Walking over to her, I reach out, hooking my index finger beneath her chin and forcing her to meet my gaze. Her brown eyes are so warm and inviting, I find myself wanting to get lost in their depths, wishing I could swim in the chocolate seas and drown there.
Truth be told, I don’t have a good reason for putting her name down, and she’s right. We aren’t friends. We barely know each other. But for some inexplicable reason, the gala last weekend put her on my fucking radar, and I can’t seem to erase her from it. Thoughts of her fire consume me, singeing my flesh.
It’s that trademark Fiona Ivers fire, the one everyone around town whispers about.
A fire she seems completely oblivious to that lives in her soul, expressing itself through her sharp tongue and inherent backbone.
The kind that burns from the inside and leaves absolutely nothing in its wake.
“You wanted to apologize to me for your behavior before,” I say, so close that her breath caresses my lips. “I don’t typically accept apologies. I like an exchange, something concrete that wipes the slate clean.”
“Okay...” She trails off, her gaze dropping to my mouth; her pink tongue darts out to wet her ruby red lips, and a hunger ignites in my bones. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“We’re even. See to it that the receptionist gets back to the office, and I won’t tell anyone your dirty little secret.”
“My secret?” Fiona frowns. “It was a bad evening. I didn’t murder anyone.”
Bending down, I move my lips to her ear, reveling in the shiver that shudders through her when they brush against the sensitive flesh. “You have more bad evenings like that than you care to admit, don’t you? You’re not always sunshine. In fact, given your bloodline, I’d wager you’re a rainstorm more often than not.”
Shoving me away, she glares. “Stop talking about me like you know me. You don’t.”
“Not yet.” Chuckling at the dumbfounded expression on her face and unsure as to why I’m pursuing this when I know it can’t work, I grip the doorknob in my hand and exit the room, tossing another not yet over my shoulder for good measure.