“That isn’t necessary. Accidents happen.”
He grinned, showing off his perfect white teeth. “Well, then allow me to make a second donation this evening. Would you care to lead the way?”
He held out his arm and she all but tripped, wrapping her wrist and arm around him. They began to walk away toward the donation table when he glanced over his shoulder. “Sister, dear,” he said, his voice sickeningly sweet. “Don’t go anywhere just yet.”
And that was my cue to leave.
I dug my coat check ticket out of my clutch and turned it in, wondering after several minutes if the guy decided to go to the store and buy me a new one because it took so long for him to bring it back. When he did arrive, I snatched it out of his hand and didn’t bother to put it on but went out the great double doors and onto the porch (if you could even call it that. It was bigger than my entire apartment).
On my way to the stairs, I wondered how long the valet would take to find my Jeep.
Charming appeared out of nowhere, taking me by the elbow and pulling me around. “Where do you think you’re going?” he growled.
“Away from you.”
Someone passed by and glanced at us. Charming dropped my arm and smiled. “You shouldn’t be out here without your coat. You’ll catch a cold.” He took my coat and held it out like any gentleman would.
The passerby smiled and moved out of earshot.
“Wouldn’t want you to die,” Charming intoned when I slipped my arms into the sleeves.
“Gee, how thoughtful of you to be concerned,” I said dryly.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he said low.
“I’m here for charity,” I said innocently.
“What’s the cause and how much did you donate?” he asked, rocking back on his heels and slipping his hands into his slacks.
Even when he was acting like a pompous ass, he looked like a perfect Ken doll. Idiot.
“It’s called the save-an-innocent-woman fund. And thankfully, screwing up your plans didn’t cost me a thing.”
“You can show up here tonight, try and make me look like an idiot, ruin my chance of getting to know the Target—”
“Her name is Rosalyn,” I interjected.
He talked right over me.
“But there is always tomorrow. And the next day. I’m not going to give up.”
“I told her you were gay.”
That got his attention.
He stood there for long moments, his perfect jaw practically unhinged from his face. “You did what?” he finally asked, shocked.
“I admit, you’re good. You managed to impress her already. I had to do something to lessen the blow of that charm that seems to work on everyone but me.”
The look—the anger—that crossed his face made me take a step back. Again, I wondered if I was acting like a fool by baiting the wrong man.
I certainly didn’t stand around and wait to see what he would do. I rushed down the stairs and gave my ticket to the valet and prayed he would hurry the hell up and that my Jeep wasn’t parked in the nosebleed section of this property.
The valet went off in search of my car and then I was alone. Outside. In the dark.
“She couldn’t possibly have believed you,” he said from behind. His voice was low and calm. Something about that made that feeling in my stomach start up all over again. Full force.
I looked over my shoulder, tossing my curls, and I moved my head. I might feel jumbled up on the inside, but damned if I would show it. “Why is that? All I am is a very concerned sister about her extremely charming brother who just doesn’t understand the effect he has on the opposite sex.” I put my hand on my hip. “Why wouldn’t she believe me?”
His chin dropped down and he pinned me with an aggressive green gaze. The muscles in the side of his jaw worked and I glanced around for the valet. He was nowhere in sight.
Charming’s perfectly polished black dress shoes made a hollow sound when he stepped forward. I turned fully around to face him, standing my ground.
I pretended not to notice the way my knees began to shake as he prowled toward me.
“The valet is going to be right back.” I reminded him we weren’t alone.
He said nothing, just took another step closer, his eyes not once leaving my face.
“Someone could come out here at any moment.”
He stopped in front of me, so close I could feel the body heat he emanated, and his shoulders were wide enough that I could see nothing but him.
He reached out, his hand delving inside my open coat and sliding over my hip, his fingers digging in just slightly. “I like that dress,” he growled. “Red is my color.”
“Is it?” I lifted a brow and ignored the heat searing my body. “I hadn’t realized you’d staked your claim over a color.”
He took another step forward and I had no choice but to step back. He was like a solid wall that bulldozed me wherever he wanted.
“From now on,” he said low, “you aren’t allowed to wear this color.” As he spoke, his other hand also found its way beneath my coat and curved around the other side of my hip.
“I don’t take orders from you.” Damn my breathless voice!
“No?” he asked, amused, the corner of his lips tilting slightly. “What will you take from me?”
My back hit the nearby brick retaining wall. And I was completely surrounded. One of his hands crawled around to the small of my back and grabbed a handful of the red silk.
I didn’t have time to say anything. To declare I couldn’t even stand his presence. I wouldn’t have been able to form a sentence anyway because he yanked me forward and his mouth covered mine.
Aggressive. That’s how he kissed. Like he was staking a claim, not only on my lips, but my entire body.
I couldn’t think.
I couldn’t breathe.
I didn’t care.
I only wanted his lips to never leave mine.
He kissed continuously, endlessly. His lips moved over mine over and over again with the perfect amount of demand. And his hands… Oh mother, his hands.
They had minds of their own. They started out at my hips and around my waist, but they didn’t stay there long. They smoothed out the silk he’d bunched at my back and then cupped my body, sliding up my sides and around until my breasts were filling his very large, very warm hands. He squeezed—not enough so it would cause me pain, but enough that my body arched forward begging for more.
And boy did he give it. His mouth pulled away from mine and my head fell back, my hair sticking to the rough brick wall as he dropped kisses down the hollow of my neck, sucking and licking until I thought I would melt into a puddle right there on the street. His hands fell lower so he could draw lazy circles over my belly, the repeated movement almost making me mad as his lips dropped even lower into the exposed cleavage on my chest.