“Do you know when the last time was that I read a whole book in one day?”
He shook his head. “Tell me.”
“I can’t. It’s never happened before. This was a first.”
He smiled. “You can read another if you like.”
“I actually don’t think I want to,” she said, surprising herself. “I want to give that book a chance to live inside my head for a little while before I replace those characters with someone else.”
“Shall I ring for more biscuits?”
“I’m stuffed.”
“More lemonade?”
“No, thank you.”
“More basil?”
She snickered. “What are you going to do with all these plants?”
He shrugged. “The books are mine. The basil’s yours.”
Viv hauled herself out of the chair, wincing at her stiff muscles. She crossed to the closest plant and popped one of the aromatic leaves into her mouth.
Delicious. Just as she knew it would be.
She turned back to Jacob. He was watching her, his eyes sensual and heavy-lidded.
“What now?”
He raised his brows. “I don’t know. We reached the end of the advice letter. You tell me what happens next.”
“I suppose,” she said slowly, “it wouldn’t be too dreadful if you were to kiss me.”
His eyes glittered. “All right. I’d like that.”
But he didn’t move.
She crossed her arms. “Well?”
“Tell me what you desire.” His dark brown eyes tracked her. “Do youwantme to pounce upon you like a hawk snatching up a dormouse? Or would you rather be the huntress, and me the prey?”
Viv blinked and lowered her arms to her sides. She was no stranger to amorous embraces but had always been the one pursued—whether she wished to be or not. Turning the tables, however voluntarily, held the thrill of the forbidden.
Of feminine power, rather than submission.
She took a tentative step closer. “I can tell you to do anything I wish?”
“You can try,” he answered. “I am not a lapdog, panting to your every command.”
“Yet.” She hiked up her skirts enough to place her knees on either side of his hips. “Let us not forget, I trained a wild badger.”
“That’s true.” He skimmed his hands up her thighs to the curve of her hips, then raised his face toward hers. “Are you going to train me, too?”
“No.” She lowered her mouth until their noses nearly brushed. “I like you a little wild.”
He hauled her hips closer to his and crushed his mouth to hers.
