The Russian's Furious Fiancee (7 page)

By the time they were back in the living room after dessert, she didn’t seem to notice when he sat next to her on the sofa as she regaled him with the benefits of the children’s after school programs. He’d enjoyed the evening with her more than he’d thought and didn’t want it to end, but it was after midnight and he had to get her home, or he was going to make love to her. The second would probably scare her off, but just one more taste, he thought as he leaned forward during a pause in her conversation.

Eva was startled when she felt his mouth touch hers. It was soft this time, coaxing and gentle. She reacted just as strongly though, even leaning into the kiss, wanting something deeper. She felt alive despite the late hour and the delicious meal with various wines. Normally, she would be asleep by now, but arguing with Damon really revived her spirit.

It took every ounce of his control, but Damon refused to let his hands touch her. He continued to touch and caress her with his mouth, letting her deepen the kiss. When her hands came up and held the sides of his head, he groaned with the need to take control but he held back, continuing to give her the lead.

Eva couldn’t believe how out of control she felt. She wanted this man to touch her, to make her feel the way he had earlier today but his hands weren’t touching her. His mouth was participating in the kiss, even tilting his head to deepen the touch, but his hands remained absent.

To encourage him, she moved her hands from his strong jaw, down his shoulders so she could feel his chest, revel in the strength of this man and the latent power of his muscles. He was awesomely made and one thought kept popping into her mind. She wanted to taste him. Not just his mouth although that was delicious after the excellent wine. But she wondered what his skin would taste like.

Instead of thinking about it, which probably would have discouraged her from doing anything about the driving need that was building inside of her, she moved her mouth from his and tentatively touched his neck with her lips. Then waited for his reaction. When he didn’t do anything, he didn’t pull away or move closer, she considered that permission to continue and her mouth moved down slightly, kissing about an inch lower, then lower still. Her body was in control now and she couldn’t resist when her tongue slipped out and tasted his skin. It was just as intoxicating as she’d anticipated and continued kissing and tasting him, her lips exploring his neck, his throat, moving down to the collar of his shirt and lower still.

When her lips kissed his chest where that small amount of chest hair was visible, she wasn’t aware that she was now straddling his lap, her hands moving against his chest and feeling his heart race under her fingertips. Her fingers mindlessly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing more skin to her curious fingers and tempting her to explore with her lips more. She pushed the fabric out of the way and tasted the skin on the right side of his chest. When her lips moved lower, finding his male nipple and tasting that, she heard him groan deep in his chest, felt the sound with her finger and the sound shot right down to her core, making her gasp with the intensity of the reaction.

“My turn,” he growled and with a swift movement, Eva found herself with her back on the sofa and Damon hovering over her, his mouth was no longer soft but demanding and powerful. She loved the way he took charge, her body gasping with the need for him to continue, to do more, make her feel things that she didn’t understand.

When his mouth moved down her neck, doing exactly what she’d done, she tilted her head, giving him better access while her body moved underneath him, her hands sliding inside his shirt to continue feeling his hot skin, her fingers moving across his body and feeling areas that made him flinch. She especially liked those places and continued to test them with her fingers.

When his fingers pulled her sweater over her head, she didn’t even care except to note that it wasn’t fair that she couldn’t do the same to him.

His fingers slid up her rib cage, cupping her left breast with his hand, heating the tender flesh through the fabric of her red, lace bra and she squirmed underneath him. His thumb slid over the sensitive peak, making her gasp with the pleasure that shot through her, pooling in her core and making her press her heat against his erection.

Damon couldn’t continue this much longer, but as he looked down at her, seeing that her eyes were closed and her body writhing beneath him, he was hard pressed to stop. He wanted her like he’d never wanted any other woman before. And he knew he could make her scream out his name, demand that she give in to the pleasure they could share with each other.

Unfortunately, he also knew that she’d be furious with him in the morning. He might have taken this too far already. She wasn’t prepared for this kind of intimacy with him and would be angry with herself in the morning. But if he stopped now, he might be able to salvage something out of it.

“Eva,” he called out and almost groaned when her heated grey eyes looked up at him, her fingers smoothing along his chest and sliding lower. He grabbed her hands to stop them, gritting his teeth with the need to bury himself deep inside of her. Patience, he told himself.

“Eva, if you continue to move those lovely fingers lower, then we’re going to continue this in my bedroom and we’re not going to stop.” He watched her eyes carefully, trying to determine if she understood the ramifications of what he was saying. “Do you want me to continue?” he asked, his body braced above her, every muscle in his body aching to lean down and kiss her nipples, to taste her essence and watch as she climaxed in his arms.

It took several moments, but Eva finally got her mind working. He was asking her something, looking at her strangely and she had to figure it out. Somehow, this was important.

She looked around, noticed that she was underneath him, his weight pressing her into the cushions of his sofa and she gasped. Sitting up quickly, she looked around and grabbed her sweater which was on the floor next to them.

She actually had to untangle her legs from his and was embarrassed that his hips were pressing against her so intimately. “I need to go,” she whispered and quickly pulled her sweater over her head. She couldn’t look at him as she stood up, pulling her hair out from under the sweater material and glancing around for her purse.

“I’ll drive you home,” he said with acceptance.

“I have my car,” she countered and tried to stand up. Unfortunately, her legs were still too weak after their bout on the sofa and she almost fell. He caught her, steadied her with his hands at her waist but even when she was able to stand on her own, he didn’t release her. “Look at me Eva,” he commanded, holding her firmly but not pulling her against him. He couldn’t take more of her soft body against him. If he pulled her closer, he’d pick her up and carry her into his bedroom despite her protests. He knew he could overcome any arguments she might bring up simply by kissing her once again. She’d be clinging to him in moments.

“Listen to me, Eva.”

“No. I have to go. Please let me go.”

“I enjoyed tonight. And not just kissing you,” he explained, ignoring her plea and forcing her to listen. “You’re an exceptionally passionate woman.”

“Please don’t,” she begged and closed her eyes, humiliation at what she’d just done overwhelming her.

“Don’t be embarrassed that we can do this to each other. I feel exactly the way you do,” he told her and lifted her hand so that she could feel his erection. She quickly pulled her hand away and curled her fingers against his chest. “I’m not embarrassed by what you make me feel. And you shouldn’t be ashamed by how I can make you feel either. We work well together. Don’t forget that.”

“Fine. I have to go,” she said and pulled out of his arms. She rushed out of the family room, her head bowed.

“I’ll drive you home. Just give me a moment to get my keys.”

Eva shook her head and grabbed her purse. “No. I can get home on my own,” she countered.

Damon looked at her flushed cheeks and her wary eyes and gave in, against his better judgment. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Thank you for dinner,” she replied, manners ever present despite her need to race out of this room as quickly as possible.

“Fine. But we’ll talk soon.”

Eva knew that she’d probably ignore every cell phone call she received for the next month if it would help her avoid talking to Damon again.

She rushed out of the penthouse, aware that Damon had his security guards follow her to her car to ensure that she got out okay.

Chapter 6

Eva stared at her reflection in the mirror, smoothing down the black crepe dress. Was it too overboard? She hoped so. The neckline came clear up to her collar bone and the hem ended just above her knee with no snugness on any part of her body. It was the elegant equivalent of a potato sack. It was perfect! She’d bought it about two years ago when she was about ten pounds heavier and it had looked good back then, but it was just barely outside of the ‘frumpy’ description now.

Thinking back to two nights ago when she’d shivered in Damon’s arms, she was fighting for survival now. She had to arm herself however possible and this dress would hopefully send the right message to Damon.

Just thinking about that night made all of her body remember the frustration she’d endured as she’d tried to sleep that night. She’d tossed and turned, punching her pillow, even trying a cold shower but nothing had helped. She hadn’t gotten to sleep until she heard the birds just before dawn that morning and then her alarm had gone off. In total, she’d gotten maybe two hours of sleep, all because he’d kissed her and touched her that way.

A pair of pearl earrings and she was ready. Just in time since the doorbell rang at that moment and she surveyed her appearance one more time to make sure there wasn’t any femininity visible, no indicators that she was trying to impress him in any way. She walked across her bedroom ten times to keep him waiting, knowing that a man as robotic as Damon Kelopatros values punctuality. If he was going to demand she attend these functions with him, she was determined to make him as irritated as possible.

And if it drove her just a bit crazy to be late, that was just something she’d have to deal with herself. She could do it, she told herself as she walked across the room one more time, circling her bed and even walking through the en suite bathroom as well just for general purposes.

When she finally walked down the stairs, expecting him to be standing in the foyer waiting impatiently, she was severely disappointed. Instead, he was in her father’s office, discussing business! How rude! She walked into the room and the two men continued discussing P/E ratios and the merits of one company over another for investments. Despite herself, her attention was captured by the knowledge he had of so many companies and she took mental notes, praying that none of this information would be considered insider trading.

After several minutes, the men realized she was standing at the doorway and stopped their conversation. So much for making Damon wait, Eva thought, suppressing her frustration at being outmaneuvered. She wouldn’t give up though. The man might be a master at manipulating the financial world and making it bow down to his whims but she was a different force altogether. She could win this war if she could just keep her mind from floating away. That meant not letting him touch her, and definitely no kissing or anything beyond that!

When he noticed her, he stood up and nodded briefly to her father. “Let’s go,” he said and walked out of the room, no acknowledgement or greeting at all. She turned and glared at his back, fuming even more since he was now ignoring her.

She looked back at her father to see if he had noticed what Damon had done but her father was already on his cell phone, playing out whatever tips Damon had given him a moment ago so she wouldn’t get any support from that quarter. Nothing new there, she thought with resentment.

She considered going back up the stairs or simply sitting down in the living room to wait until he acknowledged her. In the end, she was tired of fighting him and too curious as to where he’d gone so she wandered out into the foyer to find him leaning against one of the marble columns, one eyebrow raised in question.

Her response was to stare right back at him. If he wasn’t going to greet her, why should she bother?

“About time,” he said and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her parents’ house without a backwards glance.

As they stepped out into the night, he held open the passenger side door to his powerful looking car for her silently. When he got in beside her, she said sarcastically, “I thought you were trying to impress me with your charm and sparkling personality.”

He started the car, but then turned to glance at her briefly before putting it into gear and driving down the long driveway. “Am I missing something here?”

“Shouldn’t you be telling me how lovely I look or that you like my dress?”

He shook his head. “You chose the dress simply to irritate me so what’s the point in telling you that you look nice when you went out of your way to look appropriate but wearing a dress that is about as unflattering as you could possibly have chosen?”

She was stunned initially, never having been with a man who was so harshly honest before. After a moment though, she laughed, impressed with both his honesty as well as the fact that he’d seen through her ploy and wasn’t going to let her get away with anything. “Well, that’s blunt enough I suppose.”

“Good try though,” he said and winked at her before turning to the right so he could catch the highway to wherever they were going for the evening, the powerful purr making her think of a dangerous, black panther.

“But you aren’t impressed.”

He concentrated on passing through a group of vehicles, then accelerating out of the cluster of traffic. “I prefer that dress to something more…flagrant, if that helps. It just tells me that you want me to be the only one who sees your charms, which I sincerely appreciate.”

She chuckled again and looked out her window. “Trust you to turn things around so they benefit only you. You’re creative, I’ll give you that.”