Page 66 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

A large hand scooped its way around her chest, whilst another settled across her hips. Warren pressed a kiss to the soft skin between her neck and her shoulder. And then another. “You’re sore,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

She let the statement linger for a beat before responding. “A little bit.”

Gently, he took the book from her hand, placing it back on the table in front of them. “I should have been more considerate,” he said, pulling her into his embrace. “I couldn’t stop. I’m sorry. I lost myself in you.”

“It didn’t hurt at the time.”

His eyebrow lifted with amusement. “I should hope not.” The words were a whisper against her lips—a moment before he took them for himself. His kiss was softer than she’d expected, his intent not to plunder but to coax.

To savour.

Kate couldn’t stop herself from asking the question that played on her mind. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

His fingers intertwined with hers. “I’ve stopped fighting this. I’ve stopped punishing myself for the way I want you.”

“Why would you punish yourself?”

“When we were children…” He swallowed, hesitating. “It was my job to protect you. Iwantedto do it. You were so… alone.”

The happiness brought about by the last twenty-four hours died a quick death.

“But then so was I. I never desired you. The thought never even crossed my mind—you were a child. You were mykitten, and that was all.”

“And now?”

“Now the day is a waste if it doesn’t end with me between your thighs, little kitten,” he snarled, sinking his teeth into her neck before licking away the hurt.

“I think you might need to keep away tonight.” Kate tried on an apologetic look, holding him by the shoulders. “I am sore, but that’s not why you need to keep away. I’ve been having some period pains. It’ll probably be, um, starting soon.”

Warren didn’t even blink an eye. “I’ve heard sex can help period pains.” He paused. “Although it’s only ever men I hear saying that so I’m not sure their opinions are unbiased. How about I pamper you instead? I’m sure Linda’s stocked the en-suite with extortionately priced bath products. You can take your pick. I think there’s some lavender—” Warren couldn’t have come to a standstill more quickly if he’d run into a brick wall. “Or do you still despise the smell of lavender, you little heathen?”

“I still despise lavender and I refuse to apologise for it,” she said baldly. “You’re all the weirdos here, not me. It’s disgusting.”

A grin cracked his stony façade. “You know, I couldn’t adore you more if I tried.”

The snarkiness drained from her face, quickly replaced by undisguised shock.

Warren took advantage of her silence, kissing her until her cheeks were stained pink with need.

“And as soon as you’re not sore, kitten, I’ll be wanting you again. If you think I care that you’re on your period, you’re very sadly mistaken. What’s the point of a sword if you never get it bloody?”

“Kate,” Braxton began, staring intensely at his phone, “you know that prostitute you met?”

“Give me a second,” Kate called, furiously clicking away during a dungeon inWorld of Warcraft. “I’m getting killed here.”Because the stupid tank isn’t taking aggro off their fucking healer. Mattie, why did you move back home just as I decided to start healing?

“Just pause it.”

“There isn’t a pause button. Jesus, have you never played an online game before?” Kate sagged as the last glimmer of green on her health bar vanished. “Bugger.” Without her healing, the other dungeon players began to fall like flies. “Never mind. We’re all dead anyway. What do you want?”

“The prostitute you met. The night you went out to dinner with Warren. Do you remember?”

Kate scrambled through her memories for the woman’s name, shooting an unhelpful glance at Saffron and Rhys on the opposite sofa, now watching the fourth season ofStranger Things.“Adina, I think.”

Brax nodded, shaking the phone in his hand. “She’s sent a message to my colleague’s number.”

Feeling like a dick, Kate messaged a quicksorryto the other players and abandoned them to their fate.

“I’m sorry,” Rhys’s voice piped up from the other sofa, a grin unfurling across his face like a flirtatious banner. “You visited a prostitute with Warren?” He leant forward, his elbows on his knees. “Do tell me more. Not the Warren part, but you and the other girl.”

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