A shiver coursed down my spin. I couldn’t understand how deeply attracted I was to this man. Though, of course, he was absurdly handsome and his tightly leashed control only served to emphasize the depth of his hidden passions. At first, I thought maybe the taboo nature of having an affair added an extra explosive element to our chemistry but my theory was contradicted every time he touched me. We had been living together, however unconventionally, for three months and the kindling that he had ignited within me in Los Cabos was only growing, now a raging inferno that threatened to devour all other rational thought.
Sin turned slightly in front of me, shielding me from the majority of the curious onlookers so that he could gently pinch one of my tightly furled nipples between two knuckles. “Would you like that?”
“Yes, sir. I promise to be a good girl,” I breathed.
He smiled sharply and abruptly twisted my captured nipple so that sweet pain radiated through my chest.
“I know you are self-conscious with these people but you are the color amid all this black and white bullshit, do not let them take that away from you.”
I bit my lip. As punishment, he pulled hard on my nipple, making me gasp.
“I am so out of my league here,” I murmured.
Sinclair’s soft chuckle stirred my hair as he pulled me against his chest. He gently kneaded my hips with his fingertips, every press of his fingers against the silky material of my dress made my breath catch. Even though I knew we were in the corner of the room and that the most people could say was that we were inappropriately close to each other, my slight worry over what the guests would think only heightened my arousal.
“Do you remember that second night in Mexico?” He breathed against my ear.
“Mmm.”
“I was hard the entire night thinking of all the things I wanted to do to you after Iago’s party.”
I panted slightly as his grip suddenly tightened, pressing me tightly to the arousal tenting the front of his trousers. I pressed a hand to his chest and felt the heavy thrum of his pulse. It was intoxicating to know that his heart beat for me.
He dipped his head low to lick a path around my left ear before blowing on it. “I want you to focus on all the wicked ways I will pleasure your body later tonight. How I am going to bind you to our bed and spend hours between your sweet thighs while these pert nipples strain beneath those painful metal clamps.”
Fuck, I was panting now.
“I want you to focus on how you will beg me to let you come on my face, how wet your sweet little pussy will be when I finally slide into you from behind, your ass red from my hand.”
“Sinclair,” I moaned.
I swear I could have orgasmed just from listening to him speak to me in that voice like smoke and leather.
He chuckled darkly and pressed a sweet kiss to my nose. “Focus on that, my love. Now, are you ready? I believe dinner is being served.”
A ragged groan tore from my throat, aroused and enraged by his flippancy. He only chuckled again and tucked my arm firmly in his to escort me to the dining room.
The room was absolutely gorgeous with vaulted ceilings that sparkled gold in the light from three delicate chandeliers.
“Wow,” I breathed as images of Beauty & The Beast flooded my head. “I can’t believe you grew up here.”
“I didn’t really. Boarding school, remember? In the summers, we usually went travelling. I still have a designated bedroom here but I can count the number of times that I’ve actually used it.”
“Still…” I drifted off, overwhelmed by the splendor.
Sin chuckled under his breath while he settled me into my seat before taking the one beside me.
“Daniel, darling, your place card is up here next to your father,” Willa called lightly from the head of the endlessly long table.
Sin stiffened mid-way through sitting down. I watched him with curiosity as he moved away from me towards his mother. He stopped beside the empty chair at her left, dipped down to place a chaste kiss on her cheek and plucked the place card from the table. Willa watched with vague surprise and amusement as he reclaimed his place beside me and switched out the name cards.
There was a rush of whispers across the table but Sinclair ignored them. Without looking at me, his gaze sweeping across the startled guests, he lifted our clasped hands to place a lingering kiss on my knuckles. I blushed but, thankfully, everyone became distracted by the beautifully presented first course that arrived before us.
Sinclair was quiet as we ate despite the numerous attempts by other guests to chat with him but I was happy to engage with the middle-aged matron beside me, a Mrs. Hastings, who regaled me with tales of her youthful glory days. I was laughing at one such story when I noticed Sinclair had stiffened beside me.