Rapture in Death Read Online Free PDF Page A

tucked his hands in his pockets and was grinning. Her lips curved as well. It felt very good to smile.
    “So, ice man” — she cocked her head, lifted a brow — “what are you going to do about your sexy new wife?”
    Roarke ran his tongue over his teeth, then stepped forward. “Why don’t I demonstrate?”
    She thought it would be better, facing the trip back, being flung through space like a kid’s ray ball. She was wrong.
    Eve argued, using what she considered very logical reasons why she shouldn’t get into Roarke’s private transport.
    “I don’t want to die.”
    He laughed at her, which had her eyes kindling, then he simply scooped her up and carried her on board. “I’m not staying.” Her heart jittered into her chest as he stepped into the plush cabin. “I mean it. You’ll have to knock me out to get me to stay on this flying death trap.”
    “Mmm-hmm.” He chose a wide, scoop-shaped chair in buttery black leather, kept her in his lap and, moving quickly, strapped her in, trapping her arms to limit any possible reprisals.
    “Hey. Stop it.” Panicked, she struggled, wiggled, swore. “Let me out. Let me off.”
    Her snug butt jiggling on his lap gave him a solid clue as to how he intended to spend the initial hours of the trip. “Take off as soon as you have clearance,” Roarke ordered the pilot, then smiled at the flight attendant. “We won’t need you for a while,” he told her and engaged the locks on the cabin doors the moment she made a discreet exit.
    “I’m going to hurt you,” Eve promised. When she heard the hum of engines gearing up, felt the faint vibration under her feet that signaled imminent takeoff, she seriously considered gnawing at the safety harness with her teeth. “I’m not doing this,” she said definitely. “I am not doing this. Tell him to abort.”
    “Too late.” He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzled her neck. “Relax, Eve. Trust me. You’re safer here than you are driving through midtown.”
    “Bullshit. Oh Christ.” She squeezed her eyes tight as the engine let out a powerful roar. The shuttle seemed to shoot straight up, leaving her stomach flopping on the ground below. The g’s slapped her back, plastering her against Roarke.
    She was barely breathing by the time the ride smoothed out and she discovered that the pressure in her chest was caused by the fact that she was holding her breath. She let it out in a whoosh, then sucked in air like a diver surfacing from a great depth.
    She was still alive, she told herself. And that was something. Now, she would have to kill him. It was then she realized that not only was she unstrapped, but her shirt was unbuttoned and his hands were on her breasts.
    “If you think we’re going to have sex after you — “
    He merely swiveled her to face him. She caught the glint of humor and lust in his eyes just before his mouth closed cagily over her breast.
    “You bastard.” But she laughed as pleasure speared into her, and she cupped her hands behind his head to urge him on.
    She’d never take for granted what he could do to her, do for her. Those wild floods of pleasure, the slow, thrilling glide of it. She rocked against him, let herself forget everything but the way his teeth nipped, his tongue licked.
    So it was she who pulled him onto the thick, soft carpet, she who dragged his mouth to hers. “Inside me.” She tugged at his shirt, wanting that hard, muscled flesh under her hands. “I want you inside me.”
    “We have hours yet.” He dipped to her breasts again, so small, so firm, already warm from his hands. “I need to taste you.”
    He did, lavishly. The subtle variety of flavors, from mouth to throat, from throat to shoulder, shoulder to breast. He sampled with tenderness, with finesse, with a quiet concentration focused on mutual pleasure.
    He felt her begin to tremble under his hands and mouth.
    Her skin grew damp as he roamed to her belly, easing her slacks down, nibbling his way between her