Page 53 of Skin Trade

“Is that so?”

He gave no answer to that, instead, he went to the desk where his laptop was and opened up a display case. From what Payton could see, it held rows of cufflinks. He took a pair out and tossed them onto the side.

“How long was I out?”

“Long enough for the sun to go down.”

That meant a couple of hours at least. It didn’t feel that long. More like one of those moments when you drop off for a second, and wake with a jolt.

“Sorry.”

“I’m not complaining.” He gave her such a subtle glance over his shoulder and somehow managed to make even a simple statement sound like he was teasing her. It made her insides tingle in ways they’d never done before.

Sitting up properly and shuffling to lean against the headboard, she pulled the sheet with her, making sure it didn’t slip. It was a little hypocritical as she stared at Seth’s perfect naked form. But then it was his choice to prance around in his room with no clothes on.

He came over to the bed, knelt on the side of it. “You talk in your sleep. Did you know that? I could have got out of your all your wildest fantasies.”

Icy blue eyes peering into hers. “I don’t have any fantasies.”

He cocked one brow. “I don’t believe that for a second. Everyone has a fantasy. Everyone Payton, and if they say they don’t, they’re lying. It’s usually the liars with the most depraved ones.”

“I do not--” She bit her lip with the way he was looking at her. “It isn’t depraved.”

“But it is there?”

She flushed a little and looked away from him. There was no way to compose herself, with him staring at her the way he was. That permanent hunger he had in his eyes.

He caught her face, cupped her cheek. Hot hands on her skin. “You’re not going to tell me what they are?”

“I told you, I don’t have--”

He cut her off with his mouth on hers again. This was becoming a habit, but the worst part was the way her body responded. Every nerve tingling with anticipation. He slid his hand down from her neck and caught the edge of the sheet to pull it from her grasp and down.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

“But you just showered.”

“Uh huh.” He wasn’t listening, and neither was she really. Her protest fell away as he pulled her up, hauled her around so she was up and out of the bed. She licked her lips, her breathing hitching with every touch of his hands over her body.

“Stop,” she said.

“Do you really want me to?” The way he stared at her made every tiny hair on her body stand to attention. When she didn’t answer, he pulled her around, so she had to sit on him or push him away. “I thought not,” he said when she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts into his chest.

As she straddled him, he pushed her down so there was no question of what was next. He entered her in one sleek, stretching moment, filling her body up and making her cling to him even tighter at the pleasurable invasion of her body.

“God,” she said. It was one thing when he had made love to her before, when he had been on top, but this, it put him deeper into her body, made it so that she felt every luscious inch of him. Her breath caught in her throat and she was sure if he were to push her away right now, she might wither and die.

“Tell me what it is you want,” he said. He nipped along her skin, pressed her to him, fixing it so she was braced against him.

“I don’t have ...”

“Everyone does.”

She moved against him, her mouth against his. “Seth …” She went to say more, but her head was away with it. “You are … you’re the first person I’ve ever been with willingly.”

That made him stop, made him pull back.

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