Page 36 of Light Me Up

“Yeah,” he said. “She’s doing just fine.”

In the charged silence that followed, their hands came together, fingers twining. Gazes locking. Her own thighs clenched. Her heart raced.

But this was her one chance to look at this incredible art. Oooh, the conflict.

She towed him along with her as she circled the vast round space, studying each image and taking innumerable photos. When she got to the staircase that led up to the narrow gallery above, she rattled it gently with her hand. “The wood looks fragile and rotten,” she said regretfully. “I bet no one’s done any maintenance on thisfor centuries.”

“Please tell me I don’t need to talk you out of trying to climb up on that,” Noah said.

“No, it looks dangerous. But I’d love to see those statues up close.” She gazed wistfully up at the marble figures high above and then made another slow pass to photograph them. Then another, this time to capture the mosaic images on the floor.

She turned her attention back to Noah, who paced next to her withoutsaying a word.

“You’re not looking at the art,” she said, just to break the silence.

“I prefer looking at you.”

Caro felt her face get hot. He was very obviously aroused. So was she.

“I love it when you and the pictures start vibrating at the same frequency,” Noah told her. “It’s like you tune yourself to them. You almost…glow. Your sig intensifies. It’s so beautiful. It justknocks me out.”

Caro was moved. “Ah…I’ll have to get used to that, I guess. I spent my whole life trying to hide this weird thing my mind does from everyone. Especially boyfriends.”

“Not me,” he said.“Bring it on.”

“OK. I will.” Caro’s eyes wandered up and down his big, powerful body. He looked amazing in his elegant tux. She glanced up at a painting of Zeus, naked and magnificently erect, poised over a voluptuous nymph on a red-curtained bed.

A rush of lust madeher knees weak.

She steadied herself with the edge of the marble table as Noah’s lusty gaze raked her up and down. “So…are you up for some divine misbehavior?” he asked.

“Ravished by a god,” she whispered. “Whata proposition.”

The air between them practically hummed. Noah’s luminous golden eyes lit up the way they did when his augmented senseswere fired up.

Not a word passed between them, but she was so tuned to him now. She circled him slowly, lifting the beaded strap of her evening bag off her shoulder and dropping it in the middle of the marble table. She came close to him…and ran her finger down the lapel of his tux.

“Noah Gallagher, you are my hottest fantasy,” she said.

He stood absolutely still, generating a sense of power that made her tremble. “Tell me what you want,” he said. “You got it.”

Caro let her hand drop down, and stroked the stiff, hot bulge of his tux pants ever so lightly. “Well,” she said. “This. Eventually.”

“All yours.”

“We don’t have much time,” she reminded him.

“Then we better get to it.” He moved around behind her, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her back tightly against him as he kissed her neck, her shoulder. His hot mouth nuzzled her while he lifted her dress, slid his hand between her legs…

And stopped short, looking up with a grin. “Bare-assed?Here?”

She shrugged. “Because panty lines.”

“God forbid.” He continued what he started, stroking skillfully between her legs. “Oh yeah. You’re already wet,” he murmured. “So silky and sweet. I love it.”

She moved against his strong hand, rubbing wantonly. Arousing herself for her own pleasure, fully aware of how intensely thatturned him on.

She began to tremble. Something about him just undid her. The way he seemed to read her thoughts, her feelings. So tuned in.

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