At the same time as he wondered if he was capable of being alone again with Bea in her bedchamber without making love with her. Or, more likely, once again suffering the tortures of hell as he tried to resist the urge to do so!
Her hair moved silkily against the soft swell of her breasts as she shook her head. ‘I want—’ She drew in a deep breath and began again. ‘I should very much like it if you were to hold me in your arms again.’
He was doomed. His fate writ high in the heavens, as the man who had absolutely no defences when it came to the innocence of the very woman he was supposed to be protecting.
He cleared his throat before speaking. ‘That would not be a good idea, Bea.’
She eyed him curiously. ‘Why not?’
Griffin clenched his hands together behind his back. ‘Please just accept that it would not.’
Bea studied him from beneath lowered dark lashes, easily noting the slightly fevered glitter in his eyes, and the flush high on those sharply etched cheekbones. There was a nerve pulsing in his tightly clenched jaw, and the width of his chest rapidly rose and fell as he breathed. ‘I should like it very much if you did,’ she insisted softly.
He eyed her impatiently. ‘What are you doing?’ he barked even as his hands came quickly from behind his back as she hurtled across the room and into his arms.
Her arms were about his waist as she burrowed into the comforting hardness of his chest. ‘I feel so safe when you hold me in your arms, Griffin.’
Safe? Griffin echoed the word incredulously.
Bea felt safe when he held her?
It was the very last thing she was when his body reacted so viscerally to the feel of the warm softness of her body nestled so closely against it. He was a man of flesh and blood, not a blasted saint!
As the swell of his arousal testified.
Bea sighed her contentment. ‘This is so very nice.’
His gaze sharpened with suspicion as she looked up at him. Was that a glint of mischief he could see in her eyes? A curve of womanly satisfaction to the fullness of her lips?
It was, damn it!
He pulled back slightly so that he could see her face more clearly; yes, he could definitely see challenge now in the darkness of her gaze, and her creamy cheeks were flushed. ‘Bea, are you playing a game with me?’
&nbs
p; ‘A game?’
Griffin wasn’t fooled for a moment by her too-innocent expression. ‘A dangerous game.’ He nodded grimly.
‘Dangerous?’ she echoed softly, her fingertips playing lightly across his chest.
‘Very dangerous,’ he assured her firmly as his hands moved to grasp the tops of her arms to hold her firmly away from him. ‘I advise that you leave here now, Bea, or suffer the consequences,’ he warned.
Heat and caution waged war within Bea. The heat of the desire she felt for Griffin, to be closer to him. And the caution of realising that the man who now stood before her was not that same easy companion of the past few days. Or the gentleman who had pledged to protect her until her true protector could be found.
This Griffin was not a gentleman at all, but was instead pure, predatory male. A man who was rakishly handsome and wholly sensual, his gaze now feasting hungrily on the firm swell of her breasts visible above her nightrail and robe.
Perhaps she did have something to offer him, after all?
Bea moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue before she spoke slowly. ‘I believe I will choose the consequences.’
‘Then you are a reckless fool!’ Griffin grated even as he pulled her into his arms and his mouth laid siege to hers.
Bea groaned her satisfaction as she gave herself up to the savagery of his kiss, eagerly standing on tiptoe as she moulded her body against his much harder one.
Her hands moved up his chest, feeling the soft hair visible there, lingering for several seconds, caressing that silkiness, as he moaned softly. She then slid her hands over the muscled width of his shoulders, her fingers becoming entangled in the darkness of the hair at his nape as the heat between them intensified and grew.
Bea whimpered low in her throat as Griffin now widened her stance to grind the hardness of his arousal into the inviting softness between her thighs, drawing her breath in sharply through her nose as he touched a part of her that caused the heated pleasure to course wildly through her veins.