Page 16 of The Billionaire's Bargain

My breath catches.

I stare at him, and his eyes smolder down at me.

Oh god, he’s going to kiss me again.

When his mouth meets mine, it's different from the kiss at the gala. That was a statement, a claiming. This is an exploration. His lips are soft but insistent, moving over mine with deliberate pressure. I respond hesitantly at first, then with growing confidence as his approval rumbles through his chest.

His tongue traces the seam of my lips, seeking entry. I part for him, letting him taste me more deeply. The sensation shoots straight through me, a bolt of liquid heat that pools between my legs. I make a small, needy sound that I've never heard from myself before.

Alexander's hand slides from my face to my neck, then lower, skimming over my collarbone. He doesn't yet touch anywhere truly intimate, but the promise is there in the heat of his palm through the thin silk of my gown.

"Come here," he murmurs against my lips, guiding me with gentle pressure until I'm straddling his lap, my knees on either side of his thighs. The position hikes my dress up to mid-thigh.

I should feel exposed, vulnerable. Instead, I feel powerful as his eyes darken further, drinking in the sight of me above him.

"Beautiful," he breathes, his hands settling on my hips.

And then I feel it—the hard ridge of his arousal pressing against the thin barrier of my underwear. My eyes widen, and I instinctively shift, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar sensation.

Alexander hisses through his teeth. "Don't move like that unless you mean it."

"I don't know what I'm doing," I confess, heat flooding my cheeks.

His hands tighten on my hips, stilling my movements. "What do you mean?"

I drop my gaze, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. "I haven't...I'm not...experienced."

His finger tilts my chin up, forcing me to look at him. "I already know you’re a virgin Alice, but just how inexperienced are you?"

The question feels like a test. I swallow hard. "Very."

Something flashes in his eyes—surprise, followed quickly by something darker, more primal. "Have you ever been touched? By anyone?"

I shake my head silently.

"Kissed? Before tonight?"

"Yes, but...nothing serious. Nothing like this."

A flash of satisfaction crosses his face. “Good girl,” he nods. “Glad you recognize that this is serious. I am serious about you.”

I start to protest, but his hand slides from my hip to my lower back, pressing me more firmly against him. "So what you're telling me is that no one has ever made you come."

The crude word in his refined mouth sends a shameful thrill through me. I shake my head again.

"Not even yourself?"

My face burns hotter. "Alexander..."

"Answer me." His voice is gentle but brooks no argument.

"No," I whisper. "Not...not really."

The smile that spreads across his face is possessive, triumphant. "I'm going to be your first. In every way that matters."

His mouth claims mine again, harder this time, hungrier. His hands roam my body with more intent—skimming my sides, tracing the curve of my waist, brushing the undersides of mybreasts through my dress. Each touch leaves fire in its wake. I'm trembling, not from fear but from want.

"I need to touch you," he breathes against my mouth. "Let me touch you, Alice."

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