"Hey," I walk over and sit down on the bed next to him, "you okay?"
He doesn’t answer.
I touch his shoulder and my fingers come away wet with his sweat. His musky, earthy, male scent surrounds me and my nipples tighten. My core clenches. Goddamn, but this man is sex on a stick. I run my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. So soft, unlike the rest of him. I draw my fingers across his neck and over the ridge of his shoulder. His muscles bunch. I trail my finger down to the swell of his biceps. I poke at the muscle, which doesn’t give a millimeter. "Holy shit," I whisper, "you really are a man of steel."
He turns his head to glare at me, "I am no fucking Superman. In fact, I always hated the bastard."
"I guess with your growliness and general grouchiness, you’re more of a shoo-in for Batman."
"No thanks, not a fan of the bat ears."
I walk my fingers down to his forearm and tug at the fine hair there.
"What are you doing?" he asks in a soft voice.
"Just, exploring." Jeez, I really should take my hand off of him. I should turn around and leave while he’s still somewhat incapacitated, but if he’s truly exhausted from over-exerting himself, he’s not really a threat, is he?
I drag my fingers down to the back of his palm and trace the veins there. "Guess you work out a lot, huh? Your veins are so prominent."
When he doesn’t reply, I glance up to find him watching me with a predatory look in his eyes.
"Oh, shit." I pull back my hand, but he flips on his back and grabs my wrist. He tugs and I fall over onto the bed. "I… I…didn’t mean anything by that," I swallow, "I was just curious."
"Want to see what your touch can do to me, huh?" He moves up toward the headboard, then pulls me closer. He presses my palm to his chest and I feel thethud-thud-thudof his heart against my skin.
"Is your heart beating faster because of your earlier exertion?"
"You mean, when you sucked me off?"
"No," I scoff as my face reddens, "I mean, because of your crazed walk to the sofa and back, trying to prove some god-knows-what point."
"The point I was trying to prove is that I may be weaker than usual, but I am not defenseless."
"Trust me, I’d never mistake you for that. Ever."
"And my heart is beating faster than usual, due to your proximity." His forehead furrows, "I can’t believe I said that." He shakes his head, "I am not supposed to feel anything for you."
"Gee, thanks," I strive to keep my voice light even as my heart rate ratchets up. He feels something for me? OMG, he feels something for me! Is that good or bad? Considering, he’d shot at Christian, had threatened to hurt Aurora’s family until she agreed to help him out, oh, and he’d also lied to the Sovranos about Aurora wanting to kill Christian. All in all, he’s proven himself to be a psychopath and a sociopath, and a misogynist, and someone who would not hesitate to lie simply because it causes more trouble for everyone else involved. Exactly the kind of man I should avoid. The kind I find attractive. I bite the inside of my cheek. What does that say about me?
I should be going out of my way to avoid this guy. I should stay as far away from him as possible. I should turn around and leave right now, while I can, before I do something that I am going to regret for the rest of my life. I try to tug my wrist from his grasp, but he tightens his grip.
"Where do you think you are going, Sunshine?"
"Just t-to-to my room." Goddamit, and now I am stuttering. Why the hell am I stuttering? It’s not because of his nearness. Definitely not because of the way he’s watching me with that intense gaze of his. Certainly not because the heat of his body surrounds me, overwhelms me, sinks into my blood and seems to coil in my lower belly. Absolutely not because he draws me closer to him…closer still. The tips of my feet bump against his. A shiver runs down my spine.
"Nervous?" he asks in a silken tone.
"N-no. Of-c-course, not."
"So why are you stuttering?"
"I-It happens. I t-tend to s-stumble over my w-words sometimes."
"Hmm," he looks me up and down, "we can’t have that now, can we?" He tugs on my wrist and I squeak as I fall into him. He wraps his arm around my waist and holds me immobile.
"L-let-me g-go."
"Give me one reason why?"