Page 3 of Twisted Secrets
“Oh my God, just take it back.” She should drop the cash and head for home. Or, hell, at least take a few steps away so that she wasn’t in danger of brushing against him if she took a deep breath.
But she couldn’t force her hand to unclench or her feet to create any distance between them. She cleared her throat, trying to get her thoughts back on track. “I didn’t ask for your charity.”
“Yeah, I got it. You win. I’m an asshole.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Not in so many words, no.” His gaze raked her body much the same way it had back at the bar, making every alarm in her head go off. Spending any more time in this man’s presence was dangerous, though she couldn’t say for sure what she was most afraid of. She lifted her chin in challenge, demanding…She wasn’t sure what she was demanding. Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and she licked her lips.What am I doing? Walk away. Walk away right now.
No. Not yet.
He murmured, “If the shoe fits…”
And then he gripped her jaw and kissed her.
She was so surprised that she opened for him—or at least that was what she told herself when his tongue slipped into her mouth and stroked hers. He didn’t touch her anywhere else, and somehow that only made their point of contact that much more erotic.
It should have stopped there. He was even in the process of leaning back when her too-long-deniedhormones got the better of her and she fisted the front of his expensive shirt and yanked him back to her.This.Thisis what I came out here for.
He froze for one endless moment and, frustrated, she nipped his bottom lip.
She barely had a chance to register his going tense before he dug one hand into her hair, tipping her head back so he could get better access to her mouth, taking her as if he had every right to it, his tongue stroking hers. He tasted of apple juice and cinnamon, making her head spin. She should stop this. She would. Really, she would.
No, you won’t. You’ve never been able to stop yourself once the recklessness in your blood takes over.
She didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything other than maintaining the pleasure his touch brought her for just a few minutes longer. Her back hit the brick wall, his free hand hooking the back of one of her knees and hiking it up and around his waist. And then…oh my God. There was only his slacks and her panties between them, his cock a hard ridge that lined up perfectly with her clit, the contact so good, it temporarily overstimulated her.
He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. “This isn’t what I planned when I kissed you.”
No, she had no one to blame except herself for the desperation beating in time with her heart. Sheknewshe should stop. She knew too many men like him. She didn’t like anything that he represented—a pampered son of a family grown rich on the backs of others and their own illegal activities. Hell, she didn’t even like him.
But she didn’t want to stop.
It was like the last two years had her turning into one giant snowball of need, and Cillian justhappened to be in the right place at the right time to shred her perfect record of self-control.That’s all this is. He’s beautiful and he’s here. Nothing more.
She was reaching and she knew it, but she didn’t want to stop.
He sighed, the same world-weary sound he’d made at the bar. “Another time.”
“Wait.” She clung to him, her inner voice screaming that this was a mistake, but she wasn’t listening.
He went still, but it wasn’t with surprise like the last time. No, this was a predator ready to pounce. “Say what you want, sweetheart. I need you to be perfectly clear.”
Again, her common sense tried to say this was an awful idea.Two years of being good and keeping to the straight and narrow. If I’m going to jump off a bridge, it might as well be with this man. There’s no chance of feelings getting involved and me making the same mistake I did with Sergei.
One night.
One time and then I walk away with no strings attached.
She reached between them and cupped the front of his slacks. “I want this.” She stroked him, the feel of his thick length in the palm of her hand making her entire body perk up even further. “Just this once.”
He didn’t back up, his lips brushing hers with each word. “This is a mistake.”
“Yes.” There was no way she could pretend otherwise.
“Fuck.” He nuzzled her neck, making her shiver. “Just…fuck.”
And then he lifted her off the ground, waiting until she wrapped her legs around his waist to walk a few feet down the street to an alley. It was cleaner than the one behind Jameson’s, but not by much. She didn’t care,as long as he didn’t stop touching her. Cillian readjusted his grip so he could wrap a fist around her hair, tilting her head back so she was forced to meet his gaze. “You’re sure?”
