the bar. âI wanted to celebrate. I thought that maybe youâd have a drink with me. I donât know anyone else in Las Vegas.â
âDid you order the champagne before or after you decided to resign?â
âBefore.â Sheâd been feeling blue this morning. Timâs reason for dumping her had opened a deep wound in her psyche. Stepping on to the plane, sheâd felt like an ugly frumpy mess. Sebastian had treated her like a dictation machine the whole flight. She was invisible. Unremarkable. So when theyâd arrived at the hotel, sheâd bought a new dress, gotten her hair cut and styled, and realized she wasnât dull after all. âCan you open this?â
He took the champagne bottle and set it aside. âIf you need liquid courage to go through with this, maybe we should forget the whole wager.â
âNo.â She cursed her breathless tone. âItâs my birthday. I want to celebrate.â
She reached past him for the bottle, determined to open it herself. Shock waves buffeted her as he threaded his fingers through her hair.
His heat pounded against her like a rogue wave, catching her off balance. She grabbed at his forearms and hard muscle flexed beneath her touch.
He lowered his lips to the very corner of her mouth. Skintingling at the grazing contact, she shifted her head, but his lips were already gone. She sighed in dismay as he drifted kisses along her cheek.
âYou smell like sweetness and sin,â he murmured, dragging his thumb across her lower lip. âHow do you manage it?â
Relieved to know he wasnât completely immune to her, she said. âNew perfume. Itâs called Sweetness and Sin.â
âRemind me to buy you a case for Christmas.â
His hands cupped her head, holding her poised between close-enough-to-kiss and his-lips-werenât-going-anywhere-near-hers. Despite the anticipation humming through her body like a high-voltage power line, anxiety was beginning to seep in.
Why was he stalling?
Had she imagined the interest in his eyes? What if he didnât find her attractive after all?
Maybe if she gave him a little reminder why they were here, heâd remember his manners and make love to her.
âSebastian,â she began, her tone a low warning.
âYes, Missy?â
In one long caress, he eased his hands down her spine to her hips and back up again. Her muscles melted against his hard body. As nice as it was being this close to him, proximity to so much raw male power was causing a dramatic spike in her sexual frustration.
âWe had a deal.â
âDeals are made to be broken.â
âI won you fair and square,â she said, determination punctuating each word. âSo, quit stalling and pay up.â
Â
Frustrating woman.
Yet amusement dominated annoyance at his assistantâs command. How had he never noticed her bossy streak before? âWhere would you like me to start?â
âIâd like a kiss.â
His attention zeroed in on her gorgeous mouth. At the moment, it was pursed like a disapproving librarianâs. Far from kissable.
âThen what?â
His question launched her eyebrows toward her hairline. When her lips popped open to utter whatever brazen retort brimmed in her eyes, he lowered his head and took control of her mouth.
Warm. Sweet. Pliant. Her lips came alive beneath his. She opened to him and surrendered. Heâd never dreamed it would be like this with her. No hesitation. No games. Just pure joy. Delicious perfection.
Right now, he wanted Missy like no other woman heâd ever known. His need gave her power and that infuriated him. But he couldnât stop the onslaught of longing to take everything she offered him.
Her tongue danced with his. Already he knew how she liked to be kissed and what to do with his lips and teeth that made her writhe against him in wild abandon. Desire swept over him, an enormous, overwhelming rush