Page 35 of Wicked Little Darling

But rather than looking upset that I’d just destroyed a piece of his clothing, Dakota just seemed amused. “No need to go ripping my clothes off, darling. I would’ve gladly taken it off if you’d just asked.” He pursed his lips like he was thinking about something, then said, “No, never mind. That was hot. You can do that anytime. Blanket permission granted.”

His eyes were shining with heat as he stared up at me. I thought maybe his skin had some kind of toxin in it, because my mind was not working properly right now. “What?”

“You know I can feel you, right?” he said softly, those dark eyes boring into mine. Why were his eyelashes so thick? “I usually don’t like people touching me, but you…” His expression momentarily darkened, as if a bad memory had passed through his mind like a dark cloud. It bounced back to amused as quickly as it happened, and he was smiling up at me once again. “I like it. I really like it.”

He sounded a little surprised by that, but in an almost excited way. It was like when he’d saidWhat if I don’t want to leave you alone?Like he had no clue why he was reacting the way he was, like he didn’t understand himself.

I didn’t know how to handle someone saying things like that to me. I didn’t even know if he was coming on to me or what he was doing, if he was just amusing himself at my expense.

All I knew was I was uncomfortable in a way I’d never been before in my life, and the heat that was coalescing between us was about to set me on fucking fire.

No one had ever said anything like that to me before, and if he kept saying things like that, I wasn’t sure what I’d do.

“I can feel you, Reese.”

Feel me? I looked at his right hand, which loosely held the bow, then at his left hand, which was still holding the violin.

Dakota laughed quietly, the vibration of it sinking into my chest. “Not with my hands. I can feel you.There. On my stomach. You feel really big. Surprising, since you’re so peti?—”

I covered his mouth with my hand because I didn’t want to hear another word. “Stop it,” I whispered in horror. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and I cursed myself for always taking the bait. The bastard enjoyed getting a rise out of me, pushing my buttons, drawing out every negative reaction he could.

I had my answer.

He wasn’t coming on to me, he was just amusing himself at my expense. I wasn’t sure why he was doing this, but I really hated it. Even after all these years, I still let people get under my skin so easily.

I wanted to get away from him so badly that I almost saidfuck itand jumped off him, but the fear of him seeing my legs was so great that it broke through that impulsive need in less than a second, and I stayed put.

When something warm and wet slid along my palm, a line of heat shot straight to my groin and I gasped. My cock twitched where it was trapped between us, and I knew he felt it too because his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed.

I pulled my hand away from his mouth so he couldn’t lick me again, then wished I hadn’t when he said, “Fuck, I really want to touch you. Can I touch you?”

“No!” I cried. “Justpleaseclose your eyes so I can get off you!”

“Why do my eyes need to be closed? It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Or maybe it?—”

“Dakota!” My voice broke halfway through his name, and the desperation in it was humiliating.

Dakota stopped smiling, those dark eyes studying every inch of my pitiful face.

“First time you say my name, and it’s like that.” When he sighed and closed his eyes, I just sat there for a long moment, unable to believe that he’d given up so easily.

Was this a trick? Was he going to open them as soon as I moved?

My gaze trailed down to his lips again.

Why? You gonna kiss me?

He’d planted the seed in my mind, and now it was spreading its roots.

What would it feel like, to press my lips to his? Would they be soft and warm? What would he do if I leaned down and?—

I slowly slid off him, never taking my eyes from his face, making sure he really kept them closed.

And he did. He actually did.

I didn’t understand him at all. Just when I felt like I was starting to get a read on him, on who he was, he slipped through my fingers and did or said something entirely unexpected. It was maddening.

I quickly looked around for my towel, found it in a heap at his feet, and wrapped it around my waist while darting to the bathroom.