He wasn’t the only one who felt the magnetic pull between them. There was no way she wasn't thinking the same thing. “What are we going to do, Red?” he murmured. He saw her swallow nervously. She hadn’t misunderstood, but neither did she respond.
“I want you so damn much I hurt. I’ve hurt for weeks. Every time I look at you, I get so many knots that I can’t function. I’ve thought of all the ways I can explain to you that our business relationship has nothing to do with the desire I feel for you. But the simple truth is I don’t give a damn. I want you in my bed, and I don’t care what has to be done to make that happen.”
Her eyes went wide and frightened. He hated that. He didn’t want her to be afraid of him.
“You feel it, too. Don’t deny me that much.” Julian said. "You've always been honest with me… don't stop now"
Slowly she nodded. Her fingers went to her forehead and she dug them into her hair. Still, he could see them shaking, and she swallowed again, her slim neck working with the effort.
“Please,” Nina whispered. “I can’t do this, Julian. It’s the one thing I can’t do. Don’t ask it of me. If you want me to admit it, fine. I want you. More than I’ve ever wanted another man.”
Savage satisfaction gripped him. Didn’t just grip him but lunged for him and wrapped a hand around his throat and his groin. His entire body reacted to that simple statement. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone else.
She turned on the couch until she faced forward and her feet met the floor. She looked in turn miserable and scared. Her eyes closed in what looked to him like self-condemnation. He swore, startling her with the force of his curses.
“Whatever you’re thinking, I don’t like it,” he said flatly. “I have no idea what the hell kind of blame you’re placing on yourself, but I can guarantee that you didn’t use your feminine wiles to seduce me into signing with your agency. I have always wanted you... Right from high school. I wanted you from the moment I saw you walk into Abby's apartment three months ago.”
Her eyes went wide with shock, and her face was pale and drawn. “W-what?” she asked.
"You heard me right," he said. "Now try to tell me this has anything to do with your pitch.”
In the course of their conversation, he’d moved to the couch. He moved closer still, stalking her like prey. Her scent lured him, and he inhaled the delicate, feminine smell that he’d come to associate with only her.
Her eyes were flush with awareness and caution. There was confusion in her deep green pools, but something else, too. Desire. Matching desire. She wanted him. Maybe as much as he wanted her. It didn’t matter because he would have her.
“Want to know something else?” he murmured. “I almost didn’t consider Standard Gate for the account. Want to know why? Because I didn’t want it to interfere with my pursuit of you.”
He was close now. So close he could feel every little puff of breath that came from her lips. He could see the tiny little nervous swallows that worked her throat up and down. And her mouth. Her luscious, sweet mouth. He wanted to taste it, devour it like candy.
“W-what changed your mind?” she whispered.
“I’m perfectly capable of separating business from pleasure,” he said evenly.
“Julian, we can’t." Abby murmured. "There's a lot at stake... And there's Abby. I don't want something to go wrong and ruin my friendship with her… and we haven't even talked to her about this… fake engagement… thing yet. I care about my friendship with your sister”
She put her hand on his chest. Big mistake. A current of electricity singed him. They both jumped, but before she could withdraw, he caught her fingers and trapped her hand between his and his chest. Julian said nothing, but his eyes were hooded and heavy.
“Fine, but now, Just one kiss, Nina. Just one. I have to kiss you. That's all I’ll demand for now. I can wait for more until we have this account settled.” he said, and then he put his arms around her. She stood frozen in the circle of them as his heavy dark gaze followed the line of her throat
Without waiting for her consent, he swept his mouth over hers. Finally, Her sweetness exploded onto his tongue the moment he licked over her lips. Her mouth parted in a gasp, and he took full advantage, delving deep into her moist heat.
She made the sweetest sounds. He swallowed them up as he devoured every inch of her mouth. He was transfixed by her full bottom lip. He nipped lightly at it, teasing it to fullness and then he sucked it between his teeth.
It was everything she’d dreamt about, their kiss. The taste, the feel, the joy at the sheer fineness of Julian Martin, in all his tall, beautifully built splendor, thrilled her and filled her with exquisite sensations; but not only that—with the feeling that to be in his arms was like being in no other place on earth.
And for that moment, all the complications of getting involved with Julian melted away as if they’d never existed….
Her tongue stroked tentatively over his, just light brushes with the tip and then she grew bolder, taking a more active part in the kiss.
His hands delved into her hair. He loved her hair. Long and glorious, the color like a russet sunset over the desert. The temptation was too great. He’d fantasized about it for too long.
He fumbled with the clip and released its hold on her hair. It tumbled down her back, over his hands like a wave. He gathered the strands between his fingers, mesmerized by their silky smoothness.
He drank deeply, not wanting the moment to end. He could spend hours kissing her, but he wanted more. He wanted to work his mouth down the curve of her jaw to her neck. He wanted to peel every layer of clothing from her body and then run his tongue over her soft skin.
He wondered what her breasts would feel like in his hands and what her nipples would taste like, how they’d feel as he sucked them into his mouth.
Oh, yes, he’d spent a lot of time wondering about her breasts. She never wore clothing that could be deemed too provocative. She was fashionable, yes, but he secretly wished she’d wear something a little more revealing. It was killing him not to get a hint of her full, ripe breasts.
Soon. Soon, he’d unwrap all of her. He’d possess her. She’d be his.