, deepening it and taking her just as she wished to be taken. This was what she needed, exactly this.

Too late, she heard footsteps coming down the steps and they paused just in time to see Astrid’s shocked face before the woman turned and quickly exited the way she’d come.

Nina pressed both hands against her face, groaning. ‘Oh, my God, did that just happen? She’s seen us.’

‘She did,’ Tristan said, standing up to his full height and putting some distance between them.

‘It’s okay, everyone else thinks that we’re engaged anyway. Of course, Astrid knows the truth, but I doubt she’ll make a big deal of it.’

‘That’s not why I’m annoyed right now, Nina,’ Tristan said. ‘Every time I am alone with you, I lose control. It’s not acceptable. I never lose control. We set parameters for this arrangement and you...keep pushing.’

‘You’re right. I deliberately pushed those parameters. And I won’t apologise for that,’ she said defiantly.

‘You won’t?’ he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nina’s heartbeat fluttered at the heat still evident in Tristan’s gaze. ‘No. I’m very attracted to you and I was curious.’

‘Damn it.’ He moved closer, licking his lips as he stared down at her. ‘Damn you with your curiosity and your refusal to accept the word no.’

‘If you had actually said no at any point during the past ten minutes I would have stopped,’ she said as sweetly as she could manage.

‘Hell would have a better chance of freezing over, kitten.’ He was upon her again, his lips crushing hers against his as he pulled her close and kissed her senseless once more. Until she was breathless and aching between her thighs.

‘I only have so much willpower, Nina. Are you sure this is what you want?’ He growled the words in between kisses.

‘Yes.’ She moaned against his plundering mouth, gasping as he stroked her sensitive nipples through the material of her bra and T-shirt. She felt as though she’d played with fire and now she was getting an up-close-and-personal demonstration of what it felt like to go up in flames. His hands explored her willing body inch by inch, his mouth not breaking their kiss. But when his fingers began to toy with the top button of her jeans, Nina felt the first flicker of uncertainty freeze her up. Of course Tristan noticed the moment she stopped enthusiastically kissing him back.

‘Sorry, I got carried away.’ he murmured. ‘Maybe we should take this somewhere more private?’

Nina shook her head, feeling reality come crashing back with all the subtlety of a cold bracing shower. She was on his yacht, with their entire team nearby. Plus, even if she did throw caution to the wind and go back to his bedroom with him, after all her talk tonight of seducing him, he would be expecting her to be experienced. Not a nervous virgin who had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

‘Can we pause for a moment?’ she asked quietly.

He nodded, taking a step back as if needing that physical distance between them in order to bring his desire under control. The knowledge that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him was a heady kind of power that made her feel alight with passion.

‘I want this. Very much,’ she assured him a little nervously. ‘It’s just...a little fast for me. Also, this weekend is really important and I can hardly focus around you as it is.’

‘Are you saying I’m jeopardising your race? I’m very flattered.’

‘Of course you are. But yes, I think perhaps we should pause this...until afterwards?’

‘Only if you promise to schedule me into your diary at the earliest opportunity,’ he murmured against her cheek. ‘In bright red pen. I don’t know why, but I’m rather obsessed with your colour-coding.’

She smiled, feeling a blush in her cheeks. ‘For the next three days my focus is on the race, but after that I’m yours.’

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