Compromising Kessen (Vandenbrook #1)(42)

And that’s when things took a turn for the worse.

Suddenly Christian was singing.

“Oh no, not good, no, no ,no,” she chanted to herself, then out of desperation, closed her eyes.

He continued to croon right in front of her chair. “I know I don’t know you, but I want you, so bad.”

Even her body was treacherous. She was tingling all over. It took every ounce of restraint not to physically attach herself to his person.

She opened one eye and caught him taking off his jacket. Out of desperation she sat on her hands.

Oh, Lord.

Then his suspenders.

She gulped.

Then his shoes, which wasn’t that big of a deal except for the fact he was prolonging the inevitable.

It was suddenly extremely hot in that room. She looked to Nick and Duncan for help but they had retreated and left her there in the lion’s den. God help her, she wanted nothing more than to be eaten alive.

Christian was still singing and humming. She noticed the boys had put the actual song on the sound system.

They were completely alone in a dark room with candles, and the most sensual song she had ever heard. Panicked, she closed her eyes again.

Christian took it as an invitation to completely crowd her space.

She felt his hot breath on her face as he whispered the seductive words into her hair. Instinctively, she opened her mouth—for what, she didn’t know. A kiss? Air? To scream? Any of the above would have probably sufficed.

His voice was velvety smooth and breathless. “Tell me all your secrets. I’ll keep them, I swear.“

How was it possible he sounded better than Adam Levine himself? And why did Nick have to go spilling all of her secrets about men who could sing and play the piano? And why did Christian have to be good at absolutely everything? Well, everything but paintball.

One point for Kessen.

Then she opened her eyes in time to see his lips inches from hers.

Ten points Christian. Heck, she’d give him her point if he’d just kiss her and continue looking at her as if she was the most delicious thing on the menu.





Chapter Nineteen


Christian hadn’t meant for it to go this far. When Kessen closed her eyes he motioned for the guys to leave. Naturally they were reluctant to bow out of a free show, but they dragged their feet to the door and turned the lights even lower for him. Not that he needed a more sensual mood than he already had going.

He would have cursed if it wouldn’t have broken the moment. Unfortunately, he was too good. Too good. He was supposed to be seducing her, not himself in the process!

Here he was crooning a song Nick said was her most guilty pleasure, and her expression nearly undid him. It was definitely supposed to be the other way around. He focused on the wall for a few seconds before he continued his seduction.

He was a Vandenbrook, for crying out loud. He liked her; they were getting married. He could do this!

After about five more seconds of mental coaching, he pulled Kessen into his arms and began slow dancing with her. The heat radiating from her body was toxic to every remaining sane brain cell, rendering him completely without logical thought.

Other parts of his body had ideas of their own, though, as she pressed closer into him.

And then he heard a voice.

He cursed—in his head, of course—as Kessen began singing the first part of the song. Apparently the song was on repeat, which normally would have upset him at his friend’s incompetence. Instead he wanted to stay in that moment forever.

She ran her delicate fingers across his bare chest. “I know I don’t know you, but I want you so bad.“

Troublesome woman and her amazing ability to do anything she set her mind to. Her voice was husky and, unfortunately for him, perfect.

He captured her lip between his teeth and let out a slow moan as she responded eagerly.

In that moment he realized he desperately wanted to ruin her. He wanted all of her. It was the basest, most purely masculine thought he had ever had in his entire existence. No doubt morally upstanding gentlemen were not supposed to think such erotic thoughts, but here he was, fighting his own battle over what he was going to do with his hands as he slid his tongue into Kessen’s mouth.

First, he made a mental note to again thank Nick for his superb teaching skills. Next, he wanted to punch him in the face for ever touching her; and finally, he wanted to find out if her skills extended beyond kissing.

A man in need, want, and a pool of wicked desire—Kessen’s grandmother would have him shot on the spot, if she knew the things he was thinking, things he didn’t even want to admit he had been thinking.

She arched her back against him, and again all mental scolding ceased as he pulled her into his embrace and possessively wrapped his body around hers.

Red flags began flashing through his brain, but his body was doing its best to ignore them. Talk about a battle of conscience.

He moved his hands to trace the outline of her perfect body in her tight little red dress. If she hadn’t already been compromised by the media, he would turn on his camera phone and ruin her reputation for good, especially if it meant she was stuck with him.

A door slammed in the distance, jolting both of them from their seduced state.

He jumped back in shock as she jerked up to her elbows. Her lips were swollen and hair a mess. He would have to be a complete idiot to stop kissing her now. Her eyes were glazed as if drugged, and he realized he must look the exact same way.