Page 140 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
“I can’t,” I mumbled, pressing my face into his chest. “I don’tdonothing.”
He reached between us to grip my chin and tilted my head back. His bright green eyes twinkled with something between amusement and pity, and his lips quirked on one side into the dirtiest smirk I’d seen in a while. “I bet I can help take your mind off it.”
“You—” I pushed at his chest, but he clamped his arm around my waist, keeping me firmly against his body. “Is that all you think about?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I was planning on a cosy night in with some junk food, a movie, maybe wrapping some Christmas presents. What wereyouthinking about, hmm?”
I pressed my lips into a thin line and half-heartedly glared at him.
“Well?”
“Oh, stop it!” I tapped my hand against his chest lamely. “After last night, can you blame me?”
“Why? Did you enjoy it that much?” He dipped his face closer to mine and brushed his lips across my cheek until they grazed my earlobe. “If making you mine again is what it takes to make you forget, I can make that happen for you.”
“I—” I inhaled sharply, swallowing whatever I was going to say, and peered down as heat flushed through my face. “You’re just messing with me.”
“I most definitely am not. All I need is your consent and I’ll have you on that desk with your legs wrapped around me quicker than you can say my name.”
“Be quiet.” The words came out as little more than a mumble as I nestled into him further.
“I never pegged you for a shy one.” He scooped my hair out of the way and pressed a kiss to my neck. “You weren’t shy last night.”
“You—” I jerked back, flattening my hands against his chest, giving him a full view of my rosy, red face. “Never mind me. I never thought you were so bold!”
He grinned, his smile reaching his eyes and making them shine. “You’re not great with hints. I thought I should be more straightforward about my desires.”
“I can feel your ‘desires’ just fine, thank you!”
“Oh?” He flexed his hips against me. “So you can.”
“Thomas, you—”
“Tom.”
“What?”
“Tom.” He brushed the tip of his nose against mine. “Call me that, and I’ll stop teasing with you.”
I drew in a deep breath, letting my eyes softly close. “Tom,” I whispered on my exhale.
His chest heaved, then he reached up to cup my face. “Never mind, I lied.”
His lips touched mine with an urgency that sent a shiver through me. I squeaked, thrown slightly off balance by his sudden attack, and gripped his shirt like it was my lifeline.
He kissed me and kissed me and kissed me, stealing them from me so greedily that I could barely breathe. My adrenaline spiked, and for a brief moment, every nerve ending in my body fizzed with something electrifying.
We moved backwards, and as my bum hit the edge of his desk, I was half a breath away from saying “fuck it, take off my clothes,” when five clear knocks echoed from the door.
Thomas pulled back and clenched his jaw, dropping his head. “For the love of God. I should have kicked everyone out.”
I bit back a laugh, pressing my hand to my mouth. Another three knocks sounded, and he groaned.
“You should see who that is,” I suggested, gently pushing him away from me.
“There’s nothing I want to do less.” Still, he turned, adjusting his trousers over his obvious erection. He sat on the sofa and plopped a cushion in his lap, making me laugh, and shouted, “What do you want?”
I quickly smoothed my hair down as the door swung open and Emily stepped inside. Her calculating gaze flitted between the two of us, and her lips twitched up to one side before shecaught herself and schooled her expression back into one of nonchalance.
