Page 4 of Beguiled

Hard.

While surprised, he didn’t try to stop me as I rushed further away into the shadows, refusing to go the way I’d come and be forced to pass all the rich guests. I suddenly felt completely inadequate, Cinderella at a ball she didn’t belong at. That’s why I headed toward the opposite end of the terrace, hoping there was another set of doors leading me inside.

I could use every excuse in the world about why I needed to leave the party. The real reason was one I’d keep to myself. I wanted to let go. With a stranger. For once. Fuck being a good girl.

When a hand grabbed my arm, I was shocked, but my mind was ripped with the hope that the person who’d stopped me was the sensual stranger.

A single breath told me otherwise, the stench indicating far too much alcohol mixed with cigarettes.

“I saw you inside. You’re very beautiful. I think you and I should go somewhere. All alone.”

Whoever this was appeared to be drunk, slurring his words just enough I doubted he’d remember accosting a woman in the morning.

My reaction was more reminiscent of what a woman should do when faced with a slimy asshole.

“I think you need to get your hands off me.”

Instead of taking a step away, he decided to wrap his hand around my neck. Then words were spoken in the same language I’d just heard, but with an entirely different inflection. This asshole’s words were a threat.

I’d leave tonight feeling as if I’d been shoved into an action thriller. The horrible man was suddenly yanked away from me. The darkness couldn’t hide when he was lifted into the air and off his feet before being pitched against the side of the building.

There was no mistaking that the handsome stranger from before had come to my rescue. The instant fear sweeping through me only seconds before faded as my handsome hero lowered his head because the man who hadn’t wanted to take no for an answer was that much smaller. While I couldn’t hear the words, I instantly knew the weight they carried by how much the unwanted stranger started to shake.

And nod. Violently.

He muttered two words and my hero released his hold, growling like a beast in the wild when the jerk scuttled away.

My stranger watched him leave then turned his full attention to me, moving in front of me, placing one hand beside my head.The move was completely protective and, in my mind, and with the explosive heat of my body, I was already swooning.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“I’m fine. Thanks to you.” Annoyance crept into my voice.

He didn’t budge and neither did I. While my breathing remained labored, he was very much in control. And maybe that’s why I didn’t mind letting go of mine if only for tonight.

In an insane move that I’d likely question later, I gripped his shirt with both hands, pulling him closer. The way he peered into my eyes screamed of possession.

“What do you want, beautiful lady?” he asked in a voice only allowed in dark fantasies.

“For you to kiss me. Fuck me. I need you right here. Right now.”

“Are you certain?”

A true gentleman allowed a woman to decide. “Oh, God, yes.”

He didn’t hesitate any longer, his lips crushing mine. Now I was free to enjoy the taste of him, scotch and cinnamon, a deliriously amazing combination. I remained as lightheaded as before, but I’d never wanted anything as much as I did having his cock thrust inside.

If that made me a very bad girl, I just didn’t give a shit.

As he controlled my mouth, his tongue becoming a lethal weapon, I ripped at his shirt so that I could slide my hands underneath. Oh, my goodness, his skin was on fire, scalding my fingertips. We were both making primal sounds, growls and grunts that would match any predator in the wild.

He ran his hand down my side, tickling my breast before moving to my thigh. When he curled the material in his hand, I parted my legs. Eager.

Willing.

Demanding. Who was I kidding? I was yearning to be touched by someone who felt the same. The kind of burning desire that refused to let go.

The kiss was phenomenal and the feel of his long, thick fingers as he brushed them toward my soaked panties kept the electric sensations dancing all the way to my toes.