TWO
THE LOVELY WOMAN who was probably Stella Montefiore, but definitely wasn’t Carlotta, closed her teeth delicately around Dante’s lower lip and every nerve-ending he had lit up with sweet, delicious pain.
He was hard instantly, his whole body tight, his wrists and ankles instinctively pulling against the cuffs with the urge to grab her, hold her.
He hadn’t been expecting this particular move, though really the glittering flare of anger he’d seen in her eyes just before she’d bent her head should have warned him.
She wasn’t as cool as she seemed, which was a delightful surprise.
In fact, the whole of her bending over him with that rich heady scent, her silky golden hair falling over one shoulder, her pale skin glowing against the fluid fabric of her blue dress, was a delightful surprise.
He’d been hoping for some fight and he’d certainly got it.
If only his hands were free.
Instead, he opened his mouth and touched his tongue to the softness of lower lip, a gentle coax.
She went still, her teeth releasing him, her lips a breath away from his.
So he bit her back, but not hard. A light nip to see what she’d do.
Her head jerked back and she looked down at him, her blue eyes glowing with anger, her cheeks pink. ‘Damn you,’ she whispered.
‘Why?’ His own voice had roughened. ‘Because I stopped you from doing what you didn’t want to do anyway? Because you’re not a killer?’
She didn’t reply, merely bent her head again, and this time her mouth was on his in a hard, furious kiss.
That she was inexperienced was immediately obvious, but she also tasted of anger and of passion, and his interest, already piqued, deepened even further.
He’d had inexperienced before, though he tended to steer clear of women who didn’t know what they were dealing with when it came to him. He’d had plenty of anger before too, not to mention passion. But not all three at once, and not when the woman dealing them out had been on the point of shooting him in the head.
It made him even harder than he was already.
Still, that inexperience was a warning sign that this woman, no matter how cool and strong she seemed, no matter that she’d had him at gunpoint, had her vulnerabilities. And it was interesting that the mention of her soul had been the thing that had made her lower the gun.
But what had been even more interesting to him was the definite shame that had flared in her eyes after she’d put the gun down, only to be swiftly overtaken by rage. She hadn’t liked failing her mission, that was for sure. And yet, instead of shooting him anyway, she’d kissed him.
Yes, that was very, very interesting.
Not only was she a woman with vulnerabilities, she also seemed to be a woman of strong passions. Which made for an intoxicating combination.
‘Kitten,’ he murmured against her mouth. ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’
In response she bit him again, harder this time, the tips of her breasts brushing against his chest as she leaned in closer. Holy God, her nipples were tight and hard. He could feel them through the cotton of his shirt.
Lust uncurled in his gut, thick and hot, making him catch his breath.
It had been a long time since a woman had made him feel like this, he had to admit. And he wasn’t a man who denied himself anything he wanted. Self-control was all very well in certain situations, but when it came to sex he would freely admit to being a glutton.
Then again, she’d had the gall to drug him then tie him to a bed, so why should he give her everything she wanted right now?
He moved his head on the pillow, pulling his mouth away from her. ‘Sweetheart, if you want that, you’re going to have to ask for it.’
She made an angry sound and tried to kiss him again but he closed his mouth against hers.
The breath went out of her and she lifted her head. Her eyes were electric with anger, her cheeks pink. She said nothing, merely looked at him for a long moment. Then she straightened and took a step back from the bed.
But he didn’t think she was going to move away. No, he’d seen something shift in that furious blue gaze of hers. She’d made a decision.
Anticipation coiled inside him, his breath catching yet again.
This woman was proving to be more and more intriguing with every second that passed and he couldn’t wait to see what she was going to do next, how she would answer this particular challenge.
He didn’t have anywhere to be or anything much to do beyond the usual round of PR work that he undertook on behalf of Enzo’s and his company, plus the running of the more pleasurable side of the business, the resorts and clubs he owned all over the globe.
Anyway, he was bound to a bed. He couldn’t go anywhere even if he wanted to. Luckily he didn’t want to.
His lovely captor stood there a moment, her breathing fast in the silence of the room. Then she lifted her hands and pushed the straps of her silky blue dress off her shoulders, allowing the fabric to slide slowly down her body before pooling at her feet.
She was naked underneath it apart from the scrap of white lace between her thighs.
Okay, that was a move he hadn’t anticipated her making. Not that he was complaining. Not in the slightest.
He’d seen a lot of beautiful women in his lifetime—more than he could count. But it wasn’t this woman’s physical beauty that felt like a punch to the gut, though she was indeed lovely: small, delicate and pale, her breasts the sweetest curves, her nipples pink and pretty.
No, it was the way she stood there with her chin lifted and her back straight, proud as a queen, her gaze full of challenge. As if she was daring him to break his bonds and come to her. Kneel at her feet. Worship her the way she was obviously used to being worshipped.
His pulse accelerated, the ache in his groin becoming acute. He almost jerked against the damn cuffs again, but managed to control himself at the last minute.
‘Is this a request?’ His voice was uneven even though he tried to mask it. ‘Because, if so, it’s a very persuasive one.’
She said nothing. Her hands went to her hips and very slowly she eased down the lacy underwear she wore then stepped out of it.
Dio, she was golden between her thighs too.
His mouth watered, his heartbeat hammering in his head.
What is it with you? It’s not like you to let yourself get all hot under the collar for a woman.
It really wasn’t. He didn’t care about much of anything these days, but he found he cared about this. He wanted her hands on him. He wanted her skin against his. He wanted to
