Page 72 of Adoration: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 2)

“Where is all the staff?” I asked him. I really hoped they’d be around us, otherwise I might try something stupid… like feel his six pack, if we continued sitting here all alone.

“They left for the night,” he replied simply and I could have sworn his eyes were burning with desire. Maybe I read Alexander wrong all along? Today, it was like I saw a different side of him. I was staring at a complete stranger. The one I knew was calm and cold, but this one was radiating sexual tension and heat from miles away.

“Are you hungry?” I asked and cursed myself for asking. My voice was raspy and sounded like I was offering myself to him.

“No, but you should eat something,” he told me. “You barely ate anything all day. You’ll need your strength.”

For what?I wanted to ask but remained quiet. My stomach was in knots, and if I forced some food down, it would only come back up.

“I’m not hungry,” I told him and took another sip of the tea.

I had so many questions and wanted to set some ground rules, but I didn’t know how or where to start. And my brain was in shambles, focused on my body’s response to his nearness, and those magnificent abs. I swore I could feel his body heat even though we weren’t touching.

Everything got out of hand. I stared at the ring on my left hand, and it still seemed unreal. I put my tea down and twisted it around. I hadn’t had a chance to check it out, but now I noticed there were beautiful sapphires and white diamonds all around the band.

“If you don’t like it, we can get you another one,” Alexander’s voice was velvet. I glanced up and met his eyes.

“No,” My voice was a whisper. “I like it.” It didn’t really matter if I liked it, we weren’t going to wear our rings for long anyhow.

“Your grandfather seems really nice,” I told him. I was grasping for some neutral topic to talk about, I was so damn nervous.

“He likes you a lot,” he told me, his deep voice affecting me.

I smiled. “I like him, too.”

We continued watching each other, waiting for something although I couldn’t quite pinpoint what.

“Alexander,” I started, unsure how to go about this.

“I like my name on your lips.” His words wiped every thought out of my head. His voice was suggestive, sexual, and it made me all hot. I pressed my thighs together, trying to remind myself this was just an arrangement.

“Ah,” I swallowed. “Thank you.”

I mentally slapped myself. That was not what I should have said.

It’s been way too long since I dated, and it didn’t help that he was half naked.

My eyes drifted down to his chest again, and to the blue ink covering it. I had never seen abs or a chest hotter than Alexander’s. And his biceps were strong. He’d definitely be able to hold me down while he fucked me.

“What?” I muttered to myself in shock.

“What’s the matter?” Alexander’s voice startled me and we locked gazes.

I stared at him, my mouth open and my breathing slightly heavy. I was turned on, way turned on. I was soaking wet just thinking about him.

“What’s the matter?” he repeated the question.

“Nothing,” I mumbled.Shit, we can’t sleep in the same bed.Maybe if I went up now, I’d be asleep by the time he came up. I had to get away from him.

I stood up abruptly, leaving my tea forgotten.

“I’m going to bed,” I went past him and his hand gently grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

“What’s the matter, Liberty?” he repeated the question again.

I shook my head. There would be no way I could admit that I was turned on by him.

He brought his other hand to my cheek, lightly tracing my pulse with his finger. “Why is your pulse beating wildly?” he asked in a soft voice, his eyes dark with desire.

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