Page 10 of Scarlet Mark
I ignored his palpable amusement and slid my palms slowly over his solid chest—his muscles more than evident even through the shirt—and lower to the flat planes of his abdomen.
If he didn’t have a knife to my side, I’d be far more impressed.
Because damn.
He obviously took care of himself. That, paired with his face, and, well,lethal attractionseemed an appropriate description. The man oozed power and sex, his gaze sinful, his smile alluring, his body… perfection.
My tongue felt too big for my mouth by the time I reached his belt. Danger and menace lurked beneath his skin, and a bad,badpart of me desired a taste.
Which gave me an idea.
A lesson I learned long ago was to base every plan on a truth. Lies had a way of biting a person in the ass. But a twisted idea based on realism usually provided a win in the end.
And I needed to win this game between us. My life depended on it.
“In your pocket?” I repeated, drawing my finger downward over the impressive bulge beneath his zipper. “Is that an invitation?”
His smoldering gaze held mine. “Are you trying to play, darling? Because I should warn you, I’m not easily manipulated.”
I didn’t doubt that for a second.
However, men were easy creatures who adored sex. And I excelled at seduction. A requirement of my upbringing.
“What time are you delivering me to Malcom?” I asked, applying subtle pressure to his groin. Just enough to tease and to show I knew how to handle him.
“Whenever I want,” he replied, his voice deepening. “Dead or alive.”
“But I’m worth more to you alive.” The words were more for my benefit than for his. It meant he would be hesitant to stab me—at least fatally. Of course, I’d prefer to avoid it altogether.
He smiled. “You were listening. Good girl.”
I’m going to enjoy hurting you, I decided, my mouth curling with the thought. “And what am I supposed to be finding?” I asked, tracing his sizable erection. Hmm, it seemed every part of him was well proportioned and enticing. Too bad he chose the wrong side of this battle. Because I agreed with him—we’d have fun with each other.
“All right, sweetheart. You want to play this game?”
I gave him my best innocent look. “Who says I’m playing?”
“Cute.” He smiled, dipping his chin. “Seduce away, darling. But I won’t be letting you go. I’m married to my job first and foremost. And I never fail a mission.”
I believed him. He struck me as honest in an odd way, as if he relied on that as his one redeeming trait. Every bounty hunter—or whatever he called himself—needed one. At least in my experience.
“Maybe I’ll be your first failure,” I taunted, toying with his belt and deftly loosening the buckle.
His irises simmered, reminding me of hot chocolate. His good looks made this a little easier because I didn’t have to feign my interest. Evil intentions didn’t bother me. At least, not in the way they did others. So I could look past his designs for me, to the handsome male beneath the task. It was a knack I’d perfected over the years, one that would serve me well now.
I slowly leaned in to press a kiss to his throat. “This room is mine all night. If you don’t have a timeline…” I let the sentence dangle between us, my tongue tracing his too-steady pulse. If this distraction was going to work, I needed his undivided attention. I needed him to become putty in my hands.
His grip tightened in my hair as he yanked me upward, his dark eyes capturing mine as I popped the button of his suit pants. The expensive wool slid against my fingers, enticing me to explore the hard length beneath.
“I know what you’re doing, Amara. But if you really want to attempt to change my mind, then feel free to try.” He released my hair. “I recommend using that pretty mouth, sweetheart. Make it worth my while.”
Oh, I was going to enjoy this far too much.
My lips teasingly danced over his, his scotch-and-peppermint breath mingling with mine. He grinned, the sensation a taunt against my mouth. Killian didn’t think I’d follow through. He was both right and wrong.
I closed the gap between us, kissing him and unleashing the gifts of my existence. Years of training. Seduction. Skill. I allowed him a taste with the tip of my tongue, slowly gliding it along his, demonstrating my power. He shivered, but the knife remained resolutely against my side while his opposite hand skimmed my spine upward to wrap around the back of my neck.
Such a dominant hold, one he punctuated by taking control of our embrace, his tongue setting the pace for mine as he returned my kiss with expert skill.
