“Slap and tickle?”
Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open in shock. Damn, she delighted him. He had to work hard to keep the grin from his face.
“An erotic spanking, darling. Haven’t you ever had one?”
“People like getting spanked?”
She was such an innocent. For a brief moment, he wondered just how innocent. Surely, she wasn’t a virgin.
“I have something for you.” He reached into the backpack he’d placed on the bed. He pulled out a blanket. Some plates of food. Candles. A bottle of wine and some glasses.
“You brought me a picnic?” she stared at him, flabbergasted. “You followed me here, snuck into my room, risked getting caught and killed just to have a picnic with me?”
“Oh, no,” he told her. “I intend to fuck you as well.”
7
Oh, no. I intend to fuck you as well.
Arrogant asshole.
She jumped to her feet and pointed to the window. “Get out.”
He sighed as he picked up the blanket he’d placed on her bed and laid it on the floor then placed the containers of food on it. She stared down at the bowls of potato salad, roast beef, and fresh rolls and her mouth watered.
But she would not be tempted.
“We’ve been through this before, darling. If you want me to leave then I’ll go out the door.”
“He’ll kill you.”
“He’d have to catch me. And even if he did, I’m not that easy to kill.”
There was something different about him tonight. The playboy was still there, but there was a harder edge. He was serious. Completely serious.
“Why?” she whispered.
He gazed up at her after lighting the candles. Jesus, did he think this was some kind of date? It wasn’t. It was a nightmare. At least that was what she told herself. Because that was not a stirring of desire she felt. She did not notice how good he looked in the candlelight. How at home he seemed in her bedroom. How fucking hot he was.
Shit. She certainly did notice that.
“Why would you risk death to come here?”
He snorted. “I can tell you, you’re being overly dramatic—”
“I’m not,” she whispered. “My brother is protective of me.”
“Your brother is a criminal.” There was a coldness to him now. He didn’t approve of Carlin. Well, neither did she most of the time. Didn’t mean she didn’t love him.
“I’m not going to discuss my brother with you.”
His gaze narrowed. “You will. Eventually. It’s going to be something we’ll have to talk about. In-depth. But I’ll leave that to Joe.”
What? Christ, she was confused.
“Sit, Gigi. I’m getting a crick in my neck.”
She shook her head but sat. Because he was wearing her down. Chipping away at her defenses. He seemed to know she didn’t want him dead and he was using that weakness to get what he wanted.