Page 21 of The Wickedness of Man

I peered down at his shirt, which had been left open at the top two buttons and currently revealed well-toned pectorals. Beneath the rolled-up shirt sleeves, his muscular arms were oddlyinviting. I sniffed the air again as I got closer to him. The scent coming from him smelled wonderful, even with the scent of another woman lingering in that haze around his head.

My mouth went dry. I wanted him so badly that for a moment, I considered just unzipping his pants and straddling him until I could quench the desire burning between my legs. It didn’t help that he had to be one of the sexiest men I had ever seen, and even just breathing in the soft, masculine scent of him was making me even more wet. He shifted in his chair, linking his arms over his chest, and unbidden, the image of those hands wrapped around my hips while he drove into me from behind went galloping through my mind.

I let out a half shout, collapsing to the floor, my knees giving out from beneath me as what I realized must be the first orgasm I’deverexperienced rippled through my body. It crested over me like a wave, and though I tried to cover my mouth with my hand, it was too late. A deep moan tore out of my throat, leaving me shaking. The stranger woke with a start and dropped to his knees beside me, brow furrowed in concern.

“Magda! Are you okay?” he asked, blinking sleep from his eyes, hands hovering near me, as though he wanted to touch me but was afraid to.

This near to him, the scent of him… I wanted to rub my face on his chest and drink him in like a fine wine—to learn his particular bouquet as I consumed him.

You smell so good it’s driving me insane,I tried to say, but I could scarcely breathe, let alone speak. All that came out instead was a series of hums and garbled, unintelligible sounds.

“Are you hurt? Shit, did she hurt you?” He cursed, then carefully put his hands on either side of my face to lift my head, but my eyes slid closed at his touch. “You okay? Can you look at me?”

A surge of that strange, electrical sensation I’d felt in the doctor’s office jolted between us like a flash of lightning. I whimpered as my whole body thrummed like struck chord, then placed my hands over his. I opened my eyes and met his gaze, and then… I fell into it.

I could feel the moment his pulse sped up; heard the hitch of his breath. Felt the arousal building within him. His eyes were a blue so bright they practically sparkled like crystal. His pupils expanded, contracted. He wet his lips with his tongue, his thumb errantly stroking the side of my neck. Each tiny motion sent a thrill of shivers down my spine.

“Are you all right, Magda?” he asked, voice husky.

His touch… his smell… his voice. I felt heat spreading through me… delicious, wonderful, warmth. My head lolled backward, and I was so taken aback by the sensations that I couldn’t even bring myself to care in that moment who he was or what he wanted. I wanted to devour him. Ineededto devour him.

I forced air back into my lungs—tried to get myself under control. I needed to think, and if he kept touching me, I would never be able to.

“I’m… I’m okay,” I said, taking in a shaky breath, hoping to get him to put some distance between our bodies. “Where am I…?”

He sighed relief and sat back onto the floor in front of me, after making sure I could sit upright on my own, but his hand, whether intentional or not, was still resting on my calf as though he couldn’t bear to stop touching me altogether. I pulled hard on my willpower, practically wrestling my higher-functioning selfback into the pilot seat. I fought to regain my composure, and then nearly choked at the shame burning within me. I’d justorgasmedfrom imagining him?—

“Oh god,” I whispered, covering my face both hands. “Wait a minute, just… who the hell are you and what’s going on?”

“It’s uh, a long story, but you’re safe. I’m Caleb. I was… there with Dr. Lowe. You passed out?—”

He swallowed hard, casting his gaze away momentarily, his eyes flickering toward my breasts, then away again. The deep aroma that came pouring off him was like a smoky cologne; I leaned forward, breathing in the smell of his skin. If I had to guess, I’d think he was fighting as hard to keep the leviathan of lust from waking within him as I was. What I didn’t understand waswhy—or what had changed after I’d gone into that building and woken up… here.

“I know you’re probably confused, but I was hoping you could answer some… ah, questions about your appointment with Dr. Lowe.” He looked back to me, bowing his head as if in apology. “Chiefly, if the meeting had been… mutually agreed upon?”

“Dr. Lowe…” I stared at the floor, just to keep myself from ogling him. “Yes, I was there to meet her, but…”

I tried to ignore the predicament I was currently in—sitting on the floor of some strange apartment with a man I didn’t know—who had a gun—while my legs had turned into useless jelly because I’d just orgasmed so hard fromimagininghim fucking me that I couldn’t walk. The situation with the doctor came back to me in bits and pieces. The elevator ride, her appearance at my side, a darkened room—so much heat.

The visual memories were hazy, but the intensity and want came through loud and clear, stirring that desire within my belly like a devilish itch I couldn’t quite scratch.

“Is this part of her therapy or something?” I demanded, trying to stand and failing, slapping Caleb’s hand away when he reached for me, then immediately regretting it when he was no longer touching me. “I don’t even know you—get away from me!” I screamed the last bit, as I clawed my way backward. “Did you kidnap me? Have I been drugged?”

Caleb staggered away from me like I’d slapped him, then stood and raised his hands, palms forward, as if pacifying a wild creature.

“No, nothing like that! I would never hurt you, I swear. Look,” he said firmly as he sat back into his chair with deliberate slowness, trying not to startle me. He reached carefully for his gun, lifted it with one finger, and placed it on the ground before kicking it toward me. “If it would make you feel better, pick that up and point it at me. The safety’s on the left side; you’ll want to switch it off. Please don’t touch the trigger unless you actuallywantto use it on me, though.” He grinned and a dark chuckle rumbled from his throat; his eyes sparkled with mischievousness. “You’re free to go whenever you’d like—and if you ask me to leave first, I will. I just wanted to make sure you’re all right, so give the word, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

Terror spilled through me, but not at the possibility of him hurting me, despite the bizarre nature of our meeting. The thought of him leaving was unbearable.

I’ll do whatever you want.Those words burned inside of me. I was almost certainly doomed.

“No,” I said quickly, sitting upright. He looked like he was waiting for me to grab the gun, but I shoved it aside. “No… I don’t…”

“You don’t what? Feel well?” said Caleb, leaning forward in his seat, concern flashing across his face. Despite looking like he wanted to run across the room to me, he restrained himself.

“No, I don’t…” I shook my head. “I can’t—dammit!”

I needed answers, and this man might be the only one who could give them to me. He didn’t seem to mean me any harm, so maybe I just needed to try and calm myself down and think rationally about this. I closed my eyes, recalled how I’d woken up here. He’d been asleep by the window, like he’d been on… guard duty. I stared down at the weapon on the floor. Maybe that was why the gun? Was he security? Had he maybe… saved me?

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