He shook his head. “Of course I don’t hate you. I only hate that I can’t stop thinking about you. That I can’t stop wanting you.”
My mouth hung open.
He stroked my cheek gently. “So, about that kiss…”
“Well, if you insist…”
I meant to press slowly into another kiss, but it got away from me, and soon, we were panting…touching…needing…
We were playing with fire, and I knew it. But that was the thing about fire. Once you got a blaze going, it took on a life of its own.
When Marius slid a hand down my leg, I raised it eagerly. When I slid my hands down his ass, he surged forward. I started calculating the distance to my bedroom.
But the bell rang again, more insistently this time.
“Dammit…” Marius growled.
I forced my foot back to the floor and caressed his cheek.
“We should go,” I said, though I didn’t budge.
He arched an eyebrow. “In a rush?”
“No, but the longer I stand here, the more I want to kiss you.”
He snorted. “The longer I stand here, I more Ineedto kiss you.”
A chorus of angels hit high notes in my soul. The big, bad dragon shifter needed me. Me!
Somehow, I kept myself together and played coy. “Would that be so bad?”
He shook his head. “It would be too good.”
And damn the man for saying all the right things. I half hoped he would be too rough, too demanding, or plagued by bad breath. Then I could stop lusting after him all day and get on with my life.
The bell rang again, and I cursed. Then I sucked in a deep breath, patted his chest — a big, broad chest, like a platter, if platters came in solid steel — and eased up one step.
Marius closed his eyes. His nostrils flared, savoring my scent. Then he loosened his grip, slowly pulling his hands away from my waist.
I missed his warmth immediately, but my senses were gradually emerging from their fog, and I knew we’d gone too far.
Not far enough,my libido grumbled.
I ran my hands over my hair, then my rumpled clothes.
“You need to…um…” I motioned to his shirt.
He arched an eyebrow. “Hide the evidence?”
I gave him a look, then straightened his shirt myself, sneaking in a few last touches.
“So…um…” I started, then stopped. “Maybe we shouldn’t read too much into this.”
A lie, because my heart was already racing away with deep analyses and plans.
His lips curled in a cocky grin. “You mean, you pawing me?”
I rolled my eyes. “I did notpawyou.”