"You’re close to them?" Her eyes brighten with interest.
"Close enough," I mutter. "It was a relief, in a way, when my father moved back to Lille. Not that I didn’t enjoy having him in London, but it put too much pressure on me to stay in touch, visit him. This way, I have my space, and whenever I need to see him or my grandmother, I just hop across the pond."
"You’re lucky to have them so close." She drops into the chair, then crosses her legs. The slim line of her thigh beckons. My fingers tingle. Only when my thigh grazes the chair, do I realize that I’ve followed her.
I bend down, tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
Her breath catches. She parts her lips.
Something electric springs between us and the hair on the nape of my neck rises. Bloody hell. This chemistry between us has been there from day one, when she’d spilled her chai tea latte all over my slacks. One side of my lips kicks up and she frowns.
"What’s so funny?"
"Just thinking about how we met."
"You were an obnoxious, self-obsessed businessman, intent on having his own way."
I smirk.
"And only you’d take that as a compliment." She sighs.
"Only you’d go toe-to-toe with me, from the moment we set eyes on each other.
"Doesn’t happen often, huh?"
"Never," I confess.
"I’m glad I didn’t make it easy for you." Her lips curve.
"Oh, but by the time I’m done, you’ll be on your back, on your front, on your hands and knees, upside down with your mouth open," I lower my face to hers, until her scent sinks into my blood, "ready and willing and waiting to service me. Asking me to tie you up and take you any way, every way I want, begging for the orgasm that I, and only I, can grant you, you feel me?"
Her breath hitches, her pupils dilate until there’s only a circle of color around the outside, then she slaps me.
13
Karina
His head snaps back with the impact. His gaze narrows, his nostrils flare, his hand swoops out, and I squeak when he wraps his fingers around my neck. "You know what attracted me the first time I saw you?"
"Wh…what?"
"Your fire. Your attitude that you didn’t give a toss about anything, that you could take on the strongest challenge and overcome it."
"And…now?" I swallow.
"Now, I think it’s that very outlook that’s going to get you into so much trouble."
I flick out my tongue to lick my lips and his gaze drops to my mouth.
"Do that again and all bets are off." He releases me so suddenly that I crash into the back of the chair.
"I won’t forget this, Sparks," he adds. "I am going to repay it with interest. That, I promise you."
The ding of the toaster interrupts the silence. I jump and his lips curl. He straightens, then walks over to rescue the toast. He slides them onto the plate with the omelet, then walks over to place it on the table in front of me.
He jerks his chin and I frown. He tilts his head and I rise to my feet. He sinks down, then pulls me onto his lap.
"What the hell?" I protest. "What are you doing?"