“Yes,” he replied, starting up the stairs.
I grabbed the stair railing to hold myself up. Never meet Wald? That drove in like a nail. I raced up the stairs after him. If I was going to have to forget him, I was damn well going to make sure there was something to forget.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Icaught up to him as he opened the door to his room, pushing past him breathlessly, then reclining on the bed. “Come here.” I beckoned with a finger.
Wald leaned against the door, with an amused smile. “Damn you, you are a temptress, but I think we should at least get to Aunt Agatha’s before we ravish each other. To let you know, I have no intention of sleeping with you—to get it over with.”
That left me breathless and wordless. Fucker was still reading my mind. I’d considered that if we screwed, then it would notch down the raging out-of-control hormones. I crossed my arms. “Fine, if there’s not going to be more kissing, then tell me about the curse—and explain without all the cryptic ‘I don’t need to know’ parts.”
He studied me as if deciding what to say, then approached the bed. My blood thrummed as he settled on the mattress close enough to touch. “Part of the curse that doesn’t allow the illusion to change my eyes also affects my interaction with others. Physical contact with people lessensmy strength. The more contact, the more it weakens me.” He took off the sunglasses.
I swallowed as his golden eyes crinkled at the edges. “So that’s what the gloves are for?”
“Yes.” He took a glove off and examined his fingers.
I placed mine over his. Softer than cake flour and almost as white. “And that’s why kissing me is bad?” It came out as a whisper.
He slid his hand under my hair and cupped my head sending tingles down my spine. “Kissing you is everything but bad, Tails.”
My insides melted as his lips devoured mine. His tongue trailed down my chest, and then he was nipping, and oh my God, the sensation of fine sandpaper on velvet turned me boneless.
He pulled back. “And we should pack now before this becomes—more.”
I grabbed him, tugging his head back down. “How about we do themorepart first?”
He studied my face, like he was seeing it with the filtered glow of flickering candles. “So beautiful.” He brushed a kiss on my forehead, whispering, “While ‘more’ is exactly what I want, I suggest for the best chance we have to get the ring fixed and you out of danger that we somehow manage to control ourselves. Although you aren’t making that easy, Tails.”
The moment arced between us. “Yeah, same here,” I replied, but the words rose barely about my breath.
He licked up the side of my cheek, and I caught his lips. The kiss answering my overflowing passion.
But the moment I had my hands on his belt, he pulled back again and got up.
I huffed, annoyed he was calling the shots, even if heprobably was right. What made sense to my brain was the diametrical opposite of what my body was screaming for.
Stripping off his suit jacket, Wald walked over to the armoire. I appreciated the effortless way he hauled out a suitcase. Black, of course. He threw it on the end of the bed, then moved fluidly from dresser to bed, packing black clothing in it. At least he didn’t have to worry about underwear. I puddled, thinking about the ridge of his pants. Yeah, I needed to control myself. “Speaking of clothing…”
“I wasn’t speaking actually.”
“I can’t wear this dress all the way to Vegas. I need clothes,” I said as he zipped up the case.
“Really?” He turned and took a determined stride toward me, backing me up to the bed. He fingered the pink bra strap, looking down at me with his stunning gold eyes. The way he delicately trailed the back of his hand down my neck and across my chest arched my back. My breath hitched and his elongated pupils dilated.
“I thought we weren’t doing this now?” I batted his hand away playfully, and he stepped around me and walked into the bathroom.
God, he was an excellent tease.
I followed him. “Really, I need clothes. Do I have time to take a shower?” I asked as he pulled out a black toiletry case.
“I like the way you smell,” he said matter-of-factly, sniffing the air as he walked past me to go back into the bedroom.
That was it. I was showering. I closed the door and locked it, double-checking the integrity of the lock. It was solid. I sat down on the cold tile and pulled off my boots, my exhale releasing a little of the tension. The weight of the absolute shit show that had landed me here dropped on me. Tears burst out of nowhere, and I leaned my forehead on my knees.I hardly ever cried. The best thing about all this was Wald, and although the sexual attraction was clear, what did I really even know about him?
Fuck this. I had worked hard to be in control of my life, and now I was everything but in control. That had to change. We’d go to Vegas and get this ring fixed, but it would be on my terms.
Standing up, I tugged off the feather-light sundress and dropped it to the floor, then stomped on it with a bare foot, disappointed it didn’t make me feel better. The shower’s knobs and spray heads addled my brain. I twisted things until I got water, spraying myself with jets of ice before I managed to get the main ceiling one working. The water poured out from it like intense rain, but it was colder than I liked.