Tressa
started to turn, then hesitated. "Nick, sometimes all a person
needs is--"
He
slammed down the bottle with such force, it sent a geyser of spray
into the air and a cascade of foam running down its side to the
table. He moved so swiftly that Tressa gasped when he shackled
her wrist in an iron grip.
"You
haven't the vaguest notion of what I need right now or
you wouldn't still be standing here."
Tressa
looked up at him in wide-eyed alarm. "Let go of me!" She struggled
to wrench free, but was no match against his superior strength.
Gripped
by a primal need to possess her, Nick's heavy-lidded gaze focused
on her mouth.
Slow
down, old man. You're scaring her. You know how to play this game.
You've done it a million times. Don't hold her so tight. Be gentle.
Say something nice.
Fighting
for control, he loosened his hold without completely releasing
her. His gaze flickered lazily. "Tressa," he said softly. "Honey,
do you have any idea just how pretty you are?"
Thaaat's
right...
He
felt a shudder course through her and shifted his focus from her
mouth to her large, unblinking brown eyes. Eyes filled with apprehension...or...or
was it intrigue. Hell he was so spaced, he couldn't tell which.
And furthermore it didn't matter. Nor did it matter that there
were a thousand and ten reasons why he shouldn't be touching her.
He was just drunk enough to ignore what he shouldn't be
doing, and concentrate instead on what he was aching to do.
He
pulled her against him--intimately, reeling with the feel of her
body in direct contact with his and the heady scent of her filling
his senses. His hooded gaze dropped into the gaping neckline of
her nightshift and another intense wave of raw lust swept through
him.
"Tressa,"
he said nearly howling at the hunger raging through him. "I need
you." A heartbeat passed before he felt the jolt of comprehension
chase through her. He watched her throat work as she choked back
a convulsive swallow.
"Please..."
she whispered, unconsciously teasing him with her dimpled cheek.
This
woman-child had walked into his life and blown his entire existence
to hell with her smile, her flashing brown eyes, and her damned
dimple. He had never been so driven to possess a woman as he was
now. Even Linnae had never had him aching like this.
Slowly
his gaze slid back to her mouth. "A kiss. That's all I ask. Just
a kiss."
"A
kiss?" she repeated as though not quite understanding.
"That's
all, honey. One kiss."
After
a long moment of thought, she went up on tiptoes and kissed him
on the cheek.
Nick
was so primed, he froze at the touch of her mouth brushing his
hot skin. And before she could protest, he'd lifted her several
inches off the floor and pinned her against the wall. "Not like
that, baby," he growled. "Like this..." He captured her
mouth in a kiss that was both tender and shockingly seductive.
He felt Tressa's body jerk in response when he touched the tip
of his tongue to the corner of her lips, seeking entrance.
"Nick..."
Her parted mouth allowed him access, and with a groan he took
advantage of the moment. Tressa struggled to break free, but it
was far too late for any hope of freedom. With hot desire overriding
the dictates of his mind, Nick lowered his shaggy dark head and
kissed the pulsing hollow at the base of Tressa's throat. "You
should have gone back when I told you to," he murmured quietly
and so seriously there was no mistaking his intent.
Again,
with no success, she pushed against his shoulders. "Nick, please..."
He
wasn't listening. Cupping her bottom, he lifted her higher and
adjusted his position.
"Nick..."
"Shhhh,
baby just let me hold you," he whispered, leaning into her heavily,
intimately securing her against the wall. He caught her head in
his hands and once again lowered his mouth to hers, seeking--demanding
entrance.
Slow
down. You're frightening her again.
Leashing
his rampaging emotions was not on his agenda. He wanted to ravish
her, to make passionate love to her. He growled her name, and
Tressa stifled an answering sob.
And
then she relaxed. Suddenly. Almost as if some unseen force had
taken over, she melted into his embrace.