Page 41 of Dangerous Temptation
The chill of the morning made him inhale sharply when he pulled the door open. The wind last night had ushered in a cold front. The frostiness hit his lungs like needles. He stepped out onto the balcony, and the iciness was a welcome balm against his feet.
Naked, he walked towards her. ‘What are you doing out here?’
She glanced at him and her gaze slid down not so discreetly to his groin. Whatever the cold had shrivelled perked right back up. Her cheeks reddened and she turned her attention back to the horizon. ‘Waiting for the sunrise.’
His eyes narrowed. On a frigid day like this? She could have watched it from his bed.
His feet started going numb against the limestone. ‘Let me in.’
Again that appealing shyness showed itself. She dipped her chin but opened the blanket. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He put her in control of the coverlet again and bundled her close. She was short enough to tuck right up against him and their bodies touched from head to toe.
‘Mmm,’ she hummed in surprise.
She cuddled closer and his resistance to her wavered.
‘Everything OK?’ he asked. There might be something to that old saying – keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
He rubbed his chin against the crown of her head. He’d meant to wine and dine her last night and, honestly, screw her until he got her out of his system. That had been the plan, but he hadn’t made it past the great room before he’d jumped her.
Already, he knew it hadn’t been enough. System-wise, her magic had worked itself deep.
She nodded briefly.
He tightened his hold and dropped his head so he could look at her. ‘You tell me if it’s not.’
No matter what her objectives were, he’d never resort to hurting her physically.
She nodded again, her chin barely lifting. ‘I’m not used to being … active,’ she whispered.
Something proprietary rose inside him. ‘Get used to it.’
It had been a while for him, too, but he hadn’t chosen abstinence. The wolf inside him settled a bit, though, to hear that she had.
The sun appeared in that moment, peeking over the hills in the distance. Only a sliver was visible, yet the bright rays swept over the tips of the trees. The upper floors of the house lit up, but the lake was still dark. It would be a while – a long while – before any sunshine hit those dark depths.
‘Beautiful,’ she murmured.
He couldn’t help but agree, only he wasn’t looking at Mother Nature. Her skin glowed under the morning sunshine, and her tousled hair shone. He nuzzled against the soft strands, wondering what it would take to get her back in bed.
Even with the head games, he still wanted her.
She looked over the grounds with curiosity from the lake house to the balconies to the turrets up top. Her wiggling was starting to have serious implications. Icy temperatures or not, Alex was feeling the need to –
‘How did you manage to keep the place?’
He pulled back slightly, her fresh scent distracting his thought processes. ‘What do you mean?’
She looked him dead on, her doe eyes unblinking. ‘Why wasn’t it seized by the court?’
His jaw went tight.
And there it was.
He’d thought he’d gotten control of the snake inside him, but it was coiling again, ready to strike. ‘The house is in the name of the family trust and has been for over a hundred years. It’s not owned by any Wolfe, although my grandfather made it his residence.’
‘What about your apartment then, the one in the city? Or your cars? Wolfe Pack?’
She was either brave or stupid – and he’d already verified through background checks that she wasn’t feeble-minded. He settled his hands on her hips and turned her so he had her full attention. If his hold bit a little, it couldn’t be helped.
