Part 14 (1/2)

She hesitated. The look in Lucian's eye was patient, yet indomitable. Slowly she rose on shaky legs and walked around the table until she was standing beside Lucian. She was very aware of Jamie's smiling gaze on her.

”Don't be shy,” Lucian said as he took her hand and pulled her to sit on his knee.

His fingers pulled at the collar of her sweater, exposing a slight bit of skin. Her spine stiffened as his lips press there.

”Relax,” he whispered against her neck. His mouth kissed up to her shoulder and to the curve of her neck.

She looked into Jamie's green eyes. They were no longer creased with laughter. He watched her carefully under lowered lashes, his hands folded over his chest. He was completely undisturbed by Lucian's show of affection.

Lucian's arm banded around her hips and she was pulled farther onto his lap. ”I like being watched, Evelyn. Does that bother you?”

His fingers lazily traveled up and down the sweater covering her tummy. Her heart began to race. Watched doing what exactly?

”Jamie is a voyeur. Do you know what that means?”

When she didn't reply he said, ”It means he does well with an exhibitionist as his friend.”

Her lips parted as Lucian's fingers gently lifted her sweater. Jamie's gaze smoldered as he watched his friend's hand slip under her top. Lucian didn't expose her skin, but his touch was obvious. Her sweater pulled tight over his hand as it continued to draw circles on her belly. His touch was hot over her skin.

Easing her back to his chest, his knees pressed between hers. He separated his legs, drawing her denim-clad thighs apart. His left hand moved over her hip and stopped at the apex of her thighs as his right hand landed softly over her lace-covered breast. She gasped.

”Shh, he won't see anything beneath your clothes. I'm just going to make you come.”

Her body tensed as his palm pressed down over her jeans and he rocked his fingers back and forth, applying pressure, kneading the area between her legs.

Scout tried to draw her legs together, but he used his own legs to stay her. His touch grew firm, surer. Jamie quietly groaned, but her eyes remained averted from his intense stare.

Lucian's mouth continued to kiss her throat. ”It feels good, doesn't it, Evelyn. You like having my hands on you, don't you?”

Her heart raced as a mixture of arousal and humiliation clogged her veins. Overwhelmed, she struggled to break his grasp, but his hold only tightened.

”Stay still.”

Why was he doing this in front of someone she just met? Was he purposely trying to embarra.s.s her? Punish her for something?

Tears p.r.i.c.kled her eyes and she blinked. His fingers molded over her s.e.x, spiking the pleasure that warred with her modesty. It was easier to give in than to fight him. Something told her if she said stop he would, but for some reason he wanted this and some twisted part of her wanted to prove she could give it to him, no matter the mixed emotions rioting in her head.

Forcing herself to surrender, she quietly breathed. Her body tightened and twitched in places she wasn't used to twitching. Her bottom clenched against his muscled thigh and his fingers moved faster.

”You're close. I can sense it.” His voice and touch gentled her struggles.

Lucian Patras had some sort of horse-whisperer hold over her she couldn't figure out. He changed her in ways no one else seemed capable of. It made her hate him and like him a little bit more. There was no black and white here, only shadows of innuendos and seedy intentions she was too inexperienced to navigate through.

The lace was pulled away from her breast as his warm palm cupped her in its place. His thumb touched the tip of her nipple and her spine trembled. A frightened rush filled her blood as she stared at Jamie staring back at her. Lucian was breathing hard and his body was rigid beneath her.

She cried out as he suddenly pinched her. His moist lips pressed into the flesh just below her ear. ”Shh, feel the pain transcend into a slow burn. Are you ready to come now?” His hand slipped out from under her sweater and he sucked two fingers into his mouth. The hand at the crotch of her jeans lifted and quickly undid the snap at her waist.

Lucian's wet fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her pants and pressed into an extremely sensitive place. A startled gasp escaped her as he rubbed over her bare flesh fast and hard. She reflexively jerked.

He held her down, pressed tightly to him, as she struggled with the intense sensations taking over her body. The hand under her s.h.i.+rt pinched her other nipple. His breath echoed over the sh.e.l.l of her ear and just before he bit down on her tender lobe, he whispered, ”Come.”

Her cry filled the room as her muscles locked. Moisture flooded her panties and her knees forcefully pulled together, locking Lucian's fingers between her legs. Her body throbbed and pulsed as her heartbeat filled her ears and Lucian's mouth sucked hard on her neck.

Scout didn't remember shutting her eyes, but when she opened them, Jamie's gaze locked with hers. His chest rose and fell beneath his dress s.h.i.+rt and he looked nothing like the good-humored man she'd met that morning. His eyes set in a narrow stare that made Scout all too aware of how vulnerable she was at the moment. Jamie suddenly seemed very much like Lucian. She recognized the predator hiding behind a friendly smile, a smile that had been replaced with parted lips. His expression was covetous.

Lucian's hand slowly pulled from between her legs. His fingers were glazed with moisture from her body. He brought them to his mouth and moaned. ”Delicious, Evelyn, very sweet.” He righted her clothes and briefly hugged her.

Embarra.s.sed, she turned in his lap and pressed her face into his shoulder. He held her and kissed her temple. She was grateful her hair was down, for it created a much-needed barricade around her.

She heard Jamie stand. ”Lucian, as always, it's been a pleasure. Scout, I look forward to seeing you again.” The door slowly slid open and shut.

They were alone again.

Chapter 14.

Safe Word Lucian's hands eased Scout back from his chest and sifted through her hair until he found her face. Tipping up her chin, he asked, ”You okay?”

She couldn't look at him. ”Why did you do that?”

”Did you not enjoy it?” His gaze moved over her face, taking in her upset. Softly, as if realizing how unprepared she had been for anything like that, he whispered, ”I don't know. I'm sorry, Evelyn. We haven't reached that stage yet. I shouldn't have put you in that position.”

Lucian Patras was not the kind of man who apologized easily. Somehow she knew that. She looked into his eyes and found nothing but sincerity. He was sorry. However, the part of his apology about not reaching that stage yet, disturbed her. She had grown up in places where people fulfilled their bodily urges with no regard to their audience. She expected more from the upper cla.s.s.

Nevertheless, there was something erotic in the act, something that created that reaction in her body. This worried her, worried her about the effect he was already having on her. She had the urge to sever any emotional link that may have stimulated such an emotionally charged result, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. Did there have to be an essential connection for her body to react that way?

Lucian kissed her cheek and eased her off his lap. ”I have to make some calls in the library. Why don't you go freshen up and then join me there.” His words were confident, but she detected concern in his gaze. She nodded and went to use the bathroom.

Two hours later she was sitting on a cus.h.i.+oned chair, watching Lucian as he made phone call after phone call. He was like a fascinating storm she knew she should avoid, but couldn't. He moved quickly and made fast finite decisions that changed the world around him.

She a.n.a.lyzed his appearance. His power made him seem older than he was. He seemed much older than her, but in reality, she'd be surprised if he was over thirty-five. She thought of Jamie. He looked like he was in his thirties. If they'd been friends since they were babies, then that made Lucian about the same. How did someone that age get so much power?

Just from hearing these men work today, she'd learned that Patras was more than a local commodity. There were also Patras hotels in Europe. And she now knew Lucian did more than own a chain of hotels. He developed properties and did things with the stock market and worked on a slew of committees.

He hung up the phone and the room was suddenly quiet. ”I'm sorry this has taken so much of my time today. I didn't expect to be held up here so long.”

Scout closed the garden magazine she had been looking at. ”That's okay. I didn't have plans,” she teased.

He eased his leather chair away from his desk and lounged back, watching her. ”What is it about you, Evelyn, that makes me want to go out of my way to make you smile? See, like that. When you smile you light up a room.”

Warmth spread in her chest. ”I like when you smile too. You don't do it enough.”

He breathed in a deep breath and let it out slowly. ”Well . . . you're certainly helping with that. Come on, let's get out of here.”

When they returned to the limo, she grinned with delight. Lucian had one of the servants set up a chessboard for the ride home. Once they were on their way he said, ”Okay, Ms. Keats, let's see how fast I can get you naked.”

Scout returned his challenging glare with a smile. ”You're on, Mr. Patras.”