c Cross, maybe. Costly enough to make my head spin. I sat rigidly, my we

or slamming shut firmly. The drive

ilence between us. I stared out the wi

nic whispered, his

was doing a crazy tap d

yself to l

a way that spoke to total command. Even here, in the rear of a car with a

is," I blurted out befo

an eyebrow

radiating to my face. "Get in

s eyes. Amusement, maybe.

know me,

: ruthless, brilliant, sinister. A man who crushed competition without a secon

e I was

I asked, desperate t

lace p

mach c

that I could delude myself int

essed for-"

he cut in, his g

d not because

wntown lights. When finally it came to a stop, I opened my ey

ught-iron gates. Ivy scaling stone walls

I ascended behind him on wobbly legs. His hand lay li

ardwood floors, heavy velvet drapes, warm golden lighting. It sm

cozy table was set. Two places. Candles fl

s. No int

st

, and I sat down, my h

?" he

, afraid

hen poured himself one. Then he sat, fing

rds tumbled out,

He sipped his wine, regarding

erent," he s

ones. But what a sweet lie, and I w

lt how?"

ke it. You don't hide behind ac

ing into keeping it all under cover-my ne

-red. Dominic ate it with slow, economical motions. I

saying muc

sed to thi

" he asked, voi

lowed.

tudying me as if I were some p

ted from a second-rate college. Trying to make it i

inc

slow and

easy read,

ugh me. I pushed my pla

muttered. "This

e. One moment he was across the table; t

round my wrist-not t

ta

lar, and I seethed at be

his lips ag

inished wi

as stuck in

back. I sank slowly into

ss full again, the l

" he sa

spreading through m

omething delicate and sophisti

lled with the way h

already

ked again, my

eal smile, a dangerous s

ou're pure

a dry laugh

in. "In all the

ust smiled harder, like h

," he whisper

se to my

ablecloth, heart thud

w, he was guiding me through the house, up a

he windows, the sole soun

with whiskey, ha

" he sa

e burn shar

re?" I asked, startlin

iled

know if you tasted

my hand, landing with a m

than a blink, pushed into my

o stop," h

oul

oul

in, heart poundi

isse

essive. De

head back, deepening the kiss. His tongue da

oise swallowed

one hand creeping down to grip

he hard length of him pr

cravi

e *cra

the kiss,

s," he

nted, witho

nd pleased spra

gth, carrying me to a vast,

hocking gentleness, h

uin you," he sa

ticipation ra

," I wh

ths and hands and panting breaths as he str

mpletely, giving him ev

once, some

I th

ldn't have known-was that it

shadow of s

e reality, it would