Page 17

God fucking dammit. Why did I have to choose right now to be a gentleman? Without another word, I turned away, walking back to my room and pulling my hotel key from my pocket.
I let out a long breath as I closed the door behind me, dropping my tuxedo jacket onto the plush brocade chair. The encounter with Scarlett in the hallway had left me achingly hard and desperate for relief.
Undoing my cufflinks with slightly shaky fingers, I tried to push the image of her in that slinky nightgown from my mind. Those luscious curves spilling out of the silky fabric. Her nipples pebbled from the chill air. The way she’d looked at me with that mixture of embarrassment and defiance when I caught her inthe hallway. Christ, I could have taken her right then and there against the wall.
Gritting my teeth, I shrugged out of my dress shirt and tossed it aside, my hands already working at my belt buckle. Just a few minutes alone and I could take the edge off.
A loud banging at the door made me freeze, my hands stilling on my belt. Muttering a curse, I quickly did up my belt again and stalked over to the door, yanking it open with more force than necessary.
And there she was, standing with her arms crossed over that nightgown like a siren calling to the depths of my desire. Those blue eyes bored into me, equal parts fire and ice.
“I’m so fucking sick of you.” Her voice was low and husky, with a tone that went straight to my groin.
“Likewise.”
She took a few steps into the room, and I backed up hastily, my whole body on fire.
“You want to know why I’m sick of you, Rhett Rivers? It’s because you’re nothing but an arrogant, entitled playboy who thinks he can get away with anything. You waltz in here, oozing charm and confidence, acting like the whole world should bow down to you.” She poked a finger into my chest, her eyes flashing with anger.
The scent of her perfume surrounded me as I stood there, momentarily stunned by her outburst. This woman was going to be the death of me. I could feel it in my bones. And somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“I know exactly the kind of man you are - shallow, callous, and only out for yourself. And I want no part of it. So, you can take your charm and your arrogance and your…and your hotness! And you can shove them where the sun doesn’t shine, because I’m not interested.”
Snap. That was the last thread of my self-control. Her eyes were blazing and her chest heaving. She looked like a fucking goddess. I was rock hard.
“Right. I’ve had enough of this. You want it or you don’t. You can’t come in here lit up like that, looking like that, and expect to get away easily. No more games.” I took two steps forward, my pulse leaping when she scurried backwards until her back hit the wall. “I’m gonna give you one last chance.” Crowding her in, I put my arm on the wall above her head and reached for the door, swinging it wide. “You’ve got five seconds to get the fuck out of my room, or I’m going to drag you to my bed and rail you so hard you forget your own name.”
CHAPTER 9
Scarlett
Rail. Me. So. Hard. I. Forget. My. Own. Name.
“Five.”
Get the fuck out of here.
“Four.”
Are you fucking insane?
“Three.”
You can’t do this.
“Two.”
My feet were stuck to the floor, my whole body frozen, even as liquid fire flooded my system. God, his bare chest wasright there!And the way he smelled. There was no way I had the strength of will required to walk out of this room. It was in that moment that he realized it too, because heat flashed in his eyes and he said, “One.”
Slamming the door with unnecessary force, he crushed his lips to mine.
His kiss was demanding, claiming me with a ferocity that made my knees go weak. I clung to him, fingers digging into the hard muscles of his back as he pressed me hard against the wall. A growl rumbled in his throat and the vibrations shot straight to my core.
“You’re mine,” he rasped against my mouth before trailing scorching kisses along my jaw. I arched into him shamelessly, whimpering at the delicious friction.
One of his hands slid up to fist in my hair, angling my head to allow deeper access. The other curved possessively around my waist, pulling our bodies flush together. I could feel every rigid inch of him, and my body throbbed with desperate need.
“Say it,” he demanded, teeth grazing my pulse point.