Page 51 of Cruel Ice

He jerked back from her, stunned that he’d actually voiced the words that had been rolling through his head. The voice of a conscience that should have been long dead. Only that conscience had seemed to creep to life once again when Marley entered his world.

“I didn’t do the whole routine of shredding my pride and confessing my desire so that I could stop you.” A shake of her head. “You think I do this all the time? Hop on the desks of men and try to seduce them?”

“You’d better fucking not.” A savage growl. The scent of jasmine and amber was making him lose his mind.

“I don’t. Haven’t actually been with anyone in two years now, if you want the truth.” Her lips were red. Swollen from his mouth. He got distracted by her delectable mouth, so it took a bit too long for her words to register and actually process in his lust-soaked brain.

Did she say two years?

“After the attack by Glass, I pulled away from everyone in my life. My boyfriend at the time—Zane Patrick—he kept telling me that I should never have been in the prison. And the way he looked at me sometimes…I knew that he didn’t like the scars. Zane said they’d always be ugly reminders of my mistake.”

Her mistake? The sonofabitch. “You’re fucking perfect.”Zane Patrick.Another name to add to his list. People didn’t just get to wrong Marley and walk away scot-free, not on his watch. They didn’t?—

“He wasn’t right for me. I knew it even before he showed me what an asshole he was.” Her fingers slid down Declan’s right arm. “But, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about him. Especially when I am trying so hard to seduce you.”

He’d love to never talk about any man who’d touched her before him.No one else will. You’re going to be mine from here on out, Marley.A bad guy could only try to do good for so long. He’d exhausted his goodness.

Time to take some of hers.

You want to seduce me, love? You want me? Then I am yours.Declan’s hands deliberately fisted in the softness of her dress’s skirt. He lifted it up higher, inch by slow inch. His gaze dropped to her thighs. Gorgeous. Sexy. Another inch. Another. Until he could see the black silk panties she wore.

“They match the dress,” she said, voice breathless and husky and utterly tempting. “So does my bra.”

“I’ll be seeing that matching bra soon enough.” He’d been seeing every single inch of her soon enough. But first…

His fingers moved between her legs. He stroked her through the silk of the panties, rubbing right over her core.

She jerked, as if he’d startled her, but a quick rush of air escaped her lips. “That feels nice.”

Nice? Fucking nice? Oh, things were about to feel a whole lot better thannice.Maybe that was what it had been like with that prick of an ex she had, but not with Declan. “I don’t do nice.”

Her long lashes fluttered.

“Remember that,” he told her, and his fingers curled around the panties right before he yanked the underwear down her legs.

Her shoes hit the floor. Two soft clatters. He’d stepped back just enough so that he could rip the panties away completely. He tossed them down near her shoes. Then he put his hands on the inside of her thighs. Slowly tracked upward until he reached the spot he craved. This time when he touched her, there was nothing between them. Nothing but her hot, tight sex waiting for him.

One finger dipped inside. She gripped him greedily, and a husky moan slid from her.

His thumb rubbed over her clit. Stroking softly and then…

I’m not the soft type.He’d told her he wasn’tnice.

He shoved her back, spread her out right on top of his desk, and he bent to replace his hand with his mouth.

“Declan!”

She was crying out his name, but not in pleasure. More like shock. They’d get to the pleasure part soon enough. His tongue stroked her. Slid against her clit over and over and over even as he worked two fingers into the tightest, hottest heaven he’d ever experienced. Her hips heaved up against him. Her hands grabbed for his shoulders. Missed. Her fingers stroked through his hair.

Was she trying to pull him closer? Or stop him?

He feasted more, insane for her taste. Sweet and decadent, that was his Marley. A taste that addicted him. He could not get enough of her. Her breathy moans filled his ears. His tongue replaced his fingers and thrustintoher.

Her hips heaved.

He lapped her up. Went back to her clit. Worked her relentlessly because he was not stopping until he could taste her pleasure on his tongue.

“Declan?” Surprise. Then, “Declan!”

---