Page 44 of Royal Shark
She plasters herself against me, her mouth colliding with mine, her fingers tunneling through my hair.Jesus.I’m rock hard, ready to have her again. I’ve never had a woman respond to me the way she does. She hikes her leg up, trying to climb me. I give her a boost, and she wraps her arms and legs around me, moaning into my mouth. We’re zero to sixty in one bite.
I lower her to the futon and cover her, settling between her legs. Then I lift my head and grin. I can’t help it. She wants me so badly she can barely keep her clothes on. “Let’s get you out of these nice things.”
She closes her eyes and groans. “What is wrong with me? I need to get over there to set up.”
I kiss her. “You can’t resist me.”
“I’m not usually like this. Ever.”
“You’ve been waiting for me.” It’s how I feel. I hope she feels the same.
Her eyes widen. “You’re so arrogant.”
I stroke her hair back and cup her cheek, serious now. “Just like I’ve been waiting for you. That’s why we made a pact to marry when we turned twenty-five. That’s why we found each other again. You and me. Meant to be, had to be, like the last card dealt. The only good bet.”
She shoves at my chest. “I have to go.”
I don’t let her up because I need more. “Come back with me to Villroy tomorrow. I want you to see the casino.” I kiss her and then gaze into her eyes, trying to show her how much this means to me. “I want you to consider working there. I want you to consider us.”
She blinks rapidly, like she’s trying not to cry. “Adrian,” she whispers, “I can’t.”
She’s scared of Villroy and maybe she’s scared of what she feels for me. It’s intense, I know, but nothing has ever felt more right.
I brush my lips over hers. “Just a visit. Just to see.”
“No.”
I get off her and pull her up to sit next to me. “Why not?”
“Why do I need a reason? I don’t want to go.”
I exhale sharply. “Is it Villroy or me?”
She crosses her arms, hugging herself. “Does it matter?”
“Yes. If it’s Villroy, I can work with that. If it’s me, then I’ll leave you alone.”
Her gaze shifts to the side, one of her tells. “It’s you.”
It’s not me. She’s just as into this thing between us as I am. I know it in my gut. She’s afraid to see Villroy, just like she was afraid to get back in the water after she sliced her foot open in the ocean. But I stayed with her back then, played poker with her, kissed her, until she relaxed enough to enjoy the water again. I was her hero then, and I’ll be her hero now.
“Okay,” I say.
Her head whirls toward me in surprise. “Okay?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“You’re not going to drag me there by the hair?”
I lower my voice to the deep growl that makes her wet. “More likely I’d gag and bind you, toss you over my shoulder, and put you on my private jet.” Her cheeks flush pink, her eyes dilating. I can read her, and I love what I see. “But no. I respect your wishes.”
Her face falls. “Oh. Thank you.”
She sounds disappointed. Good. I don’t leave until tomorrow, and I want her to go willingly. I just need to get her so comfortable with me that she can face her fear of seeing Villroy again. We’ll make new memories there for however long she’s willing to give me. I don’t expect everything. Just a visit. Just a chance.
Taking a chance is what all good gamblers do, only this is the riskiest bet I’ve ever taken. I’m going all in on us.
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