Page 6 of Raphael
I’m no stranger to beauty, having consorted with the divine for eons. Even so, the sight of her steals my breath away.
Collecting myself, I offer her a devilish grin. “Well hello there, gorgeous,” I purr, stern and determined to have my way. “Seems you’ve caught me sneaking in. What do you propose we do about it?”
I await her reaction, utterly transfixed. All thoughts of locating the club’s secret entrance, banished. The possibilities are far more intriguing down here in the dark.
CHAPTER4
Helena
A sliverof light from somewhere above catches the man’s face as he draws near, and despite myself, I’m momentarily enraptured by his roguish good looks. Sharp jawline, twinkling dark eyes brimming with mischief, a cocksure grin... he exudes an effortless sensuality that makes my traitorous heart flutter.
I force myself to focus, ignoring my body’s unwanted reaction. Finding a way out of this wretched cellar should be my sole priority now. And yet…
“You broke in through the back entrance, I presume?” I ask crisply, all business. “Show me at once, so I may escape this wretched darkness.”
He gives a slight bow. “As the lady commands,” he says in a low, sensual voice that sends shivers down my spine. I struggle to keep my knees from quivering as he stands near me.
He turns on his heel and I stare after his retreating figure, struck by his masculine grace and the tantalizing scent trailing in his wake. Notes of cedar and bergamot mingle with a mysterious spice that goes straight to my head, leaving me pleasantly intoxicated.
Shaking off the momentary daze, I follow his vague form through the maze of shelves and stacked crates. My nerves sing with the awareness of his commanding presence just inches away, that addictive aroma wreathing us both now in the confined space. I barely restrain myself from moving closer and breathing him in properly, common decency warring with dangerous fascination.
At a rusty metal door, he pauses expectantly. But as he tugs the handle, an audible groan echoes from the other side, followed by a resounding thud.
My breath catches in dismay. Sure enough, when he shoves his shoulder against it, the door refuses to budge. We’re well and truly sealed in.
“Looks like we’re stuck, gorgeous,” he says with a rueful chuckle. “The wind must have caught it just right to wedge it closed.”
I purse my lips, tamping down my frantic panic. Being so near him in confined quarters already has my pulse racing wildly. His rich cologne teases my senses with every breath, the masculine scent flooding my body with inappropriate heat.
And his voice... that low husky tone seems to stroke me intimately inside, shooting shivers of delight through my core. I swallow hard, struggling to resist my body’s traitorous desires awakened by this stranger’s raw masculinity.
As we comb the cellar again, I somehow manage to explain our imprisonment, voice emerging breathier than intended. He listens intently, eyes boring into mine until I’m soaked with wanton need.
What is wrong with me? I shouldn’t feel this overpowering craving for an absolute stranger. Yet here I am, drowning in the intensity of my desire.
I take an instinctive step back from the temptation of his nearness, only to bump unexpectedly against the concrete wall behind me. Trapped now between unyielding stone and his overwhelming presence, maddening scent surrounding me, my restraint hangs by the barest thread.
“What an adventure we’ve found ourselves in, eh?” he murmurs with a roguish sideway smile.
A foreign ache blooms inside me at his words. Perhaps one night of wickedness wouldn’t be so bad. After all, what happens underground stays underground...
“Might as well enjoy it.” His voice drops to a low purr that jolts my heart into a gallop.
My lips part as he draws near, and before I’m able to utter a sound, his firm hand cups my cheek and he presses his lips to mine in a dizzying kiss. I freeze in shock, every nerve alight. But as his mouth moves over me, gentle yet insistent, resistance proves impossible.
His kiss scorches me with passionate hunger and the coziness of home, entwined in a fiery blaze. I marvel at how swiftly my body melts into fathomless desire. Even in the midnight darkness, his hands and lips prove skillful at eliciting intense pleasure. And I find myself helpless to do anything but reciprocate his fervent passion.
“Oh… fuck…” I gasp, my voice low and throaty as he pushes me against the wall, his searing lips tracing a dangerous road down the slope of my neck.
I feel his grin, his stubble grazing as his tongue ventures lower, his fingers teasing at my cleavage. “Yeah… We’ll get to that,” he replies in a husky purr, vibrating through my entire being.
As the kiss lingers, his hands slide down my arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. I can feel the heat of his body mere inches from mine, and the ache between my legs grows with each passing moment.
I break away from him, gasping for air, a surge of guilt and desire battling inside me. “We should… focus on getting out of here,” I breathe, immediately regretting every word.Damn it, I want him. To hell with everything else.
“And we will.” He grins, a glint of mischief in his voice. “Who said we can’t make our escape a little more pleasurable?”
Before I can answer, he lifts me onto a nearby table, clearing away the mess to make room for us. And then he’s kissing me again, his mouth hot and demanding as his hands explore every inch of me.
