Lora_Leigh_Bound_Hearts_4_Wicked_Intent[1].pdf (4 page)

She watched a small flock of ducks waddle across the grassy bank and slip into the

cool water. Their lazy quacks and playful antics in the water brought a smile to her face.

Once, a long time ago, she would have followed them. She would have splashed in the

water and dared anyone to deny her the pleasure of it.

24

Wicked Intent

Now, she hid her pleasures, kept them in the dark and allowed them out only

under the strictest circumstances. She could tell Lucian and Dev were not going to allow

her to decide where and when those desires came out. Or how they would be played.

“Still pouting?” Dev’s dark voice had her jerking in response, her head swinging

around as he stepped into the sheltered gazebo and took a seat across from her. His legs

took up most of the space; his big body seemed to fill the small open building to

capacity.

“I never pout,” she informed him with a patient little smile. She wished she felt as

patient as she forced herself to appear. “I was merely enjoying the peace.”

A peace she was certain was gone for good now. Dev Conover looked like your

typical bad boy. From his overly long jet-black hair to his intense green eyes and hard

body, he was every woman’s ideal of carnal pleasure. He was the dark to Lucian’s light,

as different physically from his brother as you could get. But she had a feeling that

inside, where it counted, they were too damned much alike.

He watched her intently, leaning back against the bench, his arms stretched out

along the back of it as amusement tilted the corners of his lips.

“I had you pegged as the Dragon Lady,” he finally mused quietly. “I expected you

to come out with claws drawn, not to see you run away as though afraid of the two of

us.”

She lifted her brow mockingly, despite the fact he had described exactly what she

had done.

“Devril, really,” she said, shaking her head. “Some things are worth drawing claws

over. Others aren’t really worth the time. Perhaps you and Lucian fall into that latter

category.”

“Perhaps?” That demonically sexy quirk of his lips made her mouth water.

She breathed in deeply, refraining from rolling her eyes, though resisting the urge

was a test of her patience. No matter how sexy he was, he was infuriating as hell.

25

Lora Leigh

“Fishing for compliments, Dev?” She fought to keep her voice calm, modulated. It

wouldn’t do to let him sense any weakness. Like Lucian, he would pounce on it

immediately. “You’ll need to bring better bait next time.” She lifted her brow in

mocking amusement as she glanced at his lap insultingly before looking away. No way

in hell would she admit that bulge was more than outstanding.

He was silent for long moments. Just long enough for her to grow comfortable with

the sounds of summer that filled the hidden spot. Soothing, relaxing, she found comfort

here more than any other place she knew of.

“Have you ever had sex in public?” he finally asked her with devilish amusement.

She glanced at him mockingly. “Of course I have. I’ve grown out of the urge to

tempt a charge of public indecency, though. As you should have.”

His eyes were assessing and filled with an outright challenge.

“Hmm. Maybe.” His lips tilted into a sexually knowing grin. “But isn’t that all a

part of the fun?” He lowered his arms from the bench and braced his elbows on his

knees. Leaning forward as he was now, he was much too close to her; the small gazebo

seemed filled with him, the sexual tension heightening unbearably.

Hard, calloused hands settled on the sides of her knees, his thumbs smoothing over

the sensitive, silk-covered flesh. Tally’s gaze fell to those large, competent hands. It was

much too easy to imagine them on her skin.

“I want to fuck you, Tally. So bad it’s like a hunger. You’ve flitted around and

teased us for a year, determined to control every step of this little dance we’ve been

involved in. Haven’t you learned yet? There’s no control here.”

Tally narrowed her eyes at the challenge. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, she

leaned forward, noticing rather smugly the small flare of surprise in his gaze as her

hands ran up his arms, her nails dragging over the hard, muscular flesh of his biceps.

She felt him tighten, his knees shifting as he moved forward, enclosing her legs within

his as she stared back at him.

26

Wicked Intent

“There’s always control.” She blew a soft breath over his lips as they parted, only

slightly. “It all depends on the control you’re seeking.”

Her hands moved from his shoulders to the buttons of his shirt. She undid the first,

then the second, spreading the material enough to allow her hands to lay flush against

the heat of his chest.

The glitter of battle entered his eyes then. “You could be biting off more than you

can chew, kitten,” he whispered as her nails flexed against the hard muscle beneath

them. “I’m not the least bit afraid of an indecency charge.”

He wouldn’t be, she thought silently. But as she had told him, it was all in who

controlled it and how.

She leaned closer, her tongue peeking out to lick her lips, but glancing his lower one

instead as his gaze sharpened with sexual heat.

“Would you give up control, Devril?” she asked him as his hands moved to her

waist, his fingers gripping her lightly. “Would you allow me to do whatever I wished,

whenever I wished?”

All she needed was the promise. She leaned forward a bit more, her teeth catching

the temptation of his lip and nipping at it gently.

His hands tightened further.

“How much pleasure can you take, Dev, before
your
control breaks?”

Her hands slid down his chest, nails rasping as his eyes suddenly narrowed. There

was no warning. There was no teasing, no asking permission. Before she could evade

him he had her across his lap, one hand tangled in the long strands of her hair, tilting

her head back as his lips claimed hers.

He devoured her. His tongue pressed past her lips as the sharp flare of heat at her

scalp had her gasping in pleasure. It was so decadent, the thrill she received from hard

fingers gripping and pulling at her hair as his lips moved expertly, heatedly over hers.

27

Lora Leigh

There were kisses and then there was a conquering. This kiss conquered. His

tongue opened her lips, pressed forward and claimed her mouth as though it were

created for him alone. And her mouth was in ready agreement.

A moan tore from her throat as fierce, alternating sensations swept through her

body; the dominance of his lips and tongue taking what he wanted, his hands, one

tangled in her long hair, the other splayed against her lower back as he held her close in

his grip, the heat of his chest, his cock, hard and insistent beneath her ass. She wiggled

against the heavy erection, thrilling to the hard male groan that vibrated against her

lips.

Had she thought he had control? Of her, perhaps, but not of his desires. His lips

ravaged hers, but they didn’t mind. His tongue tangled with hers in a masterful stroke,

but it had no objections. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, hands holding tight,

her nails digging into his back as she fought to maintain her own control, but she could

feel her senses scattering beneath his kiss.

The hand at her back moved, swept over the curve of her ass, down her thigh to the

hem of her skirt.

“Son, you go much further and we might have a problem here.”

Tally froze at the amused voice. Her eyes flew open in horror as Dev’s head raised

slowly. Lust and heated demand filled his eyes, but the smug curve of his lips spoke for

itself.

“Oh. You…” She jumped from his lap, slapping at his hands as they reached out to

steady her when she stumbled.

Shame coursed through her as she stared at the park official standing several feet

from the gazebo. He had that look of indulgence that other men gave each other. A

smirk that made her want to rip their faces from their heads and feed their dicks to the

dogs. Infuriating.

“Now, Tally.” The amusement in Devril’s voice was like gas to a fire.

28

Wicked Intent

Narrowing her eyes furiously, she ignored the guard. Leaning forward, her hand

fisted in Devril’s hair, her lips lowered to his as though in a surge of lust as her knee

came down between his thighs.

Her lips were a breath from his when she exerted just the right amount of pressure

on the tender, sensitive scrotum just below her kneecap. His eyes widened, his face

paling ever so slightly as the guard chuckled behind them.

“Uhh, Tally,” he said hesitantly. “Do you know where your knee is?”

“Ohh baby,” she drawled with seductively heat. “Of course I know where my knee

is. Remember, darling, no pain, no gain. Are you sure you want to continue to tempt me

in such a way?” She increased the pressure by the slightest degree, watching him

swallow tightly.

He cleared his throat, his green eyes watching her cautiously. “Think of all the fun

you could miss out on later.”

She watched him wince as she leaned in more, knowing the pinching pressure he

would be feeling now.

“There’s such a fine line between pleasure and pain,” she told him, keeping her

smile intentionally innocent. “Shall we see where your line is drawn, Dev?”

Small beads of sweat stood out on his brow, but his eyes glittered with an amused

knowledge of his defeat.

“I surrender.” He held his hands out from her, his thighs tight, his body drawn in

anticipation of the pain to come.

She leaned down, gave that tempting, full lower lip a quick little bite before moving

back from him calmly.

“You’re so easy.” She sighed regretfully. “Too bad. I had hoped for more of a

challenge.”

Still ignoring the park official, she pulled the tattered remains of her pride around

her. She shrugged her shoulders, adjusted her shirt and smoothed the slight creases

29

Lora Leigh

from the silk covering her hips before she gave both men a disdainful look and marched

from the gazebo.

“Tally, Lucian asked me to find out where the Gallagher file was. He was searching

for it when I left.” Dev’s amused voice brought her to a halt.

She turned carefully, keeping her expression blank as she stared back at him,

fighting to control the fury rising inside her.

“In hell. Where he can go,” she suggested sweetly before turning on her heel and

heading back to the office.

30

Wicked Intent

“Stay the hell out of my files!” Tally slapped the Gallagher file on Lucian’s desk,

right in front of his face.

He swiveled the chair around to face her, looking up at her broodingly. His thick,

almost white, blond hair fell over his brow, lust glittering in his eyes.

“Don’t you even think about it,” she warned him, unable to still the harsh anger

that pulsed in her voice. “If you touch me, I promise you’ll regret it.”

He leaned back in his chair, watching her with narrowed eyes.

“This is an office,” she told him with cold disdain. “A place of business. This is not

an orgy palace, nor is it your own personal fuck central. I will not be molested here on a

daily basis.”

“I own the damned place,” he snarled back at her. “If I want to fuck in it, then I’ll

do it
on a daily basis
, Tally.”

“Not with me.” She bared her teeth at him, her fists clenching with the need for the

action. “I am not some weak-kneed office bimbo who’s going to spread out on your

desk for your pleasure. I am a professional, Lucian, and I expect to be treated as such.”

He rose slowly to his feet. She should have felt intimidated, instead she felt

enraged.

“I never act in any other manner while conducting business,” he reminded her, his

soft voice in no way disguising his anger.

“While we’re in this office…”

“Tally.” He never raised his voice, but the sharp edge had her brows lowering in

growing anger. “This is my office. You’re my woman. While no longer conducting

business, if I want to fuck the hell out of you, then it’s my choice and my prerogative.”

31

Lora Leigh

“Oh, is it now?” She crossed her arms carefully beneath her breasts. “And exactly

who decided I was
your
woman?”

He smiled slowly. “Our woman,” he said, his voice dark and confident as he leaned

closer. “Don’t doubt it, Tally. I know who you just came from. I know how hot you

burned in his arms and I know damned good and well you would burn the same in

mine. The pain in my balls was well worth the experience. So never doubt you haven’t

been claimed.”