A Diamond Deal With the Greek

Every single atom in her body strained to that point of contact, to the pressure that teased at first, then turned into a deeper, more breath-stealing exploration.

Rebel had been kissed before, but the expertise Draco brought to his kiss, even mere seconds into the act, melted her senses. Warm, firm lips bruised hers, the feeling of being devoured drenching her before she succumbed to it.

His hand strayed from her hip to the small of her back, compelled her closer still. Her arms moved, almost of their own accord, twined around his neck. Silky hair teased the back of her hands and Rebel gave in to the temptation to slide her fingers through his hair.

His tongue breached her mouth, the bold swipe as he shamelessly tasted her knocking the strength from her knees. Desire blistered her, tightening over her skin until her breasts ached and her nipples were needy little buds straining against her bra. Needing to relieve the ache, she rubbed herself against him.

A groan erupted from him. Lost in sensation, Rebel barely acknowledged being lifted off her feet. Or laid down on the sofa. Every frantic heartbeat begged for more of what she was experiencing. The kiss. The man. The potent smell of him that filled her nostrils and the hands moulding her body. She wanted it all with a desperation that defied logic.

When he gripped her leg and angled it over his hip, she twisted to accommodate him, the move settling him snugly between her thighs.

The unmistakable power of his erection brushed her clothed core. Lightning zapped at the contact, electrifying and so strong, they both froze. She opened her eyes to find grey eyes, dark with volatile hunger, staring into hers.

Hunger that had no place whatsoever inside the parameters of what she’d agreed to.

With a shocked, garbled cry, Rebel wrenched her mouth from his. Disengaging the fists locked in his hair, she slammed them on his shoulders and pushed.

‘Get off me. Now.’ Her voice was a shaky mess, light years from confident, and nowhere near rational.

Draco lifted his imposing body off hers, his control back in place as if that wild hunger she’d seen in his eyes had been a figment of her imagination. ‘Calm down, Arabella.’

She jumped up and fled to the other side of the room. One shaky hand sliced through her hair as she noted she’d lost her shoes along the way to insanity. ‘God, I can’t believe that just happened,’ she muttered under her breath.

He took his time to straighten his cuffs, then shrugged. ‘We needed to be familiar with each other. Now I know what you taste like, and you won’t jump whenever I touch you in public.’

‘Not if you’re going to paw me like you did a moment ago.’

He raised a mocking brow. ‘You reciprocated in kind, glikia mou. I’m sure I can locate a claw mark or two on my person should I feel inclined to do so.’

Heat rushed up her face at the reminder of her wanton behaviour. Folding her arms to still her body’s betraying tremble, she glared at him. ‘Are we quite finished? Only I’d like to get some sleep. I have an early start in the morning.’

He sauntered past her and paused at the door. ‘We are for now. Don’t forget we do this again tomorrow night. With added public scrutiny thrown in.’

Her heart tripped over itself as unpleasant images of being in a goldfish bowl tore through her mind. ‘Are you sure all this is just to save Carla? From where I stand, she seems to be doing just fine.’ Rebel hated herself for probing, but all day she hadn’t quite been able to shake the feeling that there was more to his motives where Carla was concerned than Draco was letting on. And she hated herself even more that the prime emotion when she thought about the two of them felt alarmingly like jealousy.

Draco’s face hardened into a steel mask. ‘I’ve learned to look beneath the surface, Arabella. If you bother to do the same, you’ll see that things aren’t always as they seem. Goodnight.’

She stayed rooted to the spot as he left her flat. Although his words echoed through her mind, it was the depth of feeling in his voice and wave of vivid pain that had crossed his face that stayed with her.

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘YOU’RE DATING DRACO ANGELIS?’

Shock lined every inch of Contessa’s face as she stood in Rebel’s doorway. Her mop of red hair and electric-blue dress should’ve clashed horribly, but somehow the ensemble worked. Probably because her unapologetic, no-nonsense attitude dared anyone to criticise her wardrobe style.

Not that Rebel would’ve done so as her manager brushed past her and headed for the kitchen. She plunked the bottle of champagne in her hand on the breakfast counter and turned to her.

‘Your email was a little vague as to why you weren’t going to Chamonix any longer, but I’m guessing this new development has something to do with it? Tell me it’s not true—’ She gasped as her gaze fell on the rock adorning Rebel’s finger. Rushing forward, she caught up Rebel’s hand. ‘What’s this?’