Page 20 of Carnal Urges
It’s my turn to moisten my lips. He watches the movement of my tongue with the sharp gaze of a predator.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have any other clothes.”
I was going for a tone of cool disinterest, but miss badly. I sound like I just ran a four-minute mile.
Declan’s hand tightens around my shoulder. The pulse in the side of his neck throbs.
Holy shit, it’s sweltering in here. I need to get out of this closet before I erupt into flames.
“I’ll let you go when I’m ready,” he murmurs.
My held breath comes out in a rush. “You don’t get to start reading my mind. That isn’t a thing that’s going to happen, so forget it. Don’t even try.”
“Can’t help it. You’ve got a face like an open book.”
Unnerved by how throaty his voice is, how sweaty I am, and how my traitorous ovaries have decided to stage a coup on my entire nervous system, I shake my head. “No, I don’t. I’m as cool as a cucumber. I’m an ice cube. I’m a cat.”
“A cat?”
“You know. Aloof. Unreadable.”
Maintaining eye contact with me, he slides his hand down my arm until it reaches my wrist. He encircles it with his giant paw, pressing his thumb against my pulse point.
After a moment, he says softly, “For such an aloof little cat, you’ve got quite the frantic heartbeat.”
“It runs in my family.”Stop panting! Why the hell are you panting? You sound like a Labrador!
Declan’s thumb moves slowly back and forth over my throbbing, tattletale vein. His gaze drops to my mouth.
“Would you like to know what runs in my family, little cat?”
There’s a voice between my legs screaming,Boy, would I!but with a valiant effort, I ignore it.
When I don’t answer, Declan leans close to my ear and murmurs, “That’s what I thought.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Aye, lass, you did. Just not in words.”
I want to scream. I want to punch him in the throat. I want to stomp on his toe and slap his arrogant face and slash every stupid black suit in his closet to shreds.
Instead, I muster my dignity and say calmly, “You wish.”
He inhales against my neck, his nose skimming the sensitive spot underneath my ear. It makes goose bumps break out all along my arms.
Then he withdraws abruptly and releases my shoulder. He steps back, blinking, looking like he’s not sure what just came over him, and also as if he’d like to give himself a black eye.
He digs into his jacket pocket and produces a cell phone. He thrusts it at me.
“Here.”
He pauses for a rough throat clearing as I take the phone. “Mynumber’s programmed in. If you need something, text me. You can’t dial out except for that number. There’s no internet connection. Don’t bother trying to contact anyone else.”
He spins on his heel and strides out of the closet.
“Wait!” I run after him. He’s already halfway across the room. “Declan!”
He stops at the door. Without turning around, he says gruffly, “What?”
