Page 11 of Starstruck with the Krampus

But Gianna wipes her palms on her dress and clasps her hands together in front of her, a picture of innocence, if it wasn’t for that sinful dress of hers and those golden heels that will feature in my dreams for years to come.

“What did you overhear?” she asks softly.

I can’t stop myself. I close the distance between us and touch her cheek with the backs of my fingers, marveling at the soft texture.

“Every single naughty thought you ever had in my presence,” I admit. “I was greedy and wanted to know it all.”

Her eyelids flutter at my touch. “So you…?”

“I know of the time you made yourself come in your little office,” I murmur, cupping her face when she doesn’t shift away. “Because you thought it would make it easier to resist the pull between us.”

She gasps, and the warmth of her breath sends shivers down my spine. But she leans into my touch then grasps my jacket as if she’s afraid her legs might give out.

So I slip one hand to her waist and anchor her against me, then add, “But it didn’t work, did it?”

She shakes her head. “I wanted to imagine someone else when I did it.” Her brown eyes are wide, almost imploring as she stares up at me. “It didn’t work. You were all I could think of.”

A growl reverberates around the room, and I realize it’s me. “You came into that conference room smelling like a godsdamned dessert. I wanted to throw Webber out the window, spread you out on the table, and eat your pussy until every single person in your office knew who you belonged to.”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I want to take them back. I sound unhinged, almost violent, but Gianna merely slides her hands to my shoulders and clings on while I wrap my arm fully around her waist and press her to me.

She goes on her tiptoes and tugs my head down to whisper in my ear, “I wanted you to do that, too. I imagined it when I was in my office.”

“I know,” I reply.

I’ve been replaying her fantasy over and over again until I didn’t know anymore where her imagination ended and mine began. My cheek is next to hers now, and it would be so easy to finally capture her lips, but I need her to make the first step. I’ve pushed this far enough, and if I abused my power to coerce her into something she’s not ready for, I’d be as bad as those sinners I talked about.

But I should have known Gianna doesn’t back away from what she wants. She turns her head slightly, so her soft lips brush my cheek. Then she draws in a shuddering inhale, as if she’s steeling her nerves—and kisses me full on the mouth.

CHAPTER 6

GIANNA

I’m kissing Dominic. His lips are firm and hot, hotter than a human’s, and when I open my eyes for a second, his skin is still dark gray. His short beard is a bit longer than it was in his human form, perhaps. I didn’t imagine it after all—and I’m so grateful for that.

He finally trusts me with his secret, his true identity. I slide my palm over his cheek and dig my fingers into his surprisingly soft hair. I kiss him again, fusing our lips together. He holds me close, his entire body radiating warmth, and returns the kiss, then swipes his tongue over my lower lip. His touch is electric, need pulsing through me at the contact, so I open up my mouth for him and kiss him back, all but hanging off his powerful body.

But when our tongues touch for the first time, I let out a startled gasp and pull back. “Oh!” I bring my hands to his cheeks and stare at his mouth. “Is your…? Do you have…?”

He lets out a low chuckle. The forked ends of his tongue peeks out of the corner of his mouth. It’s ridiculously hot.

The things he could do with that…

“Mm, little mouse,” he muses. “Your lipstick is all smudged. And those plans you’re making right now? We can get to all of them as soon as we get out of this fucking party.”

He traces the pad of his thumb under my lower lip, then brings it to his mouth and groans.

I frown up at him. “I don’t think this is fair.”

Something touches my leg, so I glance down to find his tail wrapped around my ankle. I don’t know what shocks me more, the fact that his feet are actually cloven hooves or that he has a tail. I saw it earlier—but didn’t know the appendage could move so independently. He slides it up my calf, and I shiver in awareness, but I hold on to my rapidly dwindling frustration and glower some more.

“What is it?” he asks softly.

I release his hair to poke him in the hard, muscled chest. “You know all my naughty thoughts. You know what I want, down to the last detail, but I don’t know anything about your fantasies.”

He hums. “That’s true.” He gives me a wicked grin, his fangs glinting. “Would you like me to tell you?”

I don’t trust myself to speak, not when the lightly tufted end of his tail is teasing the back of my knee, so I simply nod.

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