"Thank you for� for an interesting evening," she finally said, breaking the spell. She gazed into those honey-brown eyes, unable to look away. Even more than the things he�d done to her in the study, she wanted to remember those eyes, remember him gazing at her with smoldering, unchecked desire even as he must�ve sensed their inevitable end. "You were right�I won�t be able to look at a painting again without remembering tonight. Not even in an art history book."

He gave a slight bow. "In all things, I�m a man of my word."

"I do believe you�ve changed my mind about these events, Stranger."

"Likewise, my troublesome, insatiable wife." His golden eyes sparkled, and he took her face between his palms and kissed her deeply, both of them savoring the sweet intensity.

God, they�d been so good together�

No.

Charley wasn�t one for long goodbyes�she didn�t even like the word. Instead, she broke their kiss, offered one last smile, and turned away from him, intending to find her way back to the penthouse to look for Rudy. But before she could take another step, he grabbed her wrist and hauled her close again, pinning her against his broad chest.

The look in his eyes was no longer sparkling and playful, but dominant and possessive, setting her insides ablaze.

"Come home with me tonight," he demanded. And that�s exactly what it was. Not a request or an invitation, but a demand.

Charley�s thighs clenched.

"I promise I�ll be a very, very good boy," the man said, pressing his lips to her neck.

"That doesn�t sound like fun at all."

"I was being a gentleman." He moved up to her ear, leaving a trail of fiery kisses on her skin. "I don�t think you�re ready to see my bad side."

Fuck. Charley was so ready to see his bad side�especially after he�d so expertly tapped into hers. With every kiss, every hot swirl of breath, her resolve was cracking�

The image of a shipwreck flashed through her mind, and she remembered the von Hausen hanging above the fireplace�a cold, harsh reminder that she wasn�t allowed to give in. To let her guard down. To turn a momentary lapse in judgment into an epic disaster.

"Enticing as your offer sounds," she said, pulling back, "I really can�t. I�m sorry."

And she was, too. More than he�d ever know.

He held her gaze for an eternity, the wheels spinning behind his eyes. "No."

"No?"

Cupping her face, he dragged a thumb across her lower lip, his eyelids weighted with desire. "I�m sorry, love. But I�m far from finished with you."

Her knees weakened, her lungs struggling to take in enough air. Never before had she felt such a palpable battle between the angel and the devil on her shoulders, each one making its own extremely compelling case.

The man ran his other hand down her back, pulling her even closer, the hard steel at her belly confirming his words.

He was far from finished with her.

He opened his mouth to speak again, and Charley knew that whatever he said next, she�d accept. Go home with him, strip off her clothes and take their chances right there in the park, anything. He was a drug to which she�d quickly become addicted, and despite the warnings blasting alarm bells in her head, she couldn�t walk away now.

It was too late. JrNovels.com