Page 720 of Love Bites

Surely, it was just a reflex on his part.

Surely, he didn’t mean anything by it.

He wasn’t saying anything but was just watching her.

Bethany dug her fingers into the bed’s comforter so she wouldn’t grab handfuls of his shirt and pull his tall, muscled frame down and on top of her. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ve ever fainted before.”

Math’s hands still touched her face, and he ran his fingers over her chin and jaw, almost like a caress. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

His other hand slipped around her throat, his fingers insinuating themselves into her hair at the back of her neck.

Bethany asked him, “Are we alone?”

“Yes,” he whispered. “Do you want me to step back?”

“No,” Bethany said.

Math stroked her chin and jaw with his thumb. “I will step back if you want me to.”

Bethany’s attention centered on where Math’s thumb stroked down her jaw, and his other hand was buried in her hair. Her pulse throbbed at her temples, and her fingertips, and between her legs. “You’ll do what I want you to?”

“Anything you want,” he whispered. “Tell me to step back. Tell me to walk away. Do it. I will.”

The streaks of gold glitter in his eyes widened, turning into luminous streams that flowed toward his dark pupils.

Even though his hands still cradled her jaw and the back of her neck, her skin was so sensitive she could have sworn his fingertips were trailing down her arms, up her thighs, brushing the thin skin over her spine, and gently cupping her breasts.

A small part of her mind wondered if this was the dragon’s rumored sexual magic, but even if it was a trick, she didn’t care. Every fiber of her body craved his touch.

He was watching her eyes intently, focusing on every twitch of her eyelashes, as he dragged his thumb gently over her lower lip.

Bethany closed her eyes, feeling that caress like a kiss.

Desire shot through her. Hunger for him leached out every cell of her body. Her hands felt empty because she wasn’t running her palms and fingers over his skin. Her mouth was being denied the feast of his lips.

Math’s thumb stroked her lower lip again, a little more forcefully this time, dragging on her skin.

She was starving for every bit of his flesh.

As he stroked to the center of her lip, Bethany opened her mouth and sucked his thumb in.

Inside her mouth, his skin tasted good and faintly of salt. The male scent of his hand lingered in her nose, and his thumb filled her mouth and rubbed her tongue like a deep, hard kiss.

By all that was holy and magic, she was still doing it.

And yet, as she sucked on his thumb, the craving inside her mouth was satisfied.

Every other part of her body, however,wantedhim.

Oh God,he was going to pull away, or laugh at her, or be disgusted by what she was doing. He probably didn’t think of her that way. This was probably just a working relationship for him, and she was nothing more to him than any other maid who was cleaning up the room.

She’d blown it.

Bethany opened her eyes, her lips still sealed around Math’s thumb, terrified of what expression she was going to find on his face. She looked up.

The magic flowing in the golden irises of his eyes cycled faster. His lips parted, and he was breathing harder.

He wasn’t laughing at her.

---