He knew.
He just couldn’t admit the words out loud. Nor could he bring himself to acknowledge the truth. Because the answer would leave him even more helpless,powerlessthan her entering his bedchamber alone after all they’d shared.
Yet she had given him permission to reveal, no, to act on his desire. And her smile... how had he only noticed this about her now? She was like rays of sunshine that pierced through the blackened sky. Then when she disappeared as clouds set in, all he could do, all that was left for him to do, was chase her. The light.
What would he do if he didn’t have to hold back?
Everything.
His lips found hers in sweet desperation. If heaven had a taste, it would be Selena Savage. Unlike the first two kisses, he took his time with this one. No anger drove him to silence or to prove a point. This moment was all about savoring, and Warrick savored all the warmth his lips sought. The warmth that his dreams lacked.
He could never have imagined that the dream he’d been having before she brutally awoke him would come true.
His hand smoothed over her waist to press her close to him, as close as she could possibly get. “I hate these damn trousers. They drive me crazy.” His hands tugged at her shirt, pulling it free from its tucked-in state.
“What are you doing?” she breathed against his lips.
Then his hands were on her skin. “What any beast would do when a beautiful, headstrong woman enters its lair.”
She let out a small gasp, then laughed. “Oh no, what’s a woman to do?”
“Surrender.” A predator-like glint gleamed in his eyes. “Just surrender.”
“I guess I have no choice.”
“Not if you stay here. You have one last chance to escape, Selena.” His heart pounded in his chest like a swordsmith hammering at a piece of metal, waiting for her answer.
“You asked me if I wished to be ruined.” She smiled at him, and his breath stalled.
Did that smile mean...?Don’t get ahead of yourself, little Phineas, that smile might mean a thousand things.
“The answer is...” she paused, and he paused along with her. He didn’t even blink, as if the fate of his future would be secured in her next breath. “The answer is yes.”
God help him.
He should not feel as relieved as he did. Any last noble intentions vanished like a puff of smoke, making him question whether they’d even existed in the first place.
She’d said nothing about what would happen after, but he would not push. What mattered was this moment. And at this moment, she was in his bed. His lips curved slowly, his smile reaching his eyes.
“What are you waiting for?” she breathed.
He didn’t know either. He lowered his head to scrape the swell of her breast through the material of her shirt with his teeth, drawing a small gasp from her. “I won’t let you go anymore.”
“You couldn’t chase me away even if you brandished a candelabra.”
“If you were the one chasing, I wouldn’t run away.” His eyes locked on hers. “Then you know what happens next?”
“You ruin me.”
“No.” He lowered his head to the arch of her neck and inhaled deeply. “I ravish you. But first, these damn clothes...”
Hands tugged at her shirt. “What are you even wearing? Ornotwearing?”
“I was in a hurry, so this is my own brand of fashion.”
That reminded him. “What made you rush over this early in the morning that you decided to fashion this style? Or was it purely to provoke me?” He suspected the latter. She would have remembered his warning. Minx.
She pressed a finger against his lips. “That’s a conversation for later. But I must admit, I do enjoy wearing shirts and trousers much more than I do dresses.”
