She shivered as his lips found the sweet spot behind her ear.
“Identifying your needs.”
Ah, shit, no fair!
His hands curved around her shoulders.
“Appreciating your strength.”
Too much. How the devil am I going to resist him?
“Admiring your will.”
“Oh, good lord,” she moaned as he nibbled on her ear.
“Cherishing your mind.”
Mind? What fucking mind? I’m a floating cadaver!
Every word he spoke in those euphonious tones was like melted chocolate to a sweet tooth. Decadent, so hot, and so damn delicious, it awakened a profound craving she was in awe of.
“Understanding your fears.”
“Stop... this is too—"
“And little kitten, soon I’ll be treasuring your submission.”
“How did you know... I mean... mmm,” she moaned as he sucked her earlobe into his warm mouth.
Paxton trembled at the opulent layer of proliferating desire that swathed itself around the nerve endings in her loins. She was rocked by the heat that pierced through her core.
“Come, kitten... it’s time for your bath.”
She was too caught up in his spell to defy him.
“What are you... hey!” she sputtered as he picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. He flashed a white toothy smile at her.
“We need to work on your vocabulary, Mrs. Lee. I’m not a fan of, “what are you” questions.”
“Y-you’re not?” she said lamely as he placed her on her feet beside the tub and tested the water. It didn’t even register that she had become docile and lost the earlier fire with which she’d spat at him.
“Still warm.” His voice dropped an octave lower as his gaze circumnavigated the topography of her naked feminine landscape. Paxton had never felt as desirable and wanted as she did watching the heat flare in his gaze. All thought of modesty had fled from her mind the moment he’d pressed his body against her in the hallway.
“You are so fucking beautiful, Paxton.” His voice echoed with raw lust as he took her hand. “In you go.”
He waited until she sat down in the tub filled with jasmine scented bubbles before he opened the hot water tap. She watched silently as she slid lower against the back of the tub. The intimacy of this point in time wasn’t lost on her. It was moments like these that she’d been yearning for since her husband, Rex, had been killed in combat deployment in Afghanistan ten years ago. Not because the men she’d started to date over the past five years hadn’t been romantic but she had chosen not to allow feelings of emotional intimacy to develop.
The way Jared looked at her shattered any attempt at keeping him at bay before she even thought of trying.
Good lord, this isn’t good, Paxton. He’s getting inside your mind and that’s a big taboo. Get your head out of the clouds!
“Thanks, that’ll do.” She sat upright and reached for the large loofah at the edge of the tub as he cut off the stream of water. “If you insist on talking, please wait for me downstairs. Get something to drink. I won’t be long.” She held her body stiff and avoided his eyes, aware that her voice sounded sharp. She needed to regain her composure but with his towering, and oh so temptingly delicious body shrinking the bathroom, she’d never achieve such a feat.
A plume of her breath billowed out against his cheek as he leaned forward for the liquid soap.
“You need to relax. Rushing through a luxurious bath just to talk to me is counterproductive.”
“What are you—" The frown he cast at her cut short the question. The same one she’d already asked too many times to count!