Chapter 18
I didn’t plan to kiss her. Not right now, at least.
I clearly underestimated her sex appeal.
What’s most unsettling is that since she came toward me, there’s been nothing in her posture that hints at any attempt to seduce me—yet she’s awakened a primitive hunger I’ve never experienced before.
The combination of that lush body with the silent call of her amber eyes has the effect of a drug, one whose addiction spreads through my bloodstream at the speed of light.
When I grab her by the nape, it isn’t just desire that consumes me; it’s anger, too, for losing control.
Elodie sees me coming. She’s free to take a step back when I bring her face close to mine. Instead, she looks right at me with those pools of honey and licks her lips as if in anticipation.
The second our mouths touch, they gain a will of their own.
There’s a recognition—male to female.
Something older than humanity itself.
A calling that has nothing to do with rules of civilization or social behavior.
It’s deep, savage desire.
A hunger only the perfect compatibility between two mates destined to join their bodies in the unconscious urge to continue the species can recognize in each other.
I’ve never felt such an intense need. Never before has the lust for a mouth, a body, a scent taken over my senses like this.
It’s violent lust, refusing to be restrained.
Carnal, demanding immediate satisfaction. Sending a shock of pleasure when our tongues finally meet and begin their dance.
The hand on her nape isn’t enough anymore, and I pull her to me by the waist, not allowing any space between our bodies.
She should run, but instead she molds herself against me like a puzzle piece that knows it’s found its perfect match.
The clash of our lips, the devouring, the collision of tongues and teeth, it’s erotic and sensual. But there’s something beyond that, something that makes my arousal reach the stratosphere: trust.
Elodie isn’t letting herself be kissed, she’s taking what she wants.
Her hands wrap around my neck, eager fingers tangling in my hair, hungry teeth teasing my skin.
The sensation of her surrendering freely is intoxicating. It’s like falling into a trance where nothing matters but our instincts.
I no longer remember where we are. I just need more of her, everything about her.
My hand slides up her side. I’m lost in her scent of clean, fresh skin. So natural. I want her naked, want to explore every inch of that warm, soft flesh. Every curve that I’m sure will lead to paradise.
She moans when I pull her tighter against me, making her feel my erection, but then, as if realizing how far we’re going, she pushes me away.
I let her go, and for a few seconds, we just stare at each other, breathing heavily, both shaken by the powerful force of this unplanned attraction.
Maybe we could have stayed like that forever if one of the maids hadn’t come to ask about our drinks.
Only then do I force myself back to the real world, but even then, I can’t pull my eyes away from hers.
“What will you drink?” I ask, and at this moment, I could win an Oscar, because the calm that echoes in my voice betrays none of the chaos inside me.
The false composure is the product of years of training in the corporate jungle, a place where you never let an enemy or a rival glimpse what you’re feeling.
Elodie isn’t my enemy, but for now, she’s something nameless in my life.
It’s better for both of us to set boundaries on whatever this is.
She looks at me in surprise, her breathing still uneven.
I can see the change on her face, from desire to confusion, and then anger.
She thinks she’s the only one who lost control. She believes I was playing her. Elodie has no idea how close I was to forgetting dinner and taking her straight to my suite.
With the chemistry between us, seducing her wouldn’t be hard, but I’ve never taken advantage of women. When it happens, when I finally lose myself between those long, golden thighs, she’ll be fully aware of her freedom to choose.
“Water,” she finally says.
I pull out a chair for her to sit on the terrace. The staff won’t start dinner until I give the signal.
I wait until one of them serves our drinks, and only when they leave do I speak again.
“We’re here for a reason.”
She seems focused on her glass as she drinks her water, but her lips, still swollen from my kisses, distract me, so I force myself to look away.
“What do you want to know?”
“As I told you before: everything.”
I watch her take a deep breath before answering. “My sister and I escaped from a fundamentalist religious cult in rural Texas.”
For a moment, I just stare at her, certain I didn’t hear right.
I was expecting a difficult life story, sure. She and her sister are young, beautiful, and alone in the world. Poor, too, by the looks of it.
But nothing I imagined came close to this.
“Go on.”
She runs her finger along the rim of the glass without looking at me. “Our father was the leader of the cult. It’s a long story, one we only fully understood as adults, but it terrified us enough to make us run.”
“I want to hear it.”
“All right.”