Wasn't I? I was so confused at the moment.
"What do you want from me?" I asked softly.
He gave no reply. But a muscle ticked in his jaw, I noticed.
"You're a handsome man, Royce, and you have money. You can have any woman you want. Why make them fill out applications? Are you that desperate to get married?"
The ticking branched to his eyes. Combined with the fury now flickering in his gaze, it made him appear truly menacing. A man who made his enemies tremble with fear and his lovers shiver with desire. "That's not your concern, Naomi." Pause. "Is it?"
Undeterred, I persisted. "A new reality show? You wanted to build a portfolio of naked pictures? You're tired of online dating?"
Silence. Heavy, stilted silence.
Finally, watching me all the while, he said, "Maybe it was forced on me. Maybe I offered up a challenge-think you know so much about what I need, then find me the perfect girl-and someone took the initiative. Maybe, when the applications started pouring in, I realized I'm getting older and I've never been in love. Maybe," he ended in a quiet tone, "I saw my chance."
My blood alternately turned hot and cold. Even if he hadn't liked the situation at first, he'd just admitted he was seriously considering those stupid applications now That he was looking for a wife. "So you really mean to do it? You really mean to choose a bride?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not."
I gulped. "Either way, I'm not the one for you." My head fell forward and I stared down at my hands. "I don't want your love or a ring. And I-" Come on. Just say it. "And I don't want your kisses."
His expression darkened, and his lips edged into a fierce frown. "I don't recall asking for your love or your hand in marriage."
Ouch. "I've been in love before," I explained, to ease the sting of my words. "I didn't like it."
He reached out slowly, giving me every opportunity to run away. Stupid me, I didn't. One more touch would be okay. I could handle one more touch. His fingers closed around my wrists gently and tugged, maneuvering me back into a kissable position.
"I liked the taste of you," he said. "A lot." He trailed feathery kisses along the length of my jaw and I liquefied again. Even my Tigress purred her enjoyment. He licked the seam of my lips. "And I think you liked the taste of me. A lot."
A sharp lance of desire warred with a cold knot of regret. "No," I forced myself to say. "No."
He looked disbelieving and aroused and oh, so tempting all at once. "Yes," he said quietly. "You want my kisses."
"Despite what you said, I think you want more than a kiss. I can't give more." Each point of contact between us sent heated blood pounding through my veins like an awakened river.
Thankfully he dropped his arms to his side and shoved both of his hands into his pockets. "You wanted to give me more. I felt how your body responded. Another minute or two and we would have been on the floor, naked."
I didn't refute it. Couldn't, for that matter. He would have seen the lie in my eyes had I tried. Desire this intense couldn't be hidden, and I knew it. "So what?" I said, suddenly defensive. "A girl has the right to change her mind."
"You're right," he said, using that quiet tone again. "A girl can change her mind."
Smart, smart man. Diabolical, but smart. He'd just issued an invitation I had trouble resisting: change your mind again and kiss me.
"I'm sorry." I swallowed, forcing the words out. "I'm truly sorry I let things get out of hand. I am not a tease, really." I twisted the hem of my shirt between unsteady fingers. "I'm not sure what happened to me; I've never acted like this before."
He pushed a hand through his hair, his body relaxing. "Finally, words I like."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
His lips inched up in a smug, half grin. "Figure it out. If you've never acted this way before, it means I'm the only man-"
I slapped a hand over his mouth, cutting off his words. Damn me and my big mouth. Why not just admit I was desperate for him, too, while I was at it?
He pried my hand from his face and I saw he was still grinning. His fingers curled around mine, squeezed, then released me. "If I did it once, you can damn well count on me doing it again."
I felt the color drain from my face. He was right. Shit, he was right. Before I had time to work up a good panic, he added, "Get used to the idea of me kissing you, Naomi. Looks like it's inevitable."
"Wanna bet?" my Tigress growled before I could stop her. Well, well, well. She'd finally decided to do something besides purr.
Challenge gleamed in Royce's eyes. "You enjoy losing, Naomi?"
"I wouldn't know," I said with bravado. "I've never lost."
A wicked glint lit his eyes. "Well, sweetheart, I'll try to make your first experience as pleasurable as possible for you." His sultry threat rang in my ears long after he strode away and slammed the door.
Chapter Five
A Tigress eats, sleeps and breathes power, for it is power alone that sustains her. In the jungle of life, it is kill or be killed. Surprise attack if you must, but kill. Always.
As if my day couldn't get any more surreal-Royce Powell desired me, for God's sake-I later found myself blindfolded. And not for any type of kinky love play. Kera and Mel had arrived at my apartment and ushered me into the living room, where I'd been commanded to stay until given permission to leave.
I had refused to obey, of course. So they'd wrestled me to the ground like little monkeys, tied my arms behind my back, blindfolded me and led me to the couch. Here I sat. And sat. For half an hour, at least. With every little noise-was that a fire I heard crackling, or Twinkie wrappers?-my curiosity increased.
"What are you doing in there?"
Kera: "You'll see."
Meclass="underline" "If you ask one more time, I'll leave you tied up and give Royce Powell a call. Maybe he can come over and rescue you."
She'd do it, too. I scowled, deciding then and there not to tell them about Royce's impromptu visit and the earth-shattering kiss he'd planted on me-or my own involvement in said kiss. That would only increase their desire to phone the man.
"You have to let me go," I said. "I'm starved. Famished. Practically comatose. I'm on the verge of death here."
They laughed, the evil wenches.
"If you die, can I have your bed?" Mel asked. "You know how I love cherrywood."
"This is my apartment. I have every right to know what you're doing. Notice I didn't ask this time, I simply stated a fact."
Kera: "You'll just have to wait and see."
Meclass="underline" "When did you become so impatient?"
"When you two decided to hog-tie and blindfold me and hold me captive while you do God knows what to my apartment."
"Have you ever considered hormone-replacement therapy?" Kera again. "You're a live wire lately."
"Really, Naomi. You're beginning to remind me of Aunt Fredia-after the sex change."
I clamped my lips shut. Everyone knew our aunt Fredia (formerly Uncle Fred) was a real bitch.
Finally, my cousins relented. Mel untied me and I rubbed my wrists.
"You can remove the blindfold now," Kera said.
Without a word, I whipped the material from my eyes. My jaunt into utter darkness was over as sunlight flooded my vision. I blinked, trying to help my poor little ocular lobes adjust.
When they did, I gasped.
"What-" My lips opened and closed as I drank in the sight before me. Colorful streamers dripped from the wall. Crepe paper lined the coffee table, which was piled with multicolored gifts. Glitter sparkled from the wood floor.
"What is this?" I asked, awed.
"A party, of course." Kera grinned at me.
"A party? For me?"
"Yeah. Who else?" Even Mel was smiling. "You're always planning them for everyone else, so we thought it'd be nice to throw one for you."