Page 33 of Take Me Under

Emotion washed over me without warning, and I blinked back the unexpected tears.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I wasn’t the overly emotional type. I was most likely caused by the two glasses of wine I’d consumed. Fantasizing about a what-if moment with a man I barely knew was pointless. I’d probably never see him again. That’s what I’d wanted, after all—to conduct potential business over the phone so I didn’t have to look into those gorgeous eyes.

I needed to go back to my hotel. Wandering aimlessly in the dark, having no idea where I was, was foolish and dangerous. I pivoted to retrace my steps but stopped short when I crashed into something—or someone.

“Oh!”

My hands came up between me and the person in front of me only to find a wall of hard muscle. I looked up and found myself staring into the pair of onyx eyes I’d been trying to avoid.

Anton.

He felt all too familiar, his expression exactly the same as thenight we met—scorching hot—burning into my memory. I couldn’t get a read on them then, and I couldn’t get a read on them now. All I saw was an assortment of complex layers that were undecipherable.

There wasn’t even an inch of space between our bodies. I could feel the heat coming off him as my thighs brushed intimately against his. One strong hand cupped my elbow while the other rested at the small of my back, his fingers splaying possessively.

“Princess. We really need to stop meeting like this.” His words were innately sexy, and I wondered if that was deliberate or if the huskiness in his voice was part of his natural sex appeal.

“Hi,” I said, my voice breathier than I’d intended.

“I thought we were having dinner together tonight, but you disappeared on me.”

“Yeah… I, ah…” I was embarrassed by my abrupt departure—especially after the way he’d taken care of me while I was sick. The least I could have done was left a note. “I’m sorry. I was going to call. I just wasn’t comfortable imposing anymore. I thought it was best for me to find a hotel.”

He pressed his lips together in a tight line, seeming annoyed by my answer. “What are you doing out here all alone?”

My stomach flipped and I blinked, my heart beginning to race as I recalled what I’d been thinking about right before he showed up. I flushed as if he could possibly know, trying to ignore how every second of contact with him only made more nerve endings come to life. I craved his touch on every part of me.

My eyes darted to the sculpture of the naked woman, and too many erotic possibilities filled my head. My nipples tightened, tingling and hardening to embarrassing peaks. I stepped away quickly, hoping he wouldn’t notice. The hand at my elbow fell to his side, but the other shifted to rest on my hip. I tried to ignore it and flashed him an uncomfortable smile.

“I could ask the same of you. Do billionaires regularly take nighttime strolls by themselves?”

“Some would say that’s the only safe time for us to take a casual walk. Less chance of being seen.”

“Is that what you were doing?”

His eyes narrowed and I could feel the twitch of his hand at my hip, carefully assessing me as he weighed his response.

“I had business in the area that ended earlier than expected. A walk seemed like a good idea, so here I am.”

There seemed to be a challenge in his deep, rough-edged voice, as if daring me to question him. I gave him a casual once over. My modest skinny jeans, cream-colored gauzy shirt, and navy flats made me look like a peasant next to his pristine white shirt, dark tailored pants, and tie. He was clearly dressed for business, yet I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of business dealings a crypto trader would have at this time of night.

“This feels like déjà vu. Except this time, we know each other better,” I said casually, my tone holding more confidence than I felt.

“Yes, we do. Much,muchbetter,” he acknowledged, emphasizing his words in a suggestive way. “But not nearly as well as I would like.”

Heat rushed into my cheeks as he held my gaze captive. His dark eyes twinkled in the dim streetlights, and a devilish smile turned up one corner of his mouth. It was blatantly sensual, and I knew he was thinking about the times he saw me naked.

I stared at him, unable to deny the desire building inside me. It was an ache I couldn’t describe. His hand on my hip was possessive—as if he didn’t need permission—intensifying my desperate want for him. All I had to do was lean in. It was so tempting.

Liquid courage flowed through my veins, the two glasses of wine I’d consumed giving me a jolt of confidence to explore thepossibilities. God knew, without the aid of alcohol, I was anything but confident in front of this man.

I groaned inwardly and cursed the wine. It was making me reckless, enticing me to toss away my inhibitions without a second thought. Pushing aside all thoughts of stripping him bare right there on the street, I returned his smile and took another step back to create a respectable distance between us.

“I was just admiring the statue,” I said, angling my head in the direction of the display case.

Anton glanced up at the life-sized marble. “She’s beautiful.”

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