Page 34 of Temporary Wife Temptation

Natalie twisted around to face him, her breathing uneven. He perused her body, an arrogant tilt to his lips, and a flush of arousal spread across her bare skin. He wanted her. That much was certain. Emboldened, she met his gaze and held it before she lowered her eyes to stare appreciatively at his chest, so smooth and strong.

She’d wondered countless times what he would look like under his dress shirts, and her imagination had not done him justice. The dips and grooves of his well-defined abs begged to be touched. He allowed her to study his body, sitting so still that she wondered if he was breathing. Her hand reached out of its own accord and she pulled it back with a sharp gasp.

She was treading a dangerous path and needed to retreat several paces. It could only lead to heartbreak. He’d made it clear their marriage would be short-lived. If Natalie followed her instincts and gave herself to him, she would be the only one to blame for her regrets.

“I’m going in for a swim,” she said, hoping the water was very, very cold because she was burning inside and out.

He stared at her for a few seconds, letting the electrified air float around them. Her cheeks turned an adorable shade of coral, which told him that she wasn’t immune to the desire raging between them.

For a moment, he thought she was going to touch him. The image of her delicate hands on his naked torso almost made him groan.

“I’ll see you later,” he said, his voice curt. “I need to take care of a couple matters before dinner tonight.”

“Okay, bye.”

She dipped her toes in the pool, testing the water. He needed to get the hell away before she got wet. Garrett hurried toward the pool gate as quickly as he could, which wasn’t very fast because the mindless part of his body refused to stand down. He hoped he was being inconspicuous as he placed his T-shirt in front of his tented board shorts and concentrated on deflating the tent.

Aunt Margo’s sadistic cheek pinches. My old mangy mutt with his perpetual drooling. The food poisoning I had last summer. Just. Don’t. Think. About. Her.

Natalie had cast a dangerous spell over him. He saw nothing else when she was near. Years of hard work, his family’s legacy and the responsibility of ensuring the livelihood of thousands of employees were the foundation on which he’d built his adult life, but he forgot everything. He became a being of want and need. He had no control over it.

He had to devise a hands-off strategy for this weekend. Making certain he hardly spent a moment alone with Natalie had worked so far, but his desire howled in his veins even when they were apart. If I have this much trouble not touching her out in public, how the hell am I going to keep my hands off her tonight? Resisting her allure would be torture—exquisite but agonizing torture. He needed a chastity belt for men.

By the time he reached the hotel lobby, Garrett had himself under control and pulled on his T-shirt. Hansol’s employees crowded the air-conditioned sanctuaries of the indoor bars and restaurants, and their objective was loud and clear—consume vast amounts of alcohol and make public spectacles of themselves.

People were convinced what happened at company retreats didn’t count in real life. For Garrett, who had been in the public eye his entire life, every second counted.

“Mr. Song, sir! Come join us!”

A few of the more inebriated employees tried to wave him over. These were the same employees who practically clicked their heels and scuttled away when he passed them in the office.

Garrett gave a curt nod and walked on, but he envied them with sudden intensity. He longed to forget about family expectations, and honoring your elders over your own desires. He wanted to burn away the scars of his childhood, his cynicism and his self-preservation instinct. He wished he could forget everything and be reckless. Get drunk in public, and make love to his wife...

A humorless laugh escaped from him. He was Garrett Song. Control was everything.

The moment he stepped into their villa and saw Natalie—lovelier in her shorts and T-shirt than any other woman he’d ever seen—he forgot all about work, plans or legacy.

When he’d run into Natalie at the pool, the walls he’d meticulously constructed to shield his desire collapsed like a fortress made of smoke. His mind had been congested with yearning and hunger, and he couldn’t turn to his work for refuge. Instead, he’d gone to the hotel gym to work out until his muscles screamed and he forgot how much he wanted to take his wife to bed. Unfortunately, his dick didn’t care how tired the rest of his body was. One look at her and it was all too alert and ready for its own brand of workout. There was no denying he wanted her more than his next breath.

“Hi.” She took a few uncertain steps toward him, eyeing him warily. “I was just about to make some tea. Would you like a cup?”

“No, thank you.” He stalked her until she backed into the edge of the sofa.

He let his eyes roam her face, then down her body, soaking in every curve and flare. By the time his gaze returned to her face, all he heard was the thunder of his pounding heart. He raised his hand and smoothed his thumb across her cheek. Her lashes fluttered and her lips parted on an indrawn breath. He froze, his mind and heart battling.

In halting movements, he buried his fingers in her hair and drew her to him. With a shaky exhale, he brushed his lips against hers in a fleeting, reverent touch. He withdrew just enough to meet her eyes and waited. His whole body shook with longing and fear—of what, he didn’t know.

Natalie held his gaze, peering steadily at him before leaning in. She kissed one corner of his mouth, then the other, each fleeting touch sending tremors down his spine. With a whispered sigh, she fully claimed his lips, pressing her body against his. He stood still, his hands hovering near her shoulders—to push her away or to hold on to her, he didn’t know.

When she squirmed against him, demanding a response, Garrett caved with a guttural groan. His mouth sought hers while his hands skimmed her sides and hips before reaching back to cup her round ass. She mewled in approval as her fingers dug into his back. Natalie caught fire in his arms and he couldn’t get enough. His tongue flicked, teased and plunged into her warmth, desperate to possess her.

Garrett growled, picked her up by the waist and braced her against the wall. He rolled his hips against her until they both moaned. Another minute of this and he was going to lose it in his pants like a goddamn sixteen-year-old. He drew back an inch and cursed under his breath.

Natalie took advantage of the brief pause to step out of his reach. He blinked at the sudden loss of heat and lifted his hands to bring her back to him.

“We shouldn’t have done that,” she said in a husky whisper. Her breathing was shallow and uneven, but her expression was cool and detached. “We’re both sexually frustrated from our forced celibacy, but we can’t lose sight of our agreement.”

She was absolutely right, but it gutted him to hear the words—the same words he repeated to himself whenever she was near. Well, no more.

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