Page 4 of Finding Forever

He wanted her.

The strength of that sudden tsunami of lust staggered him. He did not know how, or why, but right now this plain little thing, with her sad eyes and her rosy pink full upper lip, made him want to do unimaginably filthy things to that slender body with its slight curves.

“Nothing so tame as meresex, sweetheart,” he corrected her gruffly, breathing the words directly into her ear. “I want to fuck you hard and long. Right here in this corner if need be.”

“I think…” Another slow, owlish—almost confused—blink. “I think I’d prefer a little more privacy for-forthat.”

“Aye?” he asked on a growl, nipping the top of her ear and grinning when she shivered in reaction. “Wanna get out of here?”

She hesitated again and then nodded.

Cade swallowed a triumphant shout and hooked an arm around her slender waist, yanking her to his side with a little too much roughness. He needed to get himself under control, she was delicate… and what he felt right now was very far from fucking delicate.

He inhaled, seeking a modicum of control while consideringhow he was going to get her out of here in the quickest, most discreet way.

He pictured the layout of the grand ballroom, visualizing the nearest exits.

Once he had their exit strategy formulated, he turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her while he crowded her against the window.

“Before we go…” he whispered, running his lips down the silky, seductively scented tract of skin beneath her ear toward her neck. “How about a little something to take the edge off?”

She whimpered in response and he took the champagne flute from her loosening grip and placed both of their glasses on the windowsill behind her.

Her hands fisted the front of his shirt as he cupped her face, lifted it toward his and lowered his head to suckle that juicy top lip into his mouth.

He groaned at the taste of her and lifted his head almost immediately, not sure he’d be able to stop if he deepened the kiss the way he wanted. He needed to get her out of hererightnow.

“What the hell are you? Some kind of witch? You’re driving me insane,” he told her and her eyes widened. She looked as shell-shocked as he felt.

“Really?” she asked, her voice a little skeptical and lot confused.

“See for yourself,” he invited hoarsely and took one of her hands and guided it down to his straining crotch.

At the first tentative touch he embarrassed himself by involuntarily thrusting against her. She gasped and her head bent as she stared down to where she was cupping him. Her hand closed experimentally around his girth and he swore and stepped away from her. Folding that same searching hand into one of his, he tugged her out of their private little nook.

The exit was close and he had her out of the ballroom and in the library in under a minute.

Cade had never been ruled by his cock, but right now it was most definitely calling the shots. As he stared at the slender, drab little moth who had so effectively lured him toward her pale light, he knew two things with absolute certainty…

This was not a good idea.

But Cade did not give a fuck.

Chapter

One

TWO MONTHS LATER

Fern Lambert pensively smoothed her damp palms down her modest ankle length gray skirt and then tugged at the buttoned-up collar of her plain, cream blouse. This outfit would not have been her first choice for what was to come. Nothing in her closet would ever have been her first choice… but she’d long ago learned to pick her battles. And fighting for her right to choose her own clothing was a battle she’d lost long ago.

But tonight was special, tonight she’d seehimagain.

Cade Hawthorne.

Fern hadn’t seen him since that night—at the party—when she’d lost herself in his arms. Yet she’d thought of him every day since. She was realistic enough to know that he probably wouldn’t have been thinking of her in the same way. She’d be surprised if he even recognized her tonight. As Granger so often liked to remind her, Fern wasn’t particularly memorable.

Cade’s obvious and unexpected desire for her had shocked her. Fern wasn’t used to men wanting her in that way, and he’d certainly seemed tocraveher. The depth of his need had been flattering. While her own reciprocal lust had been revelatory.

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