Sinful Rapture (The Rapture #2)(5)

She stiffened, but she made no effort to pull away. “Look, I’ve had a really bad day and I’m not in the mood—”

“I know,” he interrupted.

“What?”

“I know you’ve had a bad day and I’m here to make it better.”

Her eyes widened. “You? I don’t think so.”

She took a sharp step backward, her expression wary. Liam, however, didn’t miss the pulse at the base of her throat that pounded at frantic beat. It wasn’t fear that was making her heart race and her eyes dilate. It was good, old-fashioned lust.

His cock pressed against his zipper, the pleasure/pain forcing him to choke back a groan.

Dammit. When he climaxed it was going to be with some part of Holly wrapped around him.

Fingers. Mouth. *.

It didn’t matter which.

“Get used to it, princess,” he warned, watching as her tongue peeked out to wet her dry lips.

She took another defensive step backward, her cheeks flushed.

“Why don’t you go do whatever or whoever it is you’re here to do?”

“What a fabulous idea.”

He reached out, grasping her by the waist. Then with one smooth motion he had her tossed over his shoulder and was headed toward the back of the club.

CHAPTER TWO

What the hell?

Holly tried to grasp what was going on.

It’d been shocking enough to have Liam suddenly appear.

Like the day hadn’t been crappy enough? Now the man who’d been the bane of her existence for the past six months had to ruin her brief attempt to enjoy a wild, carefree night?

And worse, he was acting as if he was some Neanderthal who’d just crawled out of his cave.

A surge of belated outrage raced through her. Curling her hands into fists, Holly pounded them against Liam’s broad back.

“Put me down.”

Without warning he reached up to give her a light smack on her backside.

“Hold still or I’ll spank that delicious ass until it’s rosy,” he said, his hand lingering to soothe the sting.

Holly’s mind went blank.

Did he…

Was he…

Holy shit.

A sharp-edged desire ripped through her, stealing her breath.

She wasn’t stupid.

She’d recognized the instant attraction that had exploded the first time they’d met at a charity event last year. Hell, it was hard to miss your entire body going up in flames from a mere handshake.

But she had already been dating Ted and she wasn’t going to allow her hormones to lure her into a relationship built on passion.

Her mother had.

For all the good it’d done her.

She’d ended up with an unwanted child with a man who could barely remember her name.

No thank you very f*cking much.

And her caution had been proven right when Liam had somehow managed to convince Vigo to sell him the company that the older man had promised to Holly.

Bastard.

The attraction hadn’t disappeared.

Hell, they could barely stand next to one another without setting off sparks.

But she’d fiercely ignored her sizzling responses while he’d watched her with a mocking amusement that set her teeth on edge.

Certainly he’d never threatened to smack her ass.

“Have you lost your mind?” she demanded.

“From the moment I caught sight of you.”

“Where are you taking me?”

His pace never slowed. “Someplace we can talk in private.”

Oh lord, had Liam realized she’d been jilted and decided she needed his particular brand of sympathy?

“I don’t want to talk.” She gave his back another whack, nearly breaking her fingers. Damn. She’d known he was all chiseled, lean muscles. Unlike Ted, he spent his lunch breaks at the gym, not at five-star restaurants. But still…he was as hard as a rock. “I want to dance and drink and have a good time.”

“Okay, we don’t have to talk.”

“Fine. Then take me back.”

His fingers gave her ass another squeeze, the heat from his hand searing through the thin fabric of her borrowed dress.

“You said you wanted to have a good time.”

Her breath was wrenched from her lungs. It felt good. So damned good.

Distracted by the excitement jolting through her body, Holly nearly missed Liam halting next to a security guard to whisper something in his ear.

It wasn’t until her head bumped against his back as he began to climb the steps that she realized he was headed to the upper floors.

“Liam, stop,” she muttered. “These stairs go to the private rooms.”

“I know.”

The pounding music began to fade as they reached the second floor, a soothing hush wrapping around them as he headed toward the end of the hall.

“They’re for people who want to—”

Her words faltered as he halted in front of a door, then astonishingly, produced a slim key card so he could push it open.

“To what, princess?” he pressed as he stepped into the room, kicking the door closed behind him.

With a soft click, the lock slid into place, and something dark and utterly dangerous slid through her.

A need. A hunger that terrified her.