His eyes darkened, his breath hissing out at the revealing sound.
‘You don’t mean to. And yet here we are.’
‘End this, then. Fire me,’ she urged.
‘No.’ His head descended a fraction. ‘If I fire you, you’ll no longer be mine to command. You’ll be free to wreak your havoc on someone else.’
‘So you’re doing mankind a favour?’
‘Sí, that is exactly right.’
Another inch closer and she felt the full impact of his body. Right down to the unmistakeable arousal imprinted against her belly. The vivid memory of his power inside her scorched her senses. Her nipples peaked, the sensitive buds demanding shockingly immediate appeasement.
She squirmed, her body’s uncontrollable craving almost overpowering her. He moved with her, a subtle roll of his hips, a teasing slide of one broad thumb across her lower lip.
Her limbs weakened. ‘Javier.’ Her voice was a husky plea, either to end the torture or to satisfy it.
‘You want me,’ he stated, his voice deep and sure with masculine confidence.
Heat rushed into her face, ramping her temperature even higher. She wanted to look away, to deny the taunting words. But she couldn’t pull her gaze from the hunger and sensual promise in his eyes.
‘Do you want me to kiss you, Carla mia? Are you hoping perhaps that your body can achieve what your character has failed to do so far and pull me into your web?’
A part of her mourned that he would never see past the desperate misunderstanding of three years ago. But the greater part of her just wanted to experience the hot, erotic skill of his kiss.
Senses clamouring, she threw caution to the wind, her head moving in a nod before she’d fully computed her actions and the inevitable repercussions. ‘Yes, I want you to kiss me.’
A muffled sound that could’ve been a curse or a prayer ripped from his lips. In the next breath, his mouth slanted over hers. The last vestiges of sanity ripped free, her senses plunging into free fall as pure sensation took over. Flames licked at each point of contact, which was pretty much everywhere from their fused lips to the masculine thighs tangling with hers. But the sensation of his tongue sliding against hers was what had her gasping in delight, the concentrated pleasure arrowing straight between her legs to the place only he had ever owned.
She whimpered, her bound hand sliding around his waist, holding on for dear life as he explored her with a thoroughness that seared her deeper than she’d ever been touched. Her other hand wandered up his tight body, over hard contours and heated flesh to the silky waves of his hair. A wicked memory impinged, and she fisted the luxurious strands. Javier jerked against her, a growl erupting between their lips as his erection jumped against her belly.
One hand cupped her breast, catching the stiff peak between his fingers for a delicious pull that made her groan. His other hand gripped her waist tight and lifted her off the floor. ‘Put your legs around me,’ he commanded.
Complying brought her most sensitive part flush against him. Striding sure and swift as if she weighed nothing, he entered the living room and laid her down on the sofa.
Slow, lingering kisses trailed from her jaw, along her collarbone to her shoulder. She tried to caress him in turn and was confronted with one immobilised hand. Frustration clawed through her...at the overabundance of clothes between them, the slow pace of his attention. With the hand still in his hair, she attempted to draw him closer, deepen the kiss. He let her have the lead, until the need for air forced her to break away.
He laughed at the rapid rise and fall of her chest.
‘So needy, Principessa. Was your last boyfriend not up to the task of satisfying you? Don’t worry. When I make you mine again, that memory will fade away for ever.’ He started to curl his hand around her thigh.
She froze in degrees, her head battling hard with her senses as the reality of what was happening dawned on her.
When I make you mine.
There would be no charm offensive involved this time round, no drive in his sports car and laughter on a beach underpinning the sexual intent in each glance and each word.
Unlike Miami three years ago, what would happen here would be a vengeful taking, fuelled by Javier’s belief that she had wronged him. Again. Desire still wove like a lingering drug in her bloodstream, but Carla unclenched her fist from his hair, ignoring her screaming senses. She couldn’t let this go any further. Her vulnerability when it came to Javier was shamefully evident in the way she was sprawled beneath him with only the clothes on her body barring her need from him.
‘Don’t tell me the principessa has remembered that she’s once again cavorting with someone beneath her regard?’
She met his gaze, forcing herself to see past the mockery and acid-dipped words to the hurt and pain beneath.
‘What did it do, Javier?’ she ventured, hoping for a straight answer this time.
Dark-lashed eyes narrowed. ‘Perdón?’
‘That statement about your parentage. What exactly was the damage from it?’