She managed to breathe again when he did, without resistance.
She plastered a smile on her lips. “What about that dance?” It was more dangerous now than it had been when she’d agreed to it originally, but she did also want to. Since it was him. As irrational and stupid as that was.
He seemed to relax, took another step back, and held out his hand. “May I have this dance, my lady?”
Brinley choked on a laugh and rolled her eyes. “Gee, I don’t know. I’m kinda busy.”
His grin widened. “I’ll have my staff clear your schedule.”
She balked at the unexpected retort, burst into a short fit of giggling laughter, and finally accepted his hand. “Fine, fine. If you’re that desperate.” She meant the words as a joke, of course, but he swiftly pulled her in close again even as he moved another step backward into the heart of the space.
His voice was lower and huskier when he spoke again, his other hand landing on her hip. “I’m afraid I am.”
She swallowed hard and did her best not to overreact to that. Or to the heat of his steady hand on her hip. Or to the intensity of his mostly green gaze as he stared back at her.
A moment later, the alpha whose name she still didn’t know began to move them. He guided her gently, easily in small steps backward and forward. They moved with an increasing pace, the music the only sound competing with her heartbeat and their hips rocking in synchronized rhythm. He eased her out, spun her in a tight circle, and pulled her in close again with her back to his chest. His erection bumped against her ass and she sank her teeth into her lip to keep herself from whimpering.
They continued to sway as the song rolled into another. His fingers slid along her arms when he spun her to face him again. He settled both hands over her back this time, holding her dangerously close. She curled her arms around his shoulders anyway.
“I do want you,” he admitted after another minute, his voice almost rough with audible desire.
Brinley stared up at him. She could feel herself tense, but she wasn’t sure if it was with concern or anticipation. Did she want him, or was that a chemical reaction of their hormones? No. Her suppressants weren’t expired and she knew it. Just as she knew that the desire searing through her was more dangerous than anything she’d felt before. She swallowed hard. “You said I could leave if I chose to.”
He inclined his head. “You still can. I meant what I said. I won’t force you.”
All she could smell was him with a backdrop of leather. His touch was hot and delightfully heavy, and she’d never imagined an alpha could be so considerate while also so consumed with strong emotion. He intrigued her.That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.What remained of her rational self knew it wasn’t. But would she ever get a better opportunity?I must have lost my mind.It might not be possible, even, to take that step without revealing her secret to him. And yet that awareness wasn’t enough to make her pull away.
Brinley curled her arms tighter, letting her fingers graze the base of his neck. It was a brazen move—or it would be, if he knew she was an omega. She licked her lips. “Just one night, then?”
A vibrating rumble rolled through him and he tugged her up to his chest. He raised one hand up to settle possessively over her nape. “I can’t promise one will satisfy me. But we’ll start with that.” Before she could respond, he dipped his head and crushed his lips to hers.
She pressed herself tighter to him, up on her bare toes, and their masks slid sideways against each other.
The kiss broke, her lips lifted in a breathless laugh.
He growled low, released her neck, and ripped the wolf mask away from his face without any warning. And just like that, the anonymity was gone. He wasn’t a mysterious stranger.
Brinley squeaked, startled.Holy gods.She shouldn’t have been surprised that she recognized his face, but she was. She hadn’t been prepared. He wasn’t a big-name celebrity by any means, but he wasn’t no one, either. Despite that she’d spent the entire evening well aware of her lower social status than at least the majority of her fellow partygoers, suddenly understanding that difference was shocking.
“Party’s over,” Lennox Mitchell grunted as he cupped her face again. He offered nothing else before promptly sealing his lips to hers once more.
This time his tongue pushed its way inside her mouth, demanding and taking, and Brinley’s briefly renewed sense of awareness scattered. His kiss was intense, merciless, and it was only a matter of seconds before her knees turned to Jello. The man couldkiss. And while he made love to her mouth, his hands roved over her body. He took a double-fisted grip of her ass and squeezed as he rocked his own hips forward, grinding their pelvises together.
She wasn’t even sure which of them groaned louder.
The next several minutes passed in a blur of wet, sensual kisses interspersed between sliding fabric and sweeping, lingering touches. She didn’t consciously realize they’d left the sitting room until she landed on her back, something delightfully sharp pricking at one nipple while her other breast molded into the firm grip of the man above her. She could feel his skin on hers. She could feel the enticing, intimidating weight of his length over her thigh. But she was too lost in the way he laved at her breast, the way his day-old beard scraped at her usually untouched skin, to care about anything else.
He switched from one to the other with a fluid movement, running his tongue underneath and around her breast before sucking the nipple into his mouth. He let his teeth scrape the skin as he sucked, tongue teasing the already taut bud.
Brinley moaned loud and arched into him, as if he could take more into his mouth. Her body ached with need.
Lennox lifted his gaze to her before popping off her chest. He held her stare in silence for a beat, then lowered himself down and hooked her knees over his arms. The movement pulled her legs further apart, exposing her fully to him.
She wasn’t sure if the next wave of heat that pulsed through her was desire or embarrassment. A bit of both, probably.
Lennox rumbled and gave her thighs a squeeze. “Since you can’t see you the way I can,” he said, his voice thick and coarse. “Let me fuckingshowyou.” Before she could question the words, he dropped down again—with his face buried in her literally dripping center.
Brinley gasped in surprise, and again, more sharply, at the first stroke of his tongue. She barely heard his deep-throated groan. Her eyes rolled back in her head as his hands dragged up her thighs to grip her hips, holding her in place and anchoring himself as he began … feasting. On her.
