Page 21 of The Tycoon's Affair: Tempted By Desire
Eventually she settled on a point to start and positioned herself, drawing back the cue. She was on the opposite side of the room to Alexio and he sat with his hip was hitched against a stool, his legs long, thighs powerful underneath the denim. Distracting her already.
‘Take as long as you like,’ he said, in a patronising tone which enflamed Sidonie enough for her to scatter the balls masterfully, potting her first one.
She stood up and smiled. ‘You were saying...?’
Alexio scowled. ‘Beginner’s luck.’
Sidonie walked around the table again, aware of the tension in the small room thickening. As she took her next shot she realised too late that her palms were sweaty and the cue slipped slightly, throwing her off and making her lose her aim. She missed.
Alexio tsked and stood up. Sidonie’s heart thumped hard.For every shot lost, we also lose a piece of clothing.Alexio smiled and it was the smile of the devil.
‘I don’t mind what goes, but I’d suggest your T-shirt or your trousers.’
Now Sidonie scowled. She’d thought she’d have a little more time. She’d also thought she’d have him almost naked before her, giving her time to get used to it. Then she thought of something and smiled sweetly, executing a nimble move so that she undid her bra, pulled its strap down one arm and then pulled it out neatly from the armhole of her T-shirt. An old boarding school trick.
Alexio’s face darkened ominously. ‘That’s cheating.’
Sidonie grinned. ‘Not at all. I took your suggestion on board and ignored it.’
She tossed her bright pink bra onto the seat beside her and saw Alexio’s eyes follow the movement and then come back to linger on her braless chest. Her breasts felt tight and heavy, their tips pushing against the cotton of her top. Alexio’s cheeks flushed and it had a direct effect on the pulse in her groin.
Slowly he put down his drink and stood up. Sidonie crossed her arms and then quickly thought better of it when Alexio’s eyes widened and she realised she was only making things worse.
He took his eyes off her with visible effort. Despite all their play, Sidonie’s blood was infused with a heady feminine energy at having this man look at her with such naked desire. But she got distracted when he came close and bent over the pool table right in front of her, and her eye was drawn helplessly to his taut, muscular buttocks.
She couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but he’d hit the ball and nothing was pocketed.
He turned around and said, ‘Whoops...’ and started undoing his shirt.
Sidonie’s mouth went dry at seeing his torso revealed bit by bit. And when he shrugged the shirt off completely she went weak at the knees.
He was stunning. Beautifully muscled. Not an ounce of fat. Broad and powerful. Very masculine whorls of hair dusted his chest, leading down to that tantalising line which disappeared into his jeans. They clung precariously to his hips and Sidonie had to clench her hands to fists to stop herself reaching out to undo that top button. She gulped when she saw the bulge pushing insistently against the denim.
His rough voice cut through the heat in her brain. ‘Your turn, I think.’
He turned to walk away and Sidonie felt as if someone had just hit her. His back was as beautiful as his front. Wide and smooth. He turned around at the bar and leant on it nonchalantly, arched a brow.
Sidonie forced herself to move and looked at the table. She couldn’t seem to compute what to do any more. She hadn’t been boasting—she knew she could play and quite possibly beat Alexio on a good day. But right now...she was useless. Eventually she saw the shot she needed to take. But she couldn’t get that torso out of her mind, those muscles rippling under silken flesh.Hard.
Predictably, Sidonie missed the shot—because just as she moved so did Alexio. She stood up and glared across at him, feeling hot. ‘Now,that’scheating.’
He arched a brow, all innocence wrapped up in the devil—again. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about...’
And then his look changed to one so carnal her toes curled.
‘Shirt or trousers, Sidonie—unless you’ve got some very cute way to take off your panties from under your jeans without removing them.’
Of course she didn’t. Sidonie huffed. She only had one choice, really. She wasn’t about to bare herself completely to the sexiest man she’d ever met. So off came the jeans. She wriggled out of them, deliberately avoiding his gaze, self-conscious in her very plain white panties decorated with flowers.
Alexio watched with a heavy-lidded gaze as Sidonie carefully folded her jeans and put them to the side, near the bright pink splash of her bra. The same pink bra that had been tantalising him all day. The way she folded her jeans made him feel weak inside. There was something curiously vulnerable about it.
Now she looked at him, and her chin was up.Brave. She wasn’t half as confident as she was letting on. Alexio hid the way that made him feel by focusing on her gently swaying breasts beneath her T-shirt. They were beautifully rounded and pert. Their tips hard. His mouth watered. His erection got harder. He had to shift on the stool.
Her hips were slim, but womanly. Her panties looked positively virginal with their cute flowers. Yet the way she was looking at him now as he caught her gaze again was anything but virginal.Good. Because when they came together Alexio knew he wouldn’t have the patience to go slowly.
Aware that he couldn’t actually stand up without revealing how turned on he was, Alexio said, ‘I’m feeling generous. You can have another shot.’
Sidonie looked determined this time. ‘That’s the last piece of clothing I’ll be removing.’
