Page 72

“No, not really,” she said tilting her chin to view his face. Winds whipped her hair and she smoothed her dress, her heart strumming.
He scanned her body, he didn’t even try to hide it, his dark eyes reflecting the street lamps. “Very well, he said. He tossed the keys to Gage. “You guys take the Mercedes. We’ll meet you back here,” he said, glancing at his gold jubilee Rolex, “about midnight.”
He took Donja’s hand as if it were second nature leading her across the parking lot. She followed, shocked by the feel of his skin which was warm…too warm to be human. He led her toward a black Ferrari.
“Where’s the Charger?”
“That’s a work car. This is mine,” he said, and then he spoke forcefully. “Open.” The Ferrari beeped. He opened her door and she slid into the red leather seat. He circled and got in, then spoke to the car and the engine purred.
Donja buckled up as he revved the motor. “You have voice control over your car?”
“I like voice control on all things with the exception being my woman. For her, I prefer eye control.” He gave her a serious look and for a moment she could only stare for he was so damn handsome that it took all her willpower not to dive into him. “Donja,” he asked with smoldering eyes, drawing her from fantasy. “How would you feel about that?”
“About what?” she blushed.
He smiled with thick lips beneath his thin mustache, curling. “You’re blushing, and I love that it’s because of me.”
“What did you ask?” she mumbled.
“I said I like eye control and I asked how you would feel about that.” He leaned closer. “A simple glance from your eyes to mine, your needs displayed like an open book.”
A wave of heat surged within, an instant yearning the likes of which she had never felt.
“Come now, don’t be shy,” he said as his lips parted. She fixated on his pearly white teeth contrasted by his deep olive complexion. “Wouldn’t you want that kind of control over a man?” he whispered.
She met his powerful gaze. “Well, I…maybe.”
“And could you reciprocate?” he asked as he blinked with thick lashes over smoldering eyes. “Could you give it back, drop him to his knees and shackle him with a simple look.”
Donja swallowed hard, but the fire building within, mixed with an intense fear of the unknown, silenced her tongue. She glanced to her hands which she held tightly in her lap.
“You’re trembling,” he said.
She bit at her lip, something building within.
“Your body temperature has increased,” he said, his voice deepening as he leaned closer, so close in fact that she shivered. “You’re wet,” he whispered, “and it’s about the most beautiful thing I have ever smelled.”
She took a breath fighting for control, her heartbeat pounding her temples. She slowly turned to meet his eyes. “Is there anything you don’t know about me?” she whispered, eyes locked on his lips.
His affect shifted from sensual to drop dead serious. “I can’t read your heart, Donja. When it comes to your body, the physiological aspects of your anatomy, I can read you like a book, every sentence of every line, but your heart, your true feelings,” he paused licking his lips, “are your own…and that leaves me vulnerable.”
She swallowed hard, her fingers entwined in each other, his scent reminiscent of incense intensifying and his voice—my God it was powerful, but not as much as his eyes. She turned away and focused on her lap as he navigated the parking lot, then sped away. He stretched his arm, his hand hovering over her exposed thigh. “May I?”
She felt her body quiver.
“Yes,” she whispered in sweet surrender.
He slowly lowered his hand and when he touched her, fire leapt through her. He slid a finger beneath the hem of her dress and by no will of her own, a gasp escaped her. Their eyes met simultaneously as a palpable current spread between them. He withdrew his hand.
“I’m sorry,” she gushed, “it’s just that I’ve never…it was,” she stumbled over her words, “overwhelming.” She took a breath. “Please don’t think that I was offended, I wasn’t.”
“But I was,” he said, his voice revealing his anxiety which until this moment, seemed nonexistent. He exhaled, gripping the steering wheel.
“You were offended?” she murmured.
“Not by you, but by myself. It’s best to wait until I gain control, for the feel of your skin is so inviting.” He exhaled again, dramatically. “It’s more than I can handle just now. Give me time, Donja, to build immunity. You’re even more powerful than I imagined.”
“But you seem, stronger, I mean, you’re able to get close to me.”