Page 12 of The Reluctant Wife

For a few seconds, we drive in silence. He’s sitting at ease with his big thighs spread out. taking up more than his share of the seat. He’s…so huge, so male, so larger-than-life…so unreachable, and so attractive with his features composed into a mask.

"I understand these changes may seem like a lot. But it’s why your father hired me." Those green eyes of his are impenetrable.

He’s hiding in there, somewhere behind that professional mask he’s donned. He’s trying to pretend I’m just a job…which I have been for most of the people in my life—my child-minders after my mother passed, all of my father’s council… Even my father, sometimes.

Most of them don’t give me credit for knowing what I want. Many in my country see me only as a princess who’ll one day marry well and bring money into the country.

This man, though? I’m not going to be a pushover for him. The fire, the passion, that explosive tension between us? All of it is real. Of course, I’m better off ignoring it, seeing as I’m going to be married soon. Besides, he’s my bodyguard, and if I try to cross the professional line with him, he'll rebuff me. That said, I’m going to make sure he can’t ignore the chemistry between us either.

I place my handbag on the seat beside me with exaggerated care. "Is that right?"

He nods, a wariness creeping into his expression. "I cannot take any chances with your safety. I understand how frustrating these new security measures must be for you, but I’d rather you be pissed off and alive, than not." His rough, dark voice grows deeper in timbre, and my pussy instantly responds.

Moisture pools in my panties, and my nipples bead. He’s talking about safety parameters, and all I want to do is crawl into his lap.

It must strike him that my thoughts are elsewhere, for his jaw hardens. "Are you listening to me, Princess?" The frustration turns his voice even more rough, and my thighs clench. A shiver grips me.

When I raise my gaze to his, he freezes. I’m not sure what he sees there, but there’s an answering spark in his eyes. And that’s all the encouragement I need. I sidle closer to him, and before he can stop me, I lean up and press my lips to his.

7

Ryot

Softness, so soft. And sweet enough to make me feel I’ve dived headlong into cotton candy. And her scent.Jesus.Honeysuckle and vanilla. She smells like freshly baked shortbread. Like the first bite of a sun-ripened strawberry I long to indulge in. I allow her to brush her lips against mine once, twice. Fire ignites in my belly. My shoulder muscles coil, but I manage to not respond.

I curl my fingers into fists, tighten my muscles and will myself to stay still. A sound of frustration emerges from her throat. She bites down on my lower lip, and my cock instantly stiffens. A bolt of lust shoots through my veins. I’ve managed to hold onto my control, but fucking hell, when she presses her curves into my chest, and I feel the outline of her beaded nipples, something coiled inside of me snaps. I clasp my palm around the nape of her neck and take control. With my free hand I cup her cheek to hold her in place, then I tilt my head and lick into her mouth. With a moan, she parts her lips.

Instantly, I sweep my tongue over hers. I deepen the kiss, draw on her breath, and the taste of her fills my senses. She squirms in her seat, and I tighten my hold on the nape of her neck. I release her face, only to cup her hip. I squeeze, and she shudders. I pull her closer, swipe my tongue over her teeth, and a whine spills from her lips. Her little sounds of need go straight to my head. My thigh muscles harden, and I wrap my arm about her and pull her into my lap. I continue to kiss her until it feels like our breaths are one, and our lips are melded together, and she’s melting into me.

Then, the vehicle brakes, and it’s like someone has thrown cold water on me.

Shock clears my mind of all thoughts. Immediately, I release my hold on her. Chest heaving, I stare down into her flushed features. Her auburn hair is tumbled about her shoulders, her lips are swollen, and the chain around her neck is askew. She looks like she’s been thoroughly kissed. Satisfaction squeezes my chest, followed by anger. At myself. I stepped over the line. A few more seconds, and I might not have been able to stop myself from fucking her right here.

The only other time I’ve lost control with a woman was last night... With her. No one has made me forget my values, my principles, my standards like this before. No one has imprinted their presence in my life quite so deeply, so quickly. No one before has burrowed their way under my skin, causing me to lose my mind when I’m on a job. Not even Jane. Not one. Except this woman. I need to remember she’s a job. This is a job, and she is my principal. I need to get a grip on myself.

"I’m sorry." I grip her hips, then place her back in her seat. I move away, closer to the window, ensuring there’s enough space between us.

"You’resorry?" More color flushes her cheeks. Her eyes spark.

"I shouldn’t have done that." I manage to infuse enough hardness into my tone that she flinches.

Then she gathers herself and tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, lighten up, it was just a kiss."

"It shouldn’t have happened." I tighten my jaw. Itwasn’tjust a kiss. It was a slap-me-across-the-face and punch-me-in-the-guts, stomach-twisting-like-when-you-jump-off-a-helo kind of a kiss.

"Besides, it was I who kissed you, so—" She pops a shoulder.

"I responded to it," I say through gritted teeth.

"I’m aware." Her lips twitch. "We didn’t do anything wrong, by the way."

Maybe not her, but I sure did. While becoming a personal protective detail does not require you swear an oath, I take it no less seriously. My ability to block everything else out and focus on the task at hand is what makes me good at what I do. By kissing her again, I confirmed that the touch of her, the taste, the smell, the little whimpers that escaped her as she tried to burrow into me are every bit as soul-shattering as I remember.

I shake my head to clear it. "Everything about this was wrong," I growl.

"What do you mean?" She furrows her forehead. "Surely, you've noticed that there’s chemistry between us?" She waves a hand in the air. "It was a normal response. Besides, I was getting tired of your dos and don’ts. It was the only way to shut you up."

I glare at her, half angry, half turned on by her ability to stand up to me. She doesn’t seem put off by my forbidding persona, one I perfected over the years to ensure I'd be obeyed without question. Of course, then I discovered the bossiness I used with my troops was also how I preferred to treat my partners in bed. I like to be in control. I like to dominate. I like my women to be subservient, to offer themselves up to me, to trust me to givethem what they need. Power exchange is what gets me off. The kind this spoiled princess would never dream of.

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