Chapter 4

• Flashing a brilliant smile of pure male satisfaction, the prince finally lowered his head and claimed her mouth once more. He kissed her with incredible skill, his touch confident and possessive as he drew every last drop of response from her parted lips.
• Her senses were utterly overwhelmed, her pulse accelerating completely out of control. Maya was aware of nothing except the sudden, desperate needs of her own body. Her arms tightened around his neck, and she felt a sudden shift in him. His kiss deepened, turning from teasingly playful to fiercely purposeful. She realized with a lurch of thrilling panic that this was no longer a mild flirtation or a casual game. Prince Lucian was an experienced, powerful man who knew precisely what he wanted and possessed the absolute confidence to take it.
• “Maybe we should... slow this down,” she gasped, burying her fingers into the firm muscle of his shoulders to support her shaking knees.
• “Slow works for me,” he murmured, his hands tracing the curve of her lower back and hips. “I’m more than happy to savor every inch of your incredible body. The main event hasn't even started yet, so why rush?”
• “I didn’t mean—oh—” Her head fell back as his lips trailed a burning, sensuous path down the side of her throat. “I can’t think straight when you do that—”
• “Then focus on me,” he advised. He lifted his head, his dark, striking eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re trembling. Are you nervous?”
• Terrified. Desperate. Weak with longing.
• “I... I’ve never done anything like this before.” Her whispered confession made him freeze instantly.
• “Exactly what,” he asked carefully, “haven’t you done before?”
• He released his grip on her waist and slid his fingers beneath her chin, forcing her to look directly at him, his sharp eyes suddenly searching her face for answers.
• Maya swallowed hard.
• Oh God. He was going to stop. If she told him the whole truth, this sophisticated, breathtaking man would step back, and she would spend the rest of her life wondering what might have been.
• Was she really going to let her own insecurities destroy this moment?
• Setting her doubts aside, she slid her arms back around his neck. She didn't fully understand what was happening or why her heart was hammering so wildly, but she knew with absolute certainty that she didn't want him to walk away. “I meant... I’ve never done anything this wild in a place where anyone could see.”
• He raised a dark eyebrow. “We’re completely alone.”
• “But someone could walk through those doors.” She desperately wished he would kiss her again. Would he think she was too bold if she leaned in first? “What would happen then?”
• “They’d be arrested,” he replied dryly, “and escorted off the premises.”
• “Oh.” Reminded instantly of the sheer authority of the man she was holding, Maya felt a fresh wave of intimidation. Please, just kiss me again. When his lips were on hers, she forgot his title, his power, and her own bruised ego. Standing on the precipice of something completely reckless, she looked up at him, and he let out a low, velvety laugh.
• “You talk too much, do you know that?” He smoothed a rogue lock of auburn hair away from her flushed cheek in a slow, deliberate motion, that single touch raising her temperature by several degrees. “So... what’s it going to be? Yes, or no?”
• He was leaving the choice entirely in her hands.
• He was letting her know that if he kissed her again, there would be no turning back.
• “Yes,” she whispered, knowing there might be a emotional hangover later, but entirely willing to take the risk. “Oh, yes.”
• If she expected her breathless answer to be met with an immediate kiss, she was mistaken.
• “If you really want to slow things down,” he murmured against the sensitive skin of her neck, “I suppose I could always go back to that dessert sitting on the table.”
• Maya let out a faint sigh of frustration, and when he raised his head, she caught the wicked glint in his dark eyes. “You’re teasing me again.”
• “You were the one who suggested slowing down, tesoro.”
• She was finding it nearly impossible to breathe. “I’ve definitely changed my mind about that.”
• “Then why don’t you tell me exactly what you want?” He offered a slow, devastating smile that sent her nerves into total meltdown.
• “I want you to kiss me.” And not stop.
• “Is that so?” He lowered his head toward hers, dark lashes partially veiling the amusement in his gaze. “You aren't supposed to give me orders.”
• “Are you going to have me arrested?”
• “Now, there’s an interesting thought,” he purred against her lips. “I could lock you away in my suite until I’ve had my fill.”
• Her last coherent thought was Please don't ever get tired of me, before he effortlessly lifted her. The possessive grip of his hands on her thighs made it natural for her to wrap her legs around his waist. The delicate china on the table rattled faintly as he set her down on the mahogany edge. Only when she felt the sharp contrast of his belt buckle against her skin did she realize he had somehow gathered her skirt up around her waist.
• Flustered, she made a quiet attempt to pull the hem back down, but the solid pressure of his body held her firmly in place.
• “I love the stockings,” he growled softly, his eyes dark with raw intensity as he looked down at the delicate lace detailing against her pale thighs.
• Thighs that were definitely far from runway-thin.
• Her fragile new confidence flickered for a second under his gaze, and Maya tugged uselessly at her skirt to cover herself. “Brenda requires the traditional uniform,” she stammered. “Could you... please stop staring at me?”
• “Absolutely not,” he assured her, a touch of laughter in his voice. He released her waist, took both of her hands, and brought them around to rest on his shoulders. “Take a deep breath for me.”
• “Why?”
• A dangerous smile transformed his striking features into something completely lethal. “Because I need you to undo a few more of those buttons without me taking my hands off you.”
• Hyper-aware of how self-conscious she usually felt, Maya tensed, only to relax as she felt the unmistakable enthusiasm in his touch. “You... actually like my curves?”
• “I just want to lose myself in you. What’s your secret—endless workouts? A specialized trainer?” He let out another low groan, anchoring her hips and pulling her firmly against him. “How do you look like this?”
• “I ate two whole boxes of cookies last night,” Maya admitted truthfully, and he burst into a genuine laugh.
• “I love your sense of humor. From now on, consider yourself supplied with an endless supply of your favorite bakery treats.”
• Slightly stunned that he seemed genuinely captivated by what she considered her biggest flaw, Maya opened her mouth to speak, but his lips captured hers again, setting off a fireworks display behind her eyes. It was overwhelming, intoxicating, and she let out a breathless gasp as her uniform shirt fell open completely, her bra sliding free.
• “Are these also part of the cookie diet?” With an appreciative gleam in his dark eyes, he shifted his focus from her waist to her chest. “Dio, you are so incredible... I can’t focus on a single other thing while I’m with you.”
• Something about that sentence rang a quiet, distant bell in her dazed mind. But before she could even begin to process his words, his fingers grazed across her sensitive skin, sending a wave of electric sensation straight through her core. Then he dipped his head, his tongue flicking lightly against her peak.
• Undone by pure pleasure, Maya’s head fell back. Every single inhibition swept away by his experience, she abandoned all restraint, completely out of control and entirely past caring. She was riding a storm, and there was no turning back now.