She choked out a laugh. “What do you mean? Hit you? No!”
“Do whatever you need to release this energy. I’ll make sure you don’t damage anything.”
“Because you don’t want me acting like your mother, screaming and yelling, calling him to swear and hanging up?”
“Precisamente.”
“You just have to control everything, don’t you?” She was annoyed now, on top of her anger. “I want to yell, Sandro. I want to...” She lifted helpless hands and shook her fists in fury. She hadn’t been this pent up and determined to let go since boarding school.
“I can see that.” He finished opening his buttons and dragged his shirttails from his pants. “Come here.”
There was a note in his voice on top of the command, one that said he was anticipating sex. It affected her, always, but fueled her fire tonight. She was so angry. Angry at her father, but angry at Sandro. At that unwavering control of his. She wanted to batter against it, break it down and break through to the man behind the armor.
Did nothing affect him?
Picking up the emerald drape of her skirt because it was too long now that she was out of her shoes, she swept toward him, ignoring self-preservation instincts and heading for the heart of the battle.
He opened his belt, pulled it free and dropped it away, gaze never leaving hers.
He was so tall. She wished she wore her shoes. She wanted to... Oh, he frustrated her. Reaching out, she splayed her hands on his bare waist, felt his muscles tense under her touch and dug in her nails, dragging her claws over his skin.
He bit out a curse cut by a sharp laugh, gaze flashing as he caught her wrists and pinned them behind her back, mashing her against him so she could barely move.
“You’re not going to let me explode, after all?” she asked, shaking back her hair.
“Explode,” he invited. “I’m here to absorb it.”
She wriggled, testing his grip.
He smiled, not even exerting himself a little bit as he easily restrained her. He was that much stronger than she was. It was maddening, but inflaming, too, making her that much more determined to get a reaction from him. A strong one.
She narrowed her eyes and, quick as a cat, nipped his chest with her teeth.
“Oh, you think?” He manacled her wrists in one hand and used his free one to take a handful of her hair, dragging her head back. Rather than kiss her, though, he set his teeth against her neck, not hurting, just letting her know he could return her injury and then some if he wanted to. He had all the power here.
She struggled with more determination, but only wound up rubbing herself where he was hardening. Her breasts began to ache from the friction against his hard chest. The strap of her gown fell off her shoulder and he opened his mouth on her bared skin.
How could this be turning her on?
“This is kinky,” she accused. She might have lived a sheltered life, but she read. She surfed. She knew a little about the games couples played. “Don’t we need a safe word if you’re going to overpower me?”
“Or you could just tell me to let you go,” he said with a silent laugh, releasing her hair to push the other strap of her gown down, baring the cup of her bra. He didn’t lift his gaze from the poke of her nipple against the blue lace. “Are you going to?” His voice was gruff and hungry.
When he looked at her like that, as if he was going to eat her alive, she didn’t want him to ever let her go.
She struggled again, more earnest this time, seeing if he would release her. Seeing if he really could withstand this energy inside her.
He barely seemed to notice how hard she was trying, just pinned her hips to the hard length of his erection and circled her nipple with the tip of his finger.
“What if I scream?” she threatened breathlessly, wanting to.
His gaze dragged upward and his eyes were green with lust. “Do you want to be faceup or facedown on the mattress?” He began backing her toward the bed.
Her stomach flip-flopped with wicked excitement.
“You wouldn’t!” She secretly loved it when they were on their knees and he was behind her. It felt earthy and animalistic and was always intensely satisfying. “Brute.”
“I’m not going to hurt you, cara. Never,” he promised as he unzipped her gown. He finally released her so he could push the dress all the way off.
She grasped at his arms so she wouldn’t fall onto the bed, but he pressed her there anyway, coming down over her and covering her with his big body, thigh moving imperiously between her bare ones to part her legs wide.
She punished him by taking fistfuls of his hair and trying to drag his mouth to hers.
He allowed it as he arranged her legs around his waist, settling there as though he owned the space then returned her forceful kiss with an intrusive sweep of his tongue and a rock of his mouth that took control of hers.