Page 54 of Captivated By You

She closed her eyes, emitting a contented sigh, and leaned into me.

Yep, we were definitely making progress.

I slid my hand around the back of her neck and leaned in until my lips were millimeters from hers. She didn’t move away, nor did she open her eyes. I read that as approval, taking her mouth in a kiss that I poured all my frustration into. She dropped the clothes, her arms snaking around my neck, and she plastered herself to my body in an about-face that sent my head into a whirl.

I ran my fingertips up her sides, brushing the swell of her tits. The memory of how well they filled my hand had me cupping the left one. The nipple, hard as granite, brushed against my palm. I pinched it between my thumb and forefinger, my tongue fucking her mouth in a prequel to what I was going to do to her pussy the second we reached my suite. I let my other hand fall to her ass, and I pulled her into me, giving my dick a moment of relief, the friction driving me wild.

And then my arms were empty. Kiana stumbled back a few steps, her fingers touching her mouth, her lipstick smeared and smudged.

“No.”

A single word, but the most powerful. My dreams of spending the night rediscovering her body shattered around me like a bullet tearing through a sheet of glass. Her chest heaved, her nipples standing at attention. A mirror image of my dick.

“I’m sorry.”

My hand shot in the air. “Don’t you dare apologize.I’mthe one who should be sorry. I’ve made no secret of how I feel, and I will continue to pursue you relentlessly, and without contrition. But I wouldneverdo anything you didn’t want me to. And nor should you feel an ounce of remorse for putting a stop to something you’re not comfortable with.”

She swallowed, and her eyes filled with tears, shocking me. Kiana was a tough cookie, a woman who stood up for herself and what was right. She didn’t strike me as the tearful type.

“Please don’t cry.” I went to her, rubbing her arms. “I am useless at dealing with tears. Honestly, I crumble, and usually make inappropriate jokes.”

I meant to make her laugh, and it worked. She blinked a few times, and her tears vanished before they had a chance to fall.

“You are a good man, Asher Kingcaid. A rare man.”

“I’m hoping that benefits me.”

“I’m not a cocktease.”

“I don’t think that for a second.”

I picked up the clothes from the floor and laid them over my arm. Snagging a charcoal-gray woolen coat off the rail, I ducked behind the counter and removed the security tags.

“Shall we go to bed? Separately,” I hastened to add.

She nodded, and we left the store. I locked it up, left her by the elevators while I returned the key to the duty manager, gave her a list of items for the store to charge to me, and accompanied Kiana up to my suite.

“Your room is over there.” I pointed to the other side of the large living room separating the two bedrooms. “If you get thirsty in the night, there’s a minibar next to the TV. Just help yourself.”

I handed her the clothes, kissed her on the cheek in a brotherly fashion I did not feel, and entered my room.

Chapter17

Kiana

Resistance is futile.

I closedthe door to the bedroom, dropped the pile of clothes on the bed, and threw myself on top of them. If it was possible to kick myself in the ass, I’d be taking a hell of a beating right about now.

Coming here with Ash had been a test of my resistance to his charms, and I’d failed spectacularly. I hadn’t meant to let him kiss me, but if kissing was an Olympic sport, Ash would take the gold medal. The man was a master at giving the exact amount of pressure and tongue. And when he pinched my nipple…

My core clenched. I was hot, aroused, frustrated. All it would take was for me to put on the crimson nightgown, knock on Ash’s door, and help myself to what he’d so freely offer. But I couldn’t bring myself to take that last step. Everyone’s past shaped the person they were, and mine had left me with a mistrust of powerful men and a loss of faith in my ability to choose wisely.

Maybe I should try to find another internship somewhere else? That way, Ash wouldn’t hold any control over my career, which would leave us free to explore a relationship.

I dismissed the idea the second it popped into my head. Kingcaid was one of the top hotel chains in the world. Anywhere else I went would feel like a step down. I wanted to work for Kingcaid—and I wanted Ash. The problem I had was that the two were mutually exclusive, and I couldn’t see a way around it unless I somehow found a way to bury the past. Or at least come to terms with it and refuse to let it shape my life for a second longer.

I got off the bed, stripped, and took a cold shower. It didn’t help. Nor did slipping the beautiful, crazy-expensive silk nightgown over my flushed body. If anything, the feel of such soft material against my skin made me hornier.

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