Do I love him?
No. He’s delusional and pretty damn self-assured. There’s a pull between us, sure, an undeniable spark of something, but it’s not love…
Right?
My teeth grind as I take a step back. “You’re wrong, and you’re also a presumptuous jerk, and I no longer want you, so I’m leaving now.”
His grin widens. “And you’re a gorgeous little liar, but that’s okay,” he says with a shrug. “I’ve made you face your other truths, and I have no doubt I can make you face this one too.”
My stomach jumps with a thrill I don’t want to admit.
He thinks I’m gorgeous.
Okay, yeah, he thinks I’m a liar too, but the takeaway here is the gorgeous part.
I cross my arms and tip my chin up as if he didn’t just tilt my world on its axis. As if I’m not feeling exposed and terrified. “Don’t say love.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” I huff out, feeling overwhelmed. “That’s… I don’t have the best history with that particular word, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t say it.”
The bastard grins. “We’ll work on that.”
My eyes narrow, though my damn heart is pitter-pattering like a flock of feet. “Okay, goodbye.”
His lips twitch and he shakes his head. “As I said before, you’re not leaving, so you should know better than that.”
“I know that my ribbons are going to push you out of the way if you don’t stop teasing me.”
His eyes flick down, and I follow his gaze to see that my ribbons have once more started to slither up to his bed and wriggle around. “Great Divine,” I mutter.
Slade tries and fails to suppress his grin. “I’ll take my chances with them. So…since you’re staying, will you undress for me?”
My heart stops, eyes going wide. “Excuse me?”
“Soul, mind, and body, remember?” he says, a devilish spark in his eye. “I want all of you, and I’ll have you.”
A full-body flush streams down my skin and pulses low in my stomach. “Now?” I squeak.
He lifts a shoulder. “We can play this push and pull game for a little bit longer if you prefer. I enjoy our verbal sparring. The challenge makes the reward that much sweeter. But we both know it’s just a matter of time before I have you under me, spread out and gloriously naked with your sunlit skin pressed against mine as I take you hard and slow.”
“Good goddess,” I breathe, pressing a hand to my hot cheek. “You’re a crass one, aren’t you?”
Carnal amusement crosses his expression. “Oh, Goldfinch, if you think that was crass, then you don’t want to know the things I’m thinking, because they’re positively filthy.”
The intensity that’s always between us flares from the pit of my stomach and pulses between my thighs. This heated temptation has been building with every interaction, and I can’t help but feel like all the moments between us have led us to this. That it was just a matter of time before we were going to collide.
“Now, are you going to strip, or are you going to lie to yourself and pretend that this wasn’t what you wanted when you came here to see me?”
The cocky prick.
I arch a brow. “You can’t have me yet.”
His eyes flare with challenge. “Is that so?”
My hand waves toward the balcony. “It’s still daylight. Which means you can’t touch me.” I let a smug smile cross my face.
But Slade doesn’t look deterred. In fact, he starts prowling over to me, and the sly look he wears makes my own grin falter. “Why do you think I asked you to undress yourself?” he purrs as he comes closer. “If I could touch you right now, I’d already be doing it. Like I said, we have about half an hour, but just because I’m forced to wait until I slide my hands over your luscious body doesn’t mean we can’t have plenty of enjoyment in the meantime.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” My heart slams against my chest, and I retreat as he keeps coming forward until my back hits the wall.
“I wholeheartedly disagree.”
He doesn’t stop until he’s right in front of me, his hands coming up to brace on either side of my head. His power presses against my skin, making chills scatter down the side of my neck. In one inhale, I breathe in his scent like it’s my very own aphrodisiac.
This dangerous closeness is heightening everything. Desire coils between us so thick that I can taste it. The temptation of him is just a breath away, and yet, we can’t touch.