I was lying.
"Tempest Wilde, I'm being polite as hell right now," he said. "I'm asking, like a gentleman and everything, would you come up to my place? What I should be doing is picking you up, putting you over my shoulder, and slapping the hell out of that curvy ass of yours."
I laughed, but Silas had a way of talking dirty that made me want to do exactly what he wanted. "A gentleman is the last thing on earth you are, Silas Saint."
"You're damn right," he said. "And I'm telling you right now that I want you to come up to my place."
"And then what, Silas?" I asked.
He stepped closer to me, his mouth near my ear. "And then I'm going to make what I did to you in Vegas look like nothing."
Heat flowed through my body, the warmth of his breath on my neck sending goose bumps across my skin. "Silas," I said, still hesitating.
Hesitating until he touched his lips to my neck, right on the spot near my ear that always sent shivers down my spine. I let out a soft moan as he dragged his lips along my jawline, then covered my mouth with his. The way he kissed me made my knees weak, and I melted against him.
I was so heady with desire that I barely protested when Silas reached behind me, his arm at my knees, and picked me up, taking me up the stairs. "I told you I was going to pick you up and carry you inside," he said. "I warned you."
I should have just been consumed with lust. But all I could think about was how the way he took me up to his place was like a groom carrying a bride over the threshold.
It was a reminder of what might have been between us if things had been different.
Silas paused at the door, still holding me. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You have a look."
I shook my head. I wasn't sure what the hell I was feeling, only that I was sad. "Put me down, Silas," I croaked. My voice sounded hoarse.
He obliged, then reached into his pocket for his keys and unlocked the door behind me. "I know," he said.
"Know what?"
"You're terrified. I can see it in your eyes," he said. "You want to run."
"I -" I started.
"Don't," he said, his tone gruff. "I don't want to hear some bullshit, Tempest. You're not running, this time." He kissed me again, hungrily, his tongue finding mine, and every part of my body cried out for his touch.
I wanted him. Now, before I listened to that voice in my head, the one making all of the rational objections, giving me all the reasons why I shouldn't be with him.
Right now, I wanted him.
I didn't want to think about tomorrow. Only now.
"Take me, Silas," I whispered. "Now."
He made a sound under his breath, guttural in his throat, and picked me up. His hands held my ass, and I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist. He kicked the door closed behind him, still carrying me, his lips never leaving mine.
The apartment was tiny, but we didn't even make it to the bedroom. Silas set me on the counter in the kitchen, yanking my shirt over my head in one quick movement, and I unhooked my bra and tossed it to the floor. He groaned as I arched up to kiss him, my breasts pressed against his chest, and I tugged at the sides of his shirt.
"Damn shirt," he said, breaking away from me to yank his shirt over his head.
I inhaled sharply when I saw him.
"What?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Nothing," I said. "I just don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at you without clothes."
Silas kissed me, sliding his hand over my breast. My nipple hardened to his touch, and he stroked it with his thumb, moving it in circles around and around until I was nearly delirious with arousal. "Well then," he said. "Let me make your fucking day."
I watched appreciatively as he slid his jeans from his waist, stripped naked, and kicked his clothes across the tile floor. When he turned toward me, he was already rock hard. "How's that?" he asked. "Better?"
I laughed. "Come here and I'll show you how much I like it."
"How ever will I be able to tell?" he asked, his mouth close to my ear. He unbuttoned my pants and I arched my back on the counter, allowing him to slide my jeans off my hips. After he pulled them down my legs, he stood up, his eyes trailing over every inch of me.
"Are you going to just stand there?" I asked.
"Quit your nagging," Silas said, grinning. "You can let me fucking stand here and look at that sweet little body of yours if I want to look at it."
I blushed under his gaze, but it only lasted for a moment before he was touching me again.
Back where he belonged.
His fingers trailed down my sides, and he hooked a finger underneath my panties, pulling them away from my skin. "You're wearing panties this time, huh?" he asked. "I want to see how much you like it." He slipped a finger between my legs, groaning when he felt my wetness. Leaning in, he kissed me so hard I thought he would bruise my lips.
"Take them off," I whispered. "I want you now. I can't wait." I was practically begging for him. My body seemed to feel like it had been forever, not days, since he touched me