“He is not what? Spit it out.”
There is nowhere to hide. I squeeze my eyes shut. “He isn’t you,” I whisper with shame.
Instantly he lets go of me. In agony I picture him with an expression of horror on his face. A fluttering fingertip traces over my cheek. I open my eyes, I tremble at the hunger I see in not just his eyes, in his entire body. A heady lethargy overcomes me as my blood has been replaced with hot, sticky, thick honey. His thumb traces over my bottom lip, and the simple touch is agony.
“I need you to be my woman. To wear my ring.”
What? Shock doesn’t cover the bomb he drops on me. His head lowers to within inches of me. Ivan inhales my shaky breath.
“For Gemma. Her soon to be sister-in-law is determined to trap me into a marriage while I am there for the wedding celebrations. She will back down if I am already engaged. Come with me to Manchester, not as my PA, as my fiancée.”
I freeze as my fumbling brain comprehends what he is saying, what he means. Why do I want to cry so badly? His lips slide over my cheek, causing a shiver throughout my whole body.
“For the next few weeks, be mine in every way. I will not lie. I am a greedy bastard. I will demand full ownership of you. Every inch of you is mine, however and whenever I want you. You will deny me nothing.”
I’m a freak. I shiver in anticipation at his words; nothing has ever sounded so fucking appealing.
“Do not worry, poppet, you will not want to deny me. Pleasure is only the ultimate in its height when it is reciprocated. When I look at you, Christ I only need to think of you and I am hard for you. I know, you witch, I know you have been taunting me with your body. The skirts, the tight dresses, and it worked. Hell, you never needed it. I was already lusting for you hourly, dreaming of you every night and what I would do to you when I finally had you. What I am going to do to you,” he whispers in my ear.
Holy freaking crap, I’m so damn wet at the promise of his words. This low, the rumbling of his voice is incredibly erotic. I also want to smack him for what he is saying. To be his but not truly, it will be a fake engagement, a farce to protect him from a grasping brat who wants him at all costs. A hand grips me by the back of the neck as his tongue tastes the shell of my ear. Thank god he’s holding me up because I’m trembling so badly, I can barely stand it.
“Once our time comes to an end, it will be easier for you to remain within my company. As the wronged woman, all the disdain will be on me. No one can know the truth, though. This is just between you and me.”
A slight nip of the soft part of my ear, then he sucks lightly. The motion goes straight to my aching nipples.
“Say yes, say you will marry me.”
How could the words hurt so badly? They shake me from the haze he’s sent me into. “I hate you.”
The words are squeezed out of my throat as I fight back tears. I try to push him away, my hands flat on his hard, muscled chest, but he doesn’t budge an inch. “Find someone else.” I sob as fat ugly tears fall, still trying desperately to push him away.
“I do not want anyone else. I only want you.” He groans as his hand tightens around my neck and his mouth comes down on mine.
Even as my mind is screaming no, my body betrays me. I cling to him, falling headlong into his kiss. Yes, god yes, I have missed him, missed this. More, I need more, to climb into his skin and melt with him. I almost cry when he pulls back.
“Say yes, Christina.”
I close my eyes, unwilling to let him see how badly I want to. Then his hand is under the table, sliding under my skirt. I gasp to feel him cup the hottest, wettest part of me. Oh my god.
“Say yes, Christina, so I can take you home and fuck you the way we both have been hungry for. So very wet, the scent of your pussy has been fucking with my head for weeks. I cannot wait to taste you, to feel your juices coat my face as you come.”
Dirty, so dirty. I bring a hand up to cover his mouth. Ivan laughs, pressing a kiss against my palm.
“Shy? No, not for me. You’ll scream and beg for me to eat your pussy. For hours, I will savor your pussy, not allowing you to come until your body aches with the force of your trembling, only then will I fuck you. My cock is dying to be inside you.”
A finger trails along the soaking wet front of my panties. I choke at what he is doing to me. I grasp his jacket to keep from sliding out of my chair.
Holy fucking shit, we’re still in the restaurant. I try to close my legs. I can’t believe he’s doing this to me here, in public.
“Ivan.” I choke on the word. But the bastard is cruel—he ignores me and tugs my panties to the side.
“Interesting, bare. Hmm...all the better to see you and eat you.”
He brings his finger glistening with me to his mouth, and all I can do is watch in fascination as he sucks
deep.
“I knew you would be delicious.”