Sinful Rapture (The Rapture Series) (3 page)

She jerked free of his disturbing touch, turning to take a quick survey of the room.

Holy…shit.

She didn’t know what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this.

The room looked amazingly normal with an opulent crimson and gold décor that gave off a Chinese vibe. A four-poster bed dominated the center of the floor, and next to it was a large black lacquer cabinet that no doubt held all sorts of strange devices.

The only thing to indicate that this was anything but an upscale hotel room was the wooden X that was nailed to a wall. Padded handcuffs hung from a bar just above the polished boards, and beside it was a low shelf where half a dozen different whips were arranged.

Another dark thrill jolted through her, making her pussy wet and her nipples harden with an unwelcomed anticipation.

The knowledge pissed her off.

Dammit. She was furious she’d been hauled up here by a man who devoted his life to making her miserable.

Right?

“How did you get a key to this room?” she demanded.

He shrugged. “The usual way.”

Oh. She blinked. He’d reserved the room? Maybe even scheduled a partner who was looking for a meaningless hookup?

“Good god,” she said, refusing to examine why she felt so…disappointed. “You’re into this stuff?”

He prowled forward, looking indecently gorgeous in the muted light.

“I’m into pleasure.” His voice deepened to a low invitation that brushed over her skin, making her shiver. “However my partner prefers to experience it.”

“Yeah well, good luck with that,” she muttered, unconsciously backing away. Suddenly he seemed to fill the room with his raw, savage energy. “I have a cold margarita and a half-naked man waiting for me.”

He continued herding her backward, his eyes a dark emerald as he studied her with a searing intensity.

“I’m a gambler, princess. I never depend on luck to get what I want.”

“And what do you want?”

“You.”

***

Liam watched in satisfaction as Holly bumped into the rack. Precisely where he wanted her.

Not that she appeared ready to capitulate to their mutual need, he ruefully admitted. She’d devoted the past year to denying her desire for him.

He was going to have to strip away her layers of defenses before he could find the passionate woman he knew was waiting for him.

Thankfully, he was damned sure he was going to thoroughly enjoy the process.

She licked her lips, her breathing ragged even as she tried to pretend she wasn’t completely turned on beneath her anger.

“Am I being punked?” she demanded.

He reached to grasp a strand of her dark hair, smoothing it between her fingers.

It was glorious, but he wished she’d left it up.

For the past six months he’d watched Holly enter her office with her hair pulled into a tight bun and her beautiful body covered by a tailored power suit.

And every day he’d fantasized about pulling the pins from the silken strands to watch it spill down her naked body in a cascade of ebony.

Later, he silently promised himself, adding it to the growing list of desires he intended to fulfill.

“Punked?”

She bit her bottom lip, making his cock twitch.

“Sasha is determined to make me forget about—” Genuine pain darkened her eyes.

Shit.

“Your ex-jackass?” he snarled, his entire body vibrating with fury at the mere thought that this was supposed to be her wedding night.

“Ted,” she snapped, as always rushing to the bastard’s defense. “And I wouldn’t put it past Sasha to arrange this ridiculous charade.”

“This doesn’t get any more fucking real, princess.” He didn’t bother to disguise the dark possession in his voice as his hand lightly circled her throat. Any pretense she didn’t belong to him was over. “It has nothing to do with Sasha or that bastard who thought he could claim what’s mine.”

Her lips parted, shocked acceptance rippling over her face.

That’s right
, he silently urged.
Look into my eyes and accept that you belong to me
.

“This is just crazy,” she breathed.

His hand slid down, smoothing the tiny strap off her shoulder so the neckline dipped down to reveal one rose-tipped breast.

No bra.

Hell.

Liam sucked in a harsh breath, feeling as if he’d just been sucker punched.

How many times had he pictured this woman naked? Enough times to make him begin to fear he was some sort of creeper.

But nothing—nothing—could have prepared him for his first true glimpse.

She was perfect. A warm, satin, living work of art.

“Don’t try to pretend you don’t feel it,” he husked.

Her breath rasped through the air. “Feel what?”

He palmed the soft globe, his thumb circling the tender nipple. Instantly it hardened to a tight nub, blatant proof of her eager response.

“The heat.”

Unable to resist temptation, he dipped his head down and traced the nipple with the tip of his tongue. She gave a strangled moan, her hands lifting to land against his chest. He stilled, waiting to see what she would do. One push and he would back away. She’d been through the wringer today. He wasn’t going to add to her distress.

But she didn’t push away.

Instead her nails curled into his chest until he could feel a delicious prick of pain.

“The excitement,” he continued, catching the tip of her nipple between his teeth. She hissed in pleasure, her back arching as he twirled his tongue before once again sinking his teeth into the tender flesh. “The hunger.”

She quivered, her voice thick with need. “All I feel is anger.”

“Liar,” he growled, his hand tugging the other strap off her shoulder to expose the breast still hidden beneath the lamé.

“God.” Her nails dug into his chest, her head tipping back to rest against the rack.

Suckling her with growing urgency, Liam gave a tug on the swath of fabric that passed for a dress, groaning as it slithered to the ground.

“Admit that you want me,” he commanded.

She shook her head even as her fingers tangled in his hair. “You think you’re so damned irresistible.”

Liam lifted his head, his gaze taking a slow, thorough survey of her slender body.

His cock twitched, fully appreciating the sight of her dressed in nothing more than a white lacy thong and silver stilettos.

Oh hell.

As much as he wanted to spend the entire night seducing this woman, he knew he wasn’t going to last long.

“Only to you,” he muttered, his hands tracing the curve of her waist to linger on her hips, just above the tiny white bows that held the thong together. His entire body clenched with white-hot anticipation. Shit. She was going to be the death of him. “Do you think I missed all those covert glances when we’re working together? Or how your pulse races when I touch you?”

She gave his hair a tug. Just hard enough to make him shudder with bliss.

“Because I hate you.”

“No.” He leaned in to kiss her with a stark demand. Enough. She wasn’t going to be allowed to hide behind her resentment any longer. “You might hate the fact your father sold me the company you assumed would someday be yours.” His lips skimmed along the stubborn line of her jaw. “And the fact I won’t allow you to twist me around your little finger.” He discovered a hollow beneath her ear that made her tremble with need. “But you don’t hate me.”

A strangled moan was wrenched from her throat.

“Didn’t you just warn me that I wasn’t allowed to tell you what to think?” she growled. “Right back atcha, buster.”

“Then tell me, princess.” His tongue traced the shell of her ear. “Admit that you want me.” He nipped her lobe. “That you want
this
.”

“I…” She released a soft moan as his lips skimmed the line of her jaw before nuzzling at the edge of her mouth. “Damn you.”

“Say the words,” he insisted. “Admit you’re as eager for me as I am for you or this stops right now.”

She stubbornly remained silent, and with a growl of frustration Liam started to pull back.

He’d never forced a woman in his life and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start with this one.

No matter how desperately he wanted her.

But even as he moved, Holly gave a low hiss.

“Fine. I want this,” she rasped, her voice thick.

“No regrets?”

“No regrets.” Her eyes smoldered with a blazing need as she unexpectedly caught his bottom lip between her teeth. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t still hate you.”

He gave a choked sound at the sweet pain, nearly coming in his pants.

“You want to play rough?” He abruptly grasped her arms, pinning them above her head so he could snap the handcuffs around her wrists. If he didn’t get her restrained the fun was going to be over before it began. “I’m ready.”

“How rough?” she demanded, licking her lips as he bent to yank off his shoes then shucked off his jeans. The buttons scattered onto the hardwood floor as he jerked his shirt open and tossed it aside.

He
ached
to feel her against his skin.

“I promised only pleasure,” he said, stepping close enough he could run his fingers lightly down her upstretched arms.

She sucked in a ragged breath, her eyes traveling down his body to linger on the fully erect cock that jutted out in proud need.

Her lips parted. Did she want a taste?

Shit, he hoped so.

There was no way in hell the night was ending before he was between her legs, tasting her sweet honey.

“This is insanity, Liam,” she at last croaked.

His fingers trailed down, teasing the curve of her breasts until she gave a rough groan.

“No. For the first time in months my world is making perfect sense.”

His hands trembled, his heart banging against his ribs hard enough to hurt. He’d never wanted like this. Not when he was a poor, sometimes hungry kid in Dublin. Not when he’d been living on the streets in Vegas. Not even when he’d decided that Angeli Casinos was going to be his. Only Holly could fucking wreck him. Only her.

His fingers continued to drift downward, savoring the flat planes of her stomach before toying with the ribbons of her thong.

“What does that mean?”

“I played the gentleman and nearly lost you.” Grasping the ribbons, he gave them a tug, a hard smile curving his lips as the thong fluttered to the floor. “This time I’m taking what I want.”

Holly had officially lost her damned mind.

There could be no other explanation for why she was allowing this madness to continue.

And she was allowing it, she was forced to admit.

Liam had been his usual arrogant self, but there was no way she could pretend he’d forced her. Not when she knew that one genuine protest from her would have brought an end to the bizarre encounter.

The truth was that she’d wanted this man from the second she’d caught sight of him at the charity event. And that desire had only intensified over the past six months of working constantly together.

Now her entire body was on fire, demanding to have her hunger sated.

Even worse, there was a tiny, wicked voice in the back of her mind that was urging her to give in to the inevitable.

It reminded her that this was her non-wedding night.

What better revenge on her bastard of an ex-fiancé than to enjoy a few mind-blowing orgasms?

Especially with a man he’d always hated?

“And what about what I want?” she asked, her voice husky.

His fingers lightly traced her bikini line, sending shockwaves of pleasure jolting through her.

“We’re about to find out,” he promised, a knowing smile curving his lips as he felt her tremble.

Arrogant bastard.

She’d always been a vanilla girl.

She made love with Ted in a bed, lights out, and over quickly enough that she didn’t have to worry about oversleeping the next morning.

Now she was in a sex club, with a man she claimed to hate, and handcuffed to the wall.

And she’d never been so turned on in her entire life.

Still, horny or not, she did have limits.

She deliberately glanced toward the whips that were hung next to her head.

“You try to hit me and I’ll kick you in the nuts,” she warned.

His lips twitched. “No pain, princess.” His fingers slipped between her legs, brushing her clit so lightly it was barely a tease. “Only pleasure.”

She bit her bottom lip, her toes curling in her stilettos.

“This is insane,” she sighed.

He stepped close enough to trail a line of kisses down the curve of her neck, the stiff hardness of his cock pressed against her stomach.

Christ. He was huge.

“Inevitable,” he said.

Holly shifted with a growing impatience. She was desperate to feel him thrusting deep inside her, but she’d be damned if she’d beg.

“Do you always handcuff your women?” she instead demanded.

He cupped her breasts in his hands, slowly torturing one nipple before he turned his attention to the other.

“Only when they need the opportunity to enjoy a complete surrender.”

“Complete surrender?” She stiffened, a strange fear inching down her spine. No. This was a night of madness. Nothing more. “In your dreams,” she hissed.

He leaned down to take her nipple between his teeth, biting just hard enough to send a rush of moisture to her cunt.

“Oh, you’ve been in my dreams,” he whispered, his finger continuing to brush over her clit. “Every night for the past year.”

Her hands tightened around the chains that held her to the bar hanging above her, her body bowing with a need that was threatening to make her self-combust.

“I don’t surrender,” she said between clenched teeth. “Not to anyone.”

His finger slid into her wet opening. “And that’s the problem.”

Holly struggled to breathe. Hell, she struggled to think.

“What is?”

His thumb circled her clit as he rubbed his cock against her stomach.

“You’ve kept your emotions so bottled up they’re about to explode.”