She parted her lips in blatant invitation, and he instantly accepted. His tongue swept over her lower lip, almost reverently tasting, then he plunged into her mouth and claimed.
Her senses swooned, but then, avid and greedy, focused on the sensations. Her wits were enthralled, and she savored and rejoiced.
Every touch, every caress, reeked of power carefully controlled. Just like him.
If a kiss could testify to the man, his did.
She felt as if she was waltzing even though her feet were planted on the ground.
She’d wanted to know. Now, she wanted to know even more.
She tightened her hold about his neck and pressed even more deliberately tempting—indeed, deliberately more inciting and challenging—kisses to his firm, too-knowing lips.
Show me.
That was her message, her demand.
And the male in him responded.
Between one heartbeat and the next, heat flared.
Passion erupted, a hot wave rising through them both to clash and fuse and claim them.
Need and hunger rolled in a heady wave through her and weakened her knees.
Good Lord!
She’d never felt the like, never dreamed of the power behind the compulsion to seize and be seized.
For a second, she teetered, and she sensed he did, too.
With a wrench, they broke the kiss.
They’d done it together. Even as she realized they were both panting as if they’d been running some race, even as she registered the frantic thud of her heart and sensed the echo of his, through the shadows she took in his wide eyes, dark in the night, and knew her own were equally large.
Shocked. Surprised.
They were both stunned by what they’d unleashed.
And unleashed was what it was, for she could still sense that power in the air, an almost-living, sentient hunger.
A compulsion, and they both knew to what end.
He blinked, and his gaze lowered to her lips.
He moistened his, then managed, “You should go. To your room.”
His voice was like gravel, deep and dark and edged with wickedness held at bay.
She swallowed and forced her head to nod. It was the best she could do. Speech was beyond her.
Slowly—reluctantly; she had to force herself to do it—she drew her arms from about his neck.
His hands gripped her waist, almost in spasm, but then he held her steady and, as her arms fell from him, anchored her in place as he stepped back. Instantly, she felt a chill all down the front of her where his warmth had been withdrawn.
She hauled in a breath, the first she’d taken in too long.
There was nothing she could think of to say or that she wanted him to say to her.
