Touched (The Untouched Trilogy #2)(26)

He looked up to find me studying him and smiled. “Yes?”

“Nothing. I’m a wee bit anxious to hear the final response,” I lied.

“In that case, you have nothing to worry about. As I said earlier this is brilliant. I say we get moving on this first thing.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” I replied, smiling. I was so excited that I was damned close to bouncing up and down in my seat.

He smiled at me and our eyes momentarily connected, both of our smiles slowly fading. I looked down at my plate, breaking our eye contact.

“Anything you think we missed?” I asked.

He only had a few modest suggestions and we fell into silence. It was intimate, yet it felt like two strangers with so many questions that neither would ask … such as why he and I couldn’t seem to shake our intense attraction for each other or what we should do about it or why he freaked out on Kellan at the charity event.

“Thank you for dinner. I need to head home. Now that you’ve given the green light, I have tons to do tomorrow.”

“It was my pleasure and again great work. I expect great things Miss Cason.”

“And great things you shall have Mr. Raine.”

I was inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. He didn’t do anything or say anything inappropriate over dinner and he was allowing me to leave without any other advances.

“I’ll walk you out,” he said, pushing away from the table. “After you,” he offered.

I was almost out of here. I grabbed my bag and headed toward the door. He walked quietly behind me. This was so crazy. I felt on edge. I reached the door and turned to face him. He was staring down at me like a predator eyeing its prey and my heart rate instantly accelerated.

“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to me. “You look adorable by the way.”

So he liked me even when I tried to look like crap. I shrugged his hand away. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, stepping closer … he was mere inches from me.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied, swallowing the lump in my throat.

His gaze lowered to the rapid rise and fall of my chest. “Why has your breathing accelerated?”

“Because you’re pissing me off.”

“I suspect there’s more to it than that,” he said.

“Well you’re wrong. I’m upset because in a span of five seconds, you spoiled what I’d considered a nice evening.”

“I think you’re upset because you want something you’re afraid to ask for.”

“And according to you, I want you?” I asked.

“It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. Ask. I’ll give it to you,” he said, his voice deep and laced with honey. There was no doubt about it … his voice was pure sex.

“Of course, you’d think that. You make everything so much more difficult than it has to be. You frustrate the hell out of me!” I exclaimed.

“We all have frustrations Aria. It’s how you resolve them that makes the difference. In regards to you for instance, you have frustrations with me. Take them out on me. Fuck me. I’ll surrender total control. You wanted that at one time right?”

“Is that what this has reverted to?” I asked, in disbelief.

“Only because you’ve made it that way. And if that’s the only way I can have you, I’ll take it … at least for now.”

“What about your paramour? Is she on board with your sexual propensities?” I probed.

“Paramour?”

“The insecure twit that was with you at the charity event,” I said.

“Aria, I’ve told you on countless occasions, you needn’t focus on irrelevant people; focus on me.”

“I don’t want to focus on you Aiden and I can certainly do without the headache of dealing with you again.”

“Okay, no headaches then…you’ve dissociated sex and emotions before. Do it with me.”

“What?” He was confusing me and he’d obviously read and shredded the hell out of my plan long before I’d arrived because this shit had gone terribly awry.

“You heard me.”

If I could actually do that with him, it would be the best of both worlds.

What are you? Crazy? Say yes bitch! Virginia just had to come bursting out of her cave. Of course, she wanted me to say yes. Kingston was all she wanted.

I sighed. I could make it easy and just f*ck the shit out of him. But nothing was ever easy with him. I opened my mouth to say no but somehow Virginia spoke for me. “Just sex? Our secret? No expectations? No emotional bullshit?”

“That’s what I’m offering.”

“In that case, I accept.” I knew I was lying to myself even before I said the words. As badly as I needed to, I couldn’t shut off my feelings but I wanted to f*ck him so badly that the lie didn’t matter.

He pushed me against the door, his eyes filling with heated lust as they linked with mine. He traced his thumb across my lip and in the next second, his mouth was on mine, assaulting my lips, his tongue rediscovering my mouth. My bag fell to the floor and my hands were in his hair, fisting handfuls as he raptured me. He grabbed my hands, forcing them above my head as he went for my neck … uncontrollably sucking, licking and kissing. His hungry mouth devouring me; he was as starved for me as I was for him.