“Sure.” Glancing down, she noticed the wine she still had in a death grip. “I, ah, picked this up on my way here. And now I’m wishing I’d just let you handle it because I bet whatever you have on hand is far superior.”
“Perhaps, but I appreciate the gesture. Let’s open this so it can breathe for a bit.” Taking the proffered wine, he headed towards the back of the house, in the direction of what she assumed was the kitchen.
When she fell into step behind him, she allowed her gaze to roam his body since he couldn’t see her ogling him. The broad set of his shoulders had her once again salivating at the thought of running her hands under his sweater. Her view continued down to his narrower waist, which made her wonder if he had one of those V-shapes that made smart women do dumb things. It would explain a lot about his past dating history if he did.
And all the way down to his feet, which were bare beneath his jeans. Why the fuck was that so sexy? She didn’t have a thing for feet, but there was something…powerful, she decided, in a man who felt confident enough to go barefoot on a first date.
Or was this their second? Dinner last night hadn’t technically been a date, but if she considered this their second date, maybe she wouldn’t feel like such a slut for sleeping with him tonight. And the odds of him getting her into bed seemed to rise with every second she spent in his presence.
Goddamn Libra charm.
“Is something wrong?”
His question jerked her back to the present and she realized with more than a little embarrassment that she was scowling at him. Smoothing out her expression, she flashed him a bright smile. “Nope, right as rain.”
“Hmm.” Gaze fixed on her, he placed the bottle on the island in the middle of the kitchen and walked towards her. Pressing a finger under her chin, he tilted her head back. “If we are going to pursue a physical relationship, we will have to address this habit you have of telling these little white lies.”
“A girl has to have her secrets, counselor.”
“You can keep your secrets. But when I ask a direct question, you will not lie to me. Understood?”
For the love of Zeus, the man was too potent for her own good. It shouldn’t have been sexy, being ordered around like that, but her lady parts apparently hadn’t gotten the memo. Desire thrummed through her veins as her mind raced with the possibilities. “Or what?”
A smile curved his lips, slow and full of promise. “That almost sounds like you’re asking for a demonstration, Ms. Ouranos.”
“Maybe I am.” It only made sense, right? “I’ve never done this before so I’d like to know what I’m getting into before I agree to anything.”
“Understandable.” He paused, his gaze roaming her face as though he were searching for something. What, she wasn’t sure, but he apparently found it because he nodded and released his hold on her chin. “All right. We have some time before dinner will be here. Go in the living room and stand beside the couch with your hands behind your head. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Okay, that was weird, but perhaps it was all part of the game. Bracing herself with a deep breath, she turned and headed back toward the living room to take her place beside the couch.
Feeling slightly ridiculous, she laced her hands behind her head. And waited. Was this all she was supposed to do, just stand here?
Boring.
But then he appeared in the entryway between the living room and the kitchen, and suddenly it wasn’t so silly. He wasn’t the same Cyrus she’d left standing beside that island. He wasn’t even the same Cyrus she’d witnessed tearing the opposition to shreds. This Cyrus was harder, sterner, but in a way that was far more intimate than his courtroom persona. He’d pushed the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows, exposing dark, sinewy forearms.
Why that sight alone was enough to make her want to drop to her knees and beg for his cock, she didn’t know, but that was exactly what she was tempted to do.
“Good girl.” Even his voice was different. Deeper, richer.
She had the fleeting thought that she was playing with fire, and there was pretty much zero chance she wouldn’t get burned. But she was too curious to stop now.
Crossing the room, he kept his gaze locked on hers, so that by the time he was standing in front of her, she could barely draw a breath.
“Are you sure you still want to do this?”
“Oh, yeah.”
A corner of his mouth kicked up. “In that case, we’ll begin with how you should address me. The correct answer to that question would be ‘Yes, Daddy’.”
The laugh burst out of her before she could stop it. “Seriously? I thought you were joking about that.”
“Not even a little bit. When we are in a scene or you are being punished, you will be expected to address me appropriately. So, I am going to ask you again. Are you sure you still want to do this, Mina?”
It was the perfect time to bow out. He didn’t seem like the type of man to hold it against her if she said she wasn’t ready. But not only was she wildly curious about the experience itself, she’d never get him to open up if she backed out now, and she still needed to figure out exactly what had been going on with him in court that morning.
So, really, there was only one answer she could give.