‘What are you doing?’ she yelped, although he figured it was fairly obvious as he marched to the front door of his block.
‘I like talk as much as the next guy,’ he said conversationally as he keyed his code into the security panel. ‘In fact, I make a very decent living at it.’ He kicked open the door. ‘But even I have my limits.’
‘Put me down!’ she yelled, wriggling and kicking now as she got her wind back. ‘This is absurd.’
He elbowed the light switch.
‘And probably illegal.’ The protest came out in pants, her midriff rocking against his shoulder blade. ‘I’ll sue.’
Adrenaline surged through him as he climbed the stairs, two at a time.
‘Go ahead and try.’ He dropped her to her feet—and chuckled at her mutinous expression, and the flush of arousal on her cheeks. ‘No judge would convict me.’
Her chin took on a mulish tilt, her colour rising. ‘She would if she was a woman.’
‘Wanna bet?’ He reached into his pocket, palmed his key and slid it into the lock. Opening the door, he took hold of her hand and pulled her inside.
‘Has anyone ever told you you’re remarkably arrogant?’ she announced as he slapped his palms above her head, caging her against the wall.
‘Yes. You.’ He buried his face against her neck. ‘And more than once now.’
Her quickened breathing gushed out against his cheek. His lips at her pulse point, he heard the soft sob of surrender. He lifted his head, traced his fingers along the elegant line of her neck, over her collarbone, then ran his hands down her curves. She bucked, her body quaking as his thumbs circled the tight buds of her breasts through her clothing.
‘And you’re remarkably bossy,’ he murmured, his hands settling on her hips. Why did he find that so incredibly sexy?
Her big brown eyes widened as he pushed his body hard against hers. ‘Which makes us even.’ Capturing her wrist, he led her down the hallway towards his bedroom.
Her heels clicked on the polished wood floor as she raced to keep pace with him. But for once she didn’t have a comeback—which made him feel invincible.
CHAPTER FIVE
RUBY had never been so grossly manhandled in her entire life. Unfortunately, she’d never been so turned on, either.
Had he actually carried her up the stairs? Like Rhett Butler to her Scarlett O’Hara?
Of course, she didn’t find his domineering behaviour romantic in the least—because it wasn’t, in the slightest, she told herself staunchly. But there was definitely something exhilarating about a guy who could heft her up two flights of stairs. After all, she wasn’t exactly light as a feather.
And then there was the feel of him to consider, pressing against her belly as he gave her one of the biggest love bites of her life. She was so excited, her pulse points weren’t just throbbing any more, they were dancing a jig. And her nipples were so erect she could probably drill for
oil with them.
As he propelled her into the bedroom she took in the terraced doors that opened onto a wrought-iron balcony overlooking the Heath. But she barely had a chance to register the dying sun turning the trees on Parliament Hill a brilliant orange before the hiss of her zipper had her whipping round.
She clasped her sagging bodice to her chest. ‘Now wait a minute!’
Oblivious to her outrage, he placed a finger on her shoulder, and gave a gentle shove. The backs of her knees hit the bed, and she toppled unceremoniously onto the pale blue duvet. She scrambled up, abandoning her grip on the bodice, which promptly fell to her waist revealing her red lace bra.
‘I told you, I don’t like to be rushed.’ She heaved out a breath, her insides going molten at the wicked glint in his eye as he knelt on the bed.
One strong hand clamped around her ankle.
‘Who said anything about rushing?’ The rough murmur vibrated across her nerve-endings as his hand tightened.
Slipping off her shoe, he flung it over his shoulder. Then dug his thumb into the tight muscles of her instep. She groaned, her body bowing back, as heat shimmered up her calf and made her thigh muscles quiver. He massaged with strong fingers until the muscles went liquid, then transferred his attention to the other foot.
Her heart lurched into her throat as he lifted her foot to his lips, those emerald eyes locked on her face, and bit into the arch.
She gasped, astonished to realise he was discovering erogenous zones she hadn’t known existed as his callused fingers trailed up her legs, stroking and caressing with purpose. Butterfly kisses followed in their wake, distracting her as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties.