locked on her mouth as she slowly licked the last drop from her skin.
She wasn’t far away, and she could see his expression tighten. Ha! So he wasn’t entirely Mr. Cool, Calm, and Collected. She brought her drink to her lips again, this time using her tongue to lick the rim, slowly. Seductively.
He missed a beat.
She smiled. And savored the anticipation of waiting for his show to end. She was going to leave her panties on. And find out for herself what happened when she disobeyed an order from Mark St. Crow.
Chapter
Five
Y ou didn’t take off your panties,” he whispered against Ruby’s ear as she passed through the door. The chilly air hit her. She couldn’t tell if it was from his warm breath in her ear or the slap of cold air, but a shiver raced up her spine.
“I couldn’t exactly just whip them off in front of Meg.” Not that her friend would have cared. Meg had practically shoved her out the door with Mark, saying she’d catch a ride home with a friend.
He followed Ruby into the alley and a limo pulled up. Soon they were zipping over the hilly streets toward her house in the Richmond District. They bumped along in silence until she glanced his way. Her breath caught. Those eyes of his: Dangerous. Exciting. Tempting. They made her want to unlock all her secrets and lay them at his feet.
And then he pulled her to him, kissing her softly. As he pressed his lips against hers, her head fell back against the worn leather of the limo seat. Her body went limp; he knew exactly how to make her melt, and there was a beauty in letting him.
There was something about opening up with a stranger. No rules, no limitations. Nothing to lose. Now, she sighed as his hand caressed her knee, moved over her thigh and slid under her dress.
“Open for me.”
Her dress stretched against her thighs as she let her legs fall open.
Pulling her panties aside, he gently nuzzled his mouth against the side of her neck. “You make me so fucking hot, Ruby. Something about you…”
The limo crested a hill, then dipped over the other side. Her stomach dropped from the quick fall while at that very moment he slid a finger into her moist sex. She gasped.
He pulled out and pushed again, this time punctuating his movement with a sharp nip to her ear. Pure lust surged through her, had her nerves tingling, electrified.
“I want you bound for me. I want to see you so turned on you scream my name. I want you in so many ways, Ruby.”
Even now, some part of her brain reminded her that she’d only just met him. Yet she felt safe, safer than she had in so long. With her body melting around his hand, she had no doubt he could give her what she so deeply craved.
She could barely admit it even to herself. But she wanted to be possessed, ruled. To experience the secret desires she’d admitted to no one, not even to Ash. Not even to herself. And this was perfect; a perfect stranger to take her there.
One night. Get it out of your system. Move on.
His chest pressed against her arm, and when he spoke she could feel his voice on her skin. “If we’re going to do this, we’re doing it right. The way you want it. The way I know you want it.”
His hand still cupped her between her legs, warm and firm.
“Yes,” she said.
He spoke softly, his hot breath sending thrilling pinpricks over her shoulders, down her arm. “Tell me your limits, Ruby. Tell me how far I can push you.”
“I–I don’t know.” Apprehension and anticipation mingled inside her. She had no idea what to say. And she didn’t want to have any limits, not tonight.
“I noticed you looking at my cuffs earlier. Tell me, Ruby. Do you like leather? Do you like being restrained?”
Even now she could smell it on him, and the scent was nearly as erotic as his touch, his voice. She nodded.
“Would you like to feel it on your skin? Striking you?”
When she was silent, he said, “Well, Ruby? Would you like that? Would you give me that privilege?”
She could barely