Bittersweet Magic (The Order #2)

He knew he sounded surly, and a frown flickered across her face.

“What’s the matter with you?” she asked.

He should have known she’d take the direct approach. “Nothing.” Definitely surly.

She bit her lip and crossed the room to stand in front of him, holding out her hand. “Drink?” she said when he remained motionless.

He handed her the glass and watched as she lifted it to her mouth, swallowed in one gulp, then held out the glass for more. She licked her lips, and his groin tightened almost painfully. “Can I have some more?” Her voice was a low, husky drawl. “Please.”

He reached behind him for the bottle and poured her another.

As she sipped it, she watched him over the rim of the glass. She should have looked a mess—her lip was swollen and a bruise was forming on her cheek—but she didn’t. She looked totally desirable and that just pissed him off more. What the hell was wrong with him?

“What happened tonight?” he asked.

This time the frown stayed. “Nothing that need interest you.”

“Oh, but I am interested.”

“Well, it’s really none of your goddamn business.” The words were sweetly spoken but had a certain finality to them.

Turning away, she tucked the ends of the towel in more firmly before heading for the sofa. She reclined in the corner, curling her legs beneath her and gazing at him from beneath her thick lashes. She even fluttered them a couple of times.

Beneath that towel, she was naked. He knew it. The thought was driving him wild.

“Why don’t you come and sit down?” She patted the cream leather beside her.

Why didn’t he?

When he didn’t move, she shook her head. “Why are you being so difficult?”

“Why are you coming on so strong?”

“What? You don’t like a woman to take control?”

“I do.”

“Just not me?”

“I want to understand why the change. Yesterday, you told me to piss off. And now, tonight, for some reason, you want to use me.”

“Use you?” Her tone was incredulous. And really, he couldn’t blame her. Was he crazy? Why didn’t he just take what was offered and enjoy?

Because he wanted more than what she was offering. Maybe even more than friends.

He was being an idiot. He forced the idea from his mind. After all, what else was there? He’d never aspired to anything else. He took the three steps to the couch and sat down next to her, but he couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something wasn’t right. He sat staring straight ahead and heard her sigh beside him.

“You know, I somehow assumed this was going to be easier,” she muttered.

He knew it. She’d intended to seduce him all along. This wasn’t some spontaneous gesture when she’d suddenly realized that she couldn’t resist him. She’d planned it from when he had picked her up. Hell, probably before that, when she’d phoned him. He was probably just a convenient male body she could let off some steam with. Like a toy. Like her vibrator. It didn’t matter who he was.

A movement beside him cut off the thought. She’d put down her drink and now she turned quickly on the seat, throwing one leg over his knee so she faced him, straddling his thighs.

She sank down so she rested on his throbbing shaft, and he had to bite back a groan. Reaching between them, she loosened the knot on the towel and parted the material, baring the length of her body. Then she leaned in close and kissed the corner of his mouth.

He couldn’t resist, and he didn’t move as she shifted even closer and slanted her mouth over his. For long minutes, he drowned in the kiss, trying to close off the questions that kept buzzing at his brain. Her tongue pushed inside his mouth as she deepened the kiss. He could feel the softness of her breasts against his chest, her nipples hard little points pressing insistently against him.

She rocked her hips, rubbing against his cock, and it felt indescribably good. But not good enough.

He glanced up and caught sight of the triumph on her face.

“Why?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Why what?”

“Why me? Why now?”

“But Piers, you told me if I required relief I had to come to you.”

And at the time, she’d told him to piss off. What had changed? Why couldn’t he leave it alone, just take what she was offering? Instead, he put his hands to her hips and lifted her off him, placing her gently on the sofa before passing her the towel, which had completely fallen off.

She clutched it in her lap, not bothering to try and cover herself. Her eyes were almost black, and she glared up at him. “So you don’t want me?”

“No.” God, that was about the biggest lie he’d ever told, but he realized while he desired her, he wanted to know what was going on more than he wanted a quick shag...Which was a first.

“Really? I somehow find that hard to believe, considering the bulge I can see in your pants.”