Read Her Wicked Heart for Free Online Page B

me,” he says, bringing his face down toward mine. He stops just shy of my mouth, but I can feel his breath on my lips. “You were willing to slip your tongue into my mouth.”
    I can’t move. He’s almost a foot taller than me, and it hurts my neck to keep looking up at his face, but every muscle in my body is frozen. Even my lungs don’t seem to be working right.
    His fingers drift up my arm, skimming across the elbow.
    “You were willing to take off my clothes,” he says. “Do you still want to take them off? Or would you rather I took off yours?” Every word is a warm wash of breath across my face.
    My fingers tingle slightly, and I clench my hands into fists so I’m not tempted to reach for his fly.
    His hand has reached my sleeve, and he slides two fingers beneath the fabric. He’s only touching my shoulder, hardly anything scandalous, and yet somehow it feels inappropriate.
    “What would you do,” he murmurs, “if I picked up where we left off? If I flipped you over and took you right here? Right on top of this table?” He shifts his hips forward slightly, pressing them against mine. “Or is it different, now that you know my name?”
    His fingers still caress my shoulder, but now he lifts his other hand to my hair. Just as before, he wastes no time in tangling his fingers in the strands. And then he grabs a handful, not quite enough to hurt, and pulls my head back so I can’t look down again, even if I wanted to. His eyes flash.
    “Does this still excite you?” he asks.
    I try to lie and shake my head, but it’s hard with my hair in his grip. Harder still when my whole body feels like jelly. His fingers slip out of my sleeve and grab the collar of my shirt, pulling it aside and exposing my shoulder. His thumb grazes the bare skin, but his eyes never leave mine.
    “You’re awfully quiet,” he says, “for someone who was so forward the other day.”
    I finally find my voice. “Maybe it’s better that way. I liked you a lot better before you opened your mouth.”
    My comment catches him by surprise, but then humor floods his eyes. He throws back his head and laughs, releasing me.
    I let out a breath as he moves away from me, but I still have to grip the table a moment longer while the feeling rushes back into my limbs.
    This is dangerous. This is very, very dangerous. I don’t like the effect this guy has on me. I’m supposed to be staying away from situations like this. Not melting beneath the touch of the first guy to offer me a new distraction.
    I turn around and bend down to grab the nearest pile of Huntington Manor T-shirts.
    “For someone who’s so self-righteous about cheating,” I say, “you certainly don’t have a problem jumping between girls quickly.”
    “Just to be clear,” Ward says, “nothing happened between me and Gracie until yesterday. And it won’t happen ever again. So that’s not really an issue here.” He’s returned to his work at the window, but I still don’t risk turning around.
    I take several deep breaths, trying to get my heart rate back to normal. My body might be eager for a little fun, but I don’t want another complication in my life. Even one with amazing arms.
    But Ward’s not about to let me ignore him.
    “What about you?” he asks after a minute.
    “What?”
    “Have you ever cheated?”
    I grab another handful of T-shirts. “That’s a little personal, isn’t it?”
    “More personal than sticking your hand in a stranger’s pants?”
    I’m not even going to respond to that.
    “No,” I tell him simply. “No. I’ve never cheated.” But even as I say it, a knot forms in my stomach. No, I’ve never had sex with someone when I was committed to someone else. But the real crime here isn’t the sex—it’s the abuse of someone’s trust. I might not have strayed physically or emotionally, but that whole mess with Ian still feels like a betrayal.
    My answer must satisfy Ward, though, because he drops the subject.
    I look back down at