Page 52 of Prelude To You

His lips traveled along my jawline until they reached my ear, the tip of his tongue grazing the shell before he whispered. “Oh, that goes both ways, Isabel. Both ways.”

I could feel his erection against me, hard and intimidating. My ravenous palm inched over it and the sheer size of him paralyzed my senses. His hand clamped down on my wrist, his jaw tightening. “Don’t do that,” he said quietly and firmly.

I was still panting for more. “Why not?”

He held my wrist as if trying to hold it back from curiously wandering where it shouldn’t. “Because it’s for later, not now.”

And there it was again, Roman taking full control of the situation. “I’m going to need a minute before we go out there,” he said, and lifted my hand to his mouth, caressing my palm with his lips.

His shirt was gaping, his chest begging for my touch. I brushed my lips over his naked chest and put my nose against it, inhaling him. He hissed with pleasure, radiating with want.

“This is not helping,” he whispered.

“Too bad,” I whispered back as my mouth trailed over his chest and I cherished his taste and smell.

“In the heat of the moment, you said something in French, what was that?” He pushed himself ever-so-slightly against me.

“Just a sweet nothing,” I said.

His eyes never left mine. “But I want to know what the sweet nothing is.”

“Next time I’ll translate,” I said. I stood back and carefully buttoned up his shirt, making him respectable again.

He tilted his head and gave me a delicious smile. “Next time, my sweet.”

My sweet.

Did he call all his lovers that? I was desperate to regain my poise, but a harsh realization sank in. As I moved out of his arms, it suddenly hit me. “Oh God, I can’t believe I just did this. I don’t even know you. You’re a total stranger.”

Roman stood back. “Can’t say this is the reaction I expected.”

A weird feeling skittered down my spine. What was it about Roman that had me begging for more? I wanted this man with everything in me, and I didn’t understand it, and he just suggested there was going to be a later and—

“Maybe you do this all the time,” I said defensively. “I don’t. This is a first for me.”

“Do what all the time, Isabel?”

“Seduce strange women in bookstores and dim hallways.”

The unexpected disappointment in his eyes sent a jolt through me. He assessed me calmly, a hint of provocation in his eyes. As if he’d made a mistake after all, inviting me into this hotel.

“I’m sorry, that was a stupid thing to say” I whispered. “And I can’t even blame the drugs anymore.”

Roman narrowed the small gap between us and placed his lips to my ear. “Let’s get a couple of things straight,” he said. “First off, I don’t do this frequently. As a matter of fact, this particular situation is a very new and strange one for me too, as breathtaking as it is. Secondly, I don’t remember you hesitating or denying me the pleasure of that kiss last night. And I could be wrong but the reason you really came here has nothing to do with thanking me for a book.”

I felt compelled to fight for my honor, but I was at a disadvantage. “I just didn’t think it was even possible—” I swallowed the rest of my words.

Why just lay it all out there for this man to know? I was definitely going to have a serious talk with myself when I got home.

Something in Roman’s face changed. It was difficult to interpret but he was definitely taken aback, and less guarded. “You didn’t think what was possible?”

I hesitated, focusing on the pattern of the wallpaper behind him. A small strip was peeling at one corner, revealing glue thatwas yellowed with age. I focused on it, trying to distance myself from an overwhelming desire to rip the man’s clothes off.

“Answer me…” His voice was fire and my blood was ice. “You didn’t think what was possible, Isabel?”

He wasn’t going to let this slide and I blurted out, “Feeling this… Having this reaction or whatever you call it, with someone, a stranger no less. Ever since last night. And I definitely didn’t know it was possible to have an orgasm like this.”

Roman slid his finger across my cheek. “I thought we already covered the fact that we’re not strangers anymore.”

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