Page 7 of Gentleman's Anger
“Would you like to dance?” I ask.
“Yes. I would.” Since I still have her hand in mine, I lead her onto the dance floor. We dance like we’ve been doing it every day since the beginning of time. Just before the song ends, I stop and pull her as close to me as she can get. She licks her lips in what I hope is anticipation.
Oh, come on now. She’s fucking mine.
four
PATIENCE
Oh. My. God. I was just dancing with Logan Reynolds.TheLogan Reynolds. The rugby god himself. I know perfectly well that I own a stake in the team he plays for, but I can’t bring myself to care that this might be ethically wrong or something like that. The lovely string quartet moves effortlessly into another song,Faithfully, by Journey and then his lips are on mine. The rest of the room blurs around us. It’s just him and I. My knees go weak and as if he knows it, he grips me harder to him. There are too many layers between us to, so I can’t feel him, but God, how I want to. For the first time, I want to.
What can I feel are his lips pressed to mine. Our breaths mingling. He tastes like whiskey and fire. Then his tongue sweeps into my mouth and I let him devour. I devour him in return. Vaguely, I can hearFireworkby Katy Perry and I fleetingly think that it’s appropriate but then he switches up the kiss. Deeper, harder, and infinitely just more. That’s all I’ve got. Somehow, my back is now pressed up against a wall. When did we move? I don’t know because my eyes are closed. My hands roam his back as I get lost in him.
In this.
In us.
I don’t know how long we kiss for. I lose track of everything. Eventually he pulls away from me and my eyes pop open. I’m dizzy.
“Why did you stop?” I ask, so breathless. It’s like I’ve run a marathon.
“I am about two fucking seconds from taking you against this wall, Patience. I… I don’t know what’s come over me.”
My hand moves from his back, and I place it on his cheek. I smile up at him, because did I fail to mention that this man is a giant god. I know for a fact, he’s 6’4 and weighs at least sixteen stone. He’s a big boy and I like that. A lot.
“You are going to be trouble, Reynolds. I can already tell.” Then he grins. Fuckity fuck, he’s hot as hell.
“So are you,milady.” Shite. Why did he say it like that? Like it was a caress. I hear a tiny moan escape from my lips as my core clenches and I feel a rush of liquid heat slide down my thigh. Can you come just from words without even being touched? I take an assessment of myself. My nipples are hard and rubbing against my corset. How did ladies get anything done back in the day? Crotchless knickers and overworked nipples? I wouldn’t get a damn thing done.
“What just happened, duchess?” he asks, his voice harsh and gravelly.
“N… Nothing,” I lie.
“What a pretty liar you are, Patience.”
“I’m not a liar,” I lie again. His index finger trails my cheek, then he traces over my lips and down my chest rubbing the tops of my tits, back and forth, he rubs me.
“Tell me, did you come?” he asks, his lips against my ear. His devilish tongue hits the shell of my ear. I shiver. Full on shiver.
“No. Of course not. Who comes in the middle of a crowded room?”
“Plenty of people, I’m sure. But there’s no one in this little alcove but us.”
“There isn’t?” I ask, peeking around his broad shoulders. I see that he is indeed correct. We are all alone. “Kiss me again,” I demand.
“Answer my question, duchess.”
“Yes,” I hiss when his lips dip to my neck. The quartet slides intoChainsby Nick Jonas and I can’t help but feel that this whole night has been catered to me.
“Good girl,” he murmurs against my lips before kissing me again. I don’t know how long we’ve been kissing. Then I hear a throat clear, delicately. Logan stops kissing me and we both look at the… intruder. Holly and either James or Robert.
“Holly, Jimmy,” Logan says. So, James. “How can I help you?”
“Perhaps you’d like entry into a private salon? We were just on our way to one when we came across you.”
“Private salon?” I ask, after swallowing thickly.
“Do you realize your corset has been loosened?” Holly asks, making me look down at my chest at the same time Logan steps back in front of me, shielding me from view. No nip slip, but you can see them, nonetheless.
