He let her go. Waited until her tremulous gaze lifted to his. And what he saw in her eyes clinched it for him.
For better or for worse…
“Marry me, Schulyer.”
Even if she might not yet know the truth about her feelings…
He owed her this, for she was already in love with him.
“Marry me,” the billionaire repeated, and this time his deep voice had taken on a rough undertone, and it was that, above all things, which convinced Schuyler that she wasn’t dreaming. That this was real. And that…rather than her world crashing down on her, it might actually just be beginning.
Or the second chance she had asked for, she thought dizzily.
And as soon as the thought formed in her mind, so did her lips start to move and form her answer.
“Yes.” Tears started falling anew, and her voice shook even harder as she said again, “Yes.” A smile wobbled over her lips. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
And then she was throwing herself back into his arms, Schuyler raising herself on her toes as her lips covered his.
Ah, koukla mou.
His chest felt dangerously close to caving in at the soul-ripping innocence in her kiss. It was so damn pure: a kiss that was unblemished by deception, a kiss with nothing to hide, and because of that, it was a kiss he would never ever deserve.
Her lips started to move, a silent plea for him to kiss her back, and it almost had him wrenching away in an acute sense of self-loathing and shame. Theo. That God would allow a bastard like him to cross paths with an angel like her, he would never understand…
But the moment he heard her whisper tremulously against his lips—
“I need you…”
He realized he had failed Schuyler again.
Fuck.
His fingers drove through the silky tresses of her hair as he assumed command of the kiss, his lips parting hers open so he could give her what he had unintentionally made her plead for.
Never again.
He vowed it to himself even as he cupped her face so he could deepen the kiss and taste the innermost secrets of her mouth. His tongue stroked against her, over and over until it had her nails digging into his back and she was moaning against his mouth. He could feel her trembling within his embrace, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted, needed to have her crazy with need, wanted his beautiful little doll so out of her mind with pleasure that maybe, just maybe, he could get a little closer to making it up to her.
I’m sorry, koukla mou.
The words were embedded in his every caress, and his hands shook as they swept over the tempting curves of her body. A moment later, and he was carrying Schuyler to her bedroom, and their gazes locked as he slowly laid her down on the bed.
Theo. God. No. Don’t.
He wished he could tell her to stop looking at him like he was perfect, but if he did that, the truth would eventually come out, and she’d be hurt all over again. What good would salvaging his conscience bring if it meant making her suffer even more?
So damn fucking sorry.
He slowly undressed her, and the sight of her naked flesh was too beautiful beyond words. Her satiny skin. Her pert, round breasts. And then, finally, the quivering pink flesh between her legs.
Mine.
It shouldn’t be, but it was, and God help him, he was so fucking glad for it. Even if knowing that he didn’t deserve her. Even if knowing he had fucked up in all sorts of ways with Schuyler and had forced her to throw away her pride one too many times…
Mine, Ioniko thought once more, and a savagely primal sense of permission blazed through every vein of his body as his gaze swept over her blushing and shaking nakedness.
My beautiful little doll.
He pulled away to dispose of his own clothes.
My Schuyler.
And by the time he returned to her, his weight pressing down on her softness, just the briefest contact between their bodies was more than enough. It was like having every cell in his body burn into life, his fiery, throbbing need for her perishing all sensible thoughts from his mind.
So damn good.
He hadn’t planned things to go this far. This was only supposed to be about her pleasure and not his. She wanted him, and he had sworn to himself that he would give her anything she wanted. That was all. Make her cum, just that. But what was supposed to be plain and simple turned out to be something scorchingly complex and impossible to escape.
The moment his chest against rubbed her breasts and his already throbbing cock rubbed over her distended clit…that moment made him forget everything.
And he became a sinner once more.
Lost in his own uncontrollable desires, Ioniko found himself kissing Schuyler with a need that more than matched hers. He kissed his way down her body, sucking on her pouting nipples until she nearly arched off the bed, and thrust his tongue in and out of her hot little pussy.