Page 77 of Storm of Desire
He refused to step back, every muscle in his body locking tight as she stopped in front of him, those catlike eyes tilting as she glanced up at him from beneath her wretchedly longlashes.
Árdís placed both hands on his chest, flexing her palms against him. Her fingers curled in the open collar of his shirt, as if threatening to tear itopen.
He wanted herto.
His cock flexed. Damn his flagging self-control. His sense of preservation was shaky, but he knew if he gave in—just once—then he'd never be able to get her out of hismind.
Are you ever going to be able to get her out of your mindanyway?
"Do it," she dared him. "Kiss me. You know you want to. You know that's what's truly gotten your backup."
Of all the damned ways she could torturehim....
"It won't change a thing," hewarned.
Her fingers flexed on the heavy muscle of his chest. "No. It won't. But it will make both of us feel better. This doesn't have to becomplicated."
"When the bloody hell is itnotcomplicated?"
He breathed heavily through his nostrils, and glanceddown.
Amistake.
Her breasts heaved with the force of her breath, smooth globes that thrust forth from her bodice. The neckline was modest, but at this great height, he could see straight down it. And wet wool clung to her figure, making his fingersitch.
Her voice softened. "Punish me, Haakon. You know you wantto."
Jesus. He met hereyes.
"No," he said, and enjoyed thesensation.
Shock flared there, as if she simply couldn't believe he was denying his baseself.
One thumb caressed her waist. He couldn't help himself. Acting on instinct, his hand slid over the curve of her hip, calluses snagging in the wetwool.
"Your mouth is saying no," she said, "but everything else is saying yes. Make up yourmind."
"I'm not going to punish you," he saidsoftly.
It was never aboutpunishment.
But perhaps a little sweettorture....
It all came together in his mind. Why the hell was hearguing?
He began to strip his coat off. Árdís pushed away from him, a scalded sound in herthroat.
"Well, I cannot continue like this!" she hissed at him, her eyes turning molten as the pupils shifted, becoming cat-slits as herdrekiroused beneath her skin. "With you looking at me with eyes that want to eat me alive. Or your arms wrapped around me last night, driving me insane with want, before you simply walk away. I know you want me. I can feel it every time you look at me. And I wantyou. Just one lasttime."
One last time. Haakon tossed his coataside.
She'd thought his "no" was adenial.
He began to roll up his sleeves. Just a change of plans. There was one way he could take what they both wanted, and emergeunscathed.
"Strip," he said, the word loaded withheat.
The word fell into the quiet of theroom.
