Sinful Desire (Sinful Nights, #2)(11)

Their first kiss, and he was nowhere near her lips. But the skin of her arm had that same sultry, sexy scent as her neck. He let his lips linger on her wrist, then let go. “You taste fantastic,” he said, holding her eyes, letting his meaning register.

“Do I?”

“Yes. You do. I bet you taste delicious everywhere.”

She waved a hand in front of her face. “It’s getting awfully hot out here. I’m afraid I might combust if we stay on the dance floor like this.” She tipped her head to the bar. “Drink?”

He nodded and pressed his lips briefly to her neck, dusting a kiss on her collarbone. A soft moan floated to his ears. He was going to have a field day with Sophie Winston. She was a dream—every touch, every taste and she murmured, she sighed, she moaned.

He hadn’t even properly kissed her yet.

They threaded their way to the bar where he asked for two champagnes. As he reached for the flutes, a woman in a high-necked maroon dress and a severe bun zeroed in on Sophie, commanding her focus to ask her opinion on how the children’s wing should be decorated. As that woman finished, another darted in, declaring that she knew a building contractor, and she could up her donation if that would help secure the contract. Sophie was gracious with all of them, but after a few minutes she tossed Ryan a save me glance.

He stepped in next to her, handed her a glass of champagne, and flashed a smile at the two ladies. “I hope you’ll forgive me for interrupting, but I have to leave shortly, since I’ve been called to the hospital to do an unplanned surgery.”

The woman in maroon shot him a curious look. “Oh, you’re a surgeon?”

He nodded. “I am. And I need two minutes with our Sophie before I have to begin a bone graft.”

The other woman eyed his champagne. He quickly thrust it at her. “Please. Take this from me. I can’t drink on surgery nights, of course. I don’t even know why the bartender gave it to me. But I hate to be rude,” Ryan said, shaking his head as if he couldn’t bear the thought of turning down the man tending bar.

“Of course you don’t want to be rude. You’re a respected surgeon,” the second woman said in a commanding voice.

“And we don’t want to be rude either,” the maroon woman added. “Please. Go on. We don’t want to keep you from the bone graft.”

“Thank you so much,” he said and turned to leave, the beautiful bombshell by his side, her lips pressed together so she wouldn’t laugh.

“Bone graft?” she whispered from the side of her mouth as they walked off.

“I suppose bones, and the hardness of them, must be on my mind.” Then he shrugged. “Besides, I needed to come up with something or we’d never have a moment alone.”

“You want to be alone with me?”

“Isn’t it abundantly apparent?”

“From the hardness of your bones? Why yes, it does seem quite abundant,” she said with an amused expression as she cast her eyes to his pants.

He stopped at the side door, away from the crowds. He lowered his voice, and spoke in a rough, husky tone. “You turned me on from the second I laid eyes on you this afternoon. You are gorgeous and beautiful, and everything about you arouses me. Abundantly.”

Her chest rose and fell and she exhaled heavily. “Oh God,” she whispered.

“Can you get away?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “I have to present a few awards on stage in—”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryan spotted a woman in a sharp black dress marching purposely in their direction. She pointed at Sophie.

“I think someone’s looking for you.”

The woman stopped when she reached them. “Sophie, you have seven minutes before we need you on stage again.”

“Thank you so much, Kelley.”

The woman spun efficiently on her heel and walked off.

Sophie turned back to him. “I can’t get away.”

“No. You can’t. Let me walk you backstage so you don’t miss your presentation.”





Chapter Five


The black curtain hugged the small stage, shielding them from the crowds still dancing and enjoying the music. Here, off to the side, in this section of the wings, Sophie was all alone with her stranger.

His eyes roamed her body. The look in them was predatory. He stalked her, and she backed up, step by step in her heels, until she hit the black wood wall. “You have six minutes now before you go out there,” he said in a hungry voice, his fingertips brushing the fabric of her dress along her thigh. “Do you know what I can do to you in six minutes to make you feel amazing?”

The temperature inside her shot sky high. A pulse beat between her legs. She was hot and she was wet. She’d been turned on ever since he’d asked her to dance.

“What can you do?” she asked, feeling both utterly vulnerable and completely aroused. It was a matchstick combination for Sophie.

“Do you want me to tell you?” He roamed his hand up her leg, reaching her waist, making her shudder.

“I do,” she said breathily, her body on the cusp of something intense. Something she wanted desperately.

“What I’ve been thinking about since I met you.” He raised his hand and cupped her cheek. His touch was both gentle and possessive. “First, I’m going to place my hand on your beautiful face, and your knees will go weak, because I’ll finally be touching you the way you’ve been fantasizing about since this afternoon,” he said? his hot breath painting her skin.