Naughty or Nice

“Doing what?” I feel him smile against me and I close my eyes tight.

“How do you go from hot to cold so quickly?” He kisses me below my ear and I gasp when I feel his hot tongue. “You want to get close to me then run the other way?”

A small laugh comes from me, then he tightens his hands on my hips. “It doesn’t matter,” I say dismissively as I try to maneuver out of his hold, but he doesn’t let me go.

“It matters,” he growls, making goosebumps rise across my skin.

“Does it? Does it really matter?” I throw back at him.

He begins to respond, but I cut him off. “Answer one question for me. You aren’t going to stop until you get what you want from me, are you?”

His blue eyes widen a fraction and I can tell he’s trying to figure out what to say. My brother is good at that, too—making sure he says things in a way that keeps him from answering a question. He always tries to make everything seem fine when it really isn’t.

“I’ll get my bag.” He lets go of my hips reluctantly and I move away from him.

“I can’t,” he finally says with something like determination in his eyes. “I can’t stop.”

Maybe he knows that Slate ordered me to give him what he wants if he’s willing to admit he won’t stop coming for me. It stands to reason that he’d do just about anything to get what he wants. Including making deals with the devil.

When my eyes meet his, I have the strangest feeling that I’m actually the one with all the power and he’s the one at my mercy. It’s just too bad I have no idea what to do about it.

Chapter 5

Brian

She glares at the menu like it’s personally offended her. Her eyes narrow and she pulls it closer to her as she scrutinizes every detail. I don’t open mine because I’m too busy memorizing every detail of her. The way her blonde hair is tucked behind one ear and lies over the opposite shoulder. I see the tiny silver bird earrings she’s wearing and wonder where she got them. Her sweater hugs her tight and every sweet curve is caressed to show off how sultry her body is. I fist my hands under the table because they’re empty. I want to delve into her softness and get lost in her light.

Her eyebrows furrow as she mouths several words like she’s trying to pronounce them. Maybe I should have told her the entire menu was going to be in French, but she opened it up and refused to ask for help. There’s something so complex about her that I want to figure out. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met and this sexual attraction I have to her is unreal.

With a quick huff she closes the menu and slaps it on the table.

“Would you like me to translate it for you?” I offer, and she purses her lips.

“Of course you speak French.”

“I didn’t think it would upset you.” I can’t keep the laugh out of my voice as she rolls her eyes and takes a drink of water.

“It doesn’t upset me that you speak French. It upsets me that I didn’t know we were coming to a fancy place and I’m wearing a Christmas sweater and snow boots.” She looks around and I see a tinge of pink on her cheeks.

“I was trying to impress you,” I admit and lean forward to take her hand. To my surprise she doesn’t pull away from me, but she doesn’t look at me either.

“I don’t understand why you’d try to do that.”

“If several days of stalker-like behavior bordering on breaking the law for harassment weren’t any indication, let me just say that I really, really want to get to know you.”

“Borderline?” She looks at me and raises an eyebrow in challenge.

“So, tell me what’s with the hot and cold?” I ask, changing the subject on how eager I was to get her to go out with me. “You were silent as a church mouse on the way here and now you’re scowling at one of the nicest restaurants in town like it stole Christmas from all of Whoville.”

A smile pulls at her lips until she can’t fight it any longer. Her fingers lace with mine and it’s then I see her relax. My body does the same and I feel that charge between us from before. It’s always there, lying low and ready to snap, and right now it’s buzzing like lightning after it strikes.

“It’s just all really sudden. I met you for five seconds on a dark night and suddenly you can’t wait to get to know me? It sounds a little ridiculous to me.” The way she tilts her head to the side makes me want to kiss her neck again.