Page 5 of His to Teach
She spins to face me, her hand moving from that delicate collarbone up to her mouth. Christ, I want to follow its path with my lips. Her eyes widen as she takes me in, recognition in her expression. “I…what?” She’s stammering, off-balanced, and fuck if that doesn’t turn me on even more.
Something claws in my chest, equal parts protective and predatory. I want to wrap a chivalrous arm around her, to be the one to guide her into this dark and dangerous world. I want her to lean on me, trust me.
And then I want to defile her.
Jesus. I’ve only been in this woman’s presence for a handful of minutes and I’m already going full on alpha dom. I clear my throat, determined to get control. “Outside,” I clarify, leaning a fraction of an inch closer. She blinks several times, dark lashes stark against creamy skin. “I warned you about the danger. Advised you to take care. Yet here you are.”
She swallows once, and then again. Her eyes are wide now, her gaze fixed on my face. It couldn’t be more obvious that the girl is unsettled. Whether by me or the scene in general, I don’t know. One thing is clear—she’s completely out of her league.
“What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” I ask, leaning closer. Her breathing immediately picks up, chest rising and falling quickly. I let my eyes scan lower, down along hercollarbone. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such perfect skin, creamy smooth and pale in the dim light of the club. What I wouldn’t do to watch that skin turn pink under my hand…
She clears her throat and I tear my eyes away from her chest to meet her gaze again, dark and liquid. There’s a new resolve there, as if she’s made up her mind to take some control of the situation. “I was meant to come with a friend,” she says, her voice only shaking a little.
I smile at that, liking the tremble I hear there. There’s something delicious about it, the way she appears to be forcing herself to stay standing at my side. I like that it’s a struggle for her. Like the idea that I might be affecting her.
“The friend you were on the phone with?”
She nods. “Emma. She just got hired part time at a pretty big party planning firm. Apparently, her new boss has tons of connections. She’s the one who got us passes.”
I nod, that part of the mystery solved. I’d been wondering how a girl like her might have finagled a pass.
“And where is this Emma now?”
The woman swallows and I again find my eyes drawn to that delicate collarbone, wishing I could run my fingers across the soft skin there.
“She’s ill. She couldn’t come.”
The words I overheard her say on the phone before our collision rush through my mind.Keep your fingers crossed that I don’t pass out in fear.I grin. She’s braver than I originally gave her credit for, walking into this place on her own.
“So you agreed to come to keep your friend company,” I say. “What makes me curious is why you decided to go through with it once she backed out on you.”
Her cheeks redden and the instantaneous affect has me swallowing, hard. God, she’s responsive.
“Actually,” she says, not meeting my eyes, voice barely above a whisper, “She agreed to come with me.”
I take a minute step backwards, my eyes searching her pink face.Well, well,I think, not bothering to hide the wolfish grin I feel spreading across my cheeks. Perhaps there’s more to this little one than meets the eye.
“What’s your name?”
Her eyes dart from the floor to my face. “Harper,” she murmurs, breathless.
I hold out a hand, pleased when she automatically raises hers to meet mine. I envelop her small palm in mine, the evidence of the difference in our sizes sending a rush of pleasure through me. “I’m Nate.”
She doesn’t seem to be breathing at all as she shakes my hand, her wide eyes locked on mine. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Nice is not the word you would be using if you could read my thoughts, Harper.
“Tell me.” I don’t release her hand as I continue to look down at her. “What is it about this club that appeals to you?”
She swallows again. When she moves to release my hand, I grip hers tighter. “I…Well…”
“You can tell me.” I run my thumb across the back of her hand, wanting to comfort her. Wanting her to trust me. Jesus, whatisit about this woman? “After all,” I continue. “I’m here too. I’m hardly going to judge you.”
She smiles a little at that, the sight so beautiful it causes something to clench in my chest. Harper doesn’t just smile with her mouth—her entire face gets in on the action, a brightness sweeping over her, eyes alight as she looks up at me. It’s transformative, the way she smiles. She no longer looks so nervous, so unsure.
She’s fucking gorgeous.
Harper again pulls her hand back and this time I let it go, not wanting to overwhelm her. Not wanting to do anything that might cause her to stop smiling at me like that.
