Page 31 of Dangerous Temptation
So tempting.
And so very wrong.
She pulled her hand away. He let her go, and she stood on unsteady legs. She tilted her glass for another sip, but discovered it was empty.
He stood in a motion that was so fluid, it made her take a step back. It still surprised her how tall and swift he was.
He took her glass from her chilled fingers. ‘Let me get you a refill.’
Not a good idea. She could already feel the effects. She hadn’t had much to eat since his unexpected invitation, and she was a lightweight. Literally. She was petite, and alcohol affected her more than others.
‘Maybe later.’ She smoothed her dress self-consciously. It had cost her a whole thirty-five dollars. The wine glass she’d just clenched like a lifeline was probably worth as much. ‘Can I get that book?’
She couldn’t sit on that luxurious sofa with him any longer. The cushions just made her want to curl into them … and him …
‘Of course. Right this way – but you know that.’
His touch settled again on the place on her back, although a little higher this time, under the sweep of her hair. Awareness unfurled in her belly as they began that long walk down the hall. The closer they got to the library, the more she focused on the day before. The sounds she’d heard … The desperation she’d felt in the air … That wounded man couldn’t have been further from the one she found today. This Alex Wolfe was quiet, composed and focused. Steel-like in his control.
Yet just as rawly sexual.
Which was the real Wolfe? Had she even met him yet?
The library was dark. Alex reached inside to turn on the light before allowing her to enter first. No matter how many times she visited the place, it still made her breath catch. There was no first-floor ceiling in this part of the house. The library went up a full three floors, with books in shelves circling on each level. It was a collection that went back hundreds of years yet still managed to keep up with the latest best-sellers. She didn’t know why, but she had an inkling that Leonard had something to do with that.
‘Which book was it you needed? Or was there a subject matter that interested you?’
The questions brought her out of her reverie, and she found her host watching her curiously. ‘I know what I need. It’s right over here.’
She went to the far wall and traced her fingers along the second shelf. She paused when she found an empty space where the book should be. ‘It’s gone.’
The oddest look settled onto his face. ‘That one?’
She nodded.
His mouth tightened in a slight frown. ‘I know where it is.’
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but when he held out his hand she couldn’t ignore it. She placed her hand in his and felt his warm fingers wrap around hers. It was the first time since yesterday that she’d touched him back, and that awareness she’d felt began to expand. She couldn’t have been more alert to the difference in their sizes, their bodies and, most of all, their places in the world.
They went down the hallway to the small staircase she’d found yesterday but, instead of going to the basement, this time she followed him up to the second floor. The deeper they went into the house, the quieter it was. The more secluded. The hallway was narrower on the second level and the carpet thicker, more dense. Whereas downstairs her high heels had echoed on the hardwood flooring, here her steps were swallowed up like secrets.
Elena looked around with curiosity and some uneasiness. Leonard and Marta were puttering around in the kitchen. Up here, she and Alex were alone. She ran her tongue over her dry lips, wishing she hadn’t said no to that wine. She wasn’t afraid of him physically. She didn’t get even the slightest vibe that he’d hurt her. In fact, she got the opposite. It was just … Wild, untamed things seemed to happen whenever the two of them were alone.
They passed an open room. A bedroom. Guest, from the looks of it. She swept her fingers over a polished oak hallway table. The flowers on it were fresh. Another open room stood on the right, and then –
Another bedroom, and definitely not a guest room.
She looked inside for only a split second before she snapped her head straight again. It was his. She knew without asking. The bed was made, the room was spotless, yet it somehow seemed lived in and not by a woman.
It was his. His bedroom. His private place.
‘Here,’ he murmured.
She wasn’t ready when he turned, and she bumped up against him, a tall, muscled brick wall. He steadied her, still holding her hand. ‘Sorry. Forgot to use my turn signal.’
She smiled nervously, a little out of breath.
Again, he hit the light switch before entering the next room. When she looked around, she realised that he’d brought her directly into the heart of the wolf’s den. Her breath went short and her eyes widened. It was his office.
