Craig, Dede - Three Kisses of Lust (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (5 page)

He nodded slowly before turning to face her, his eyes focused on her lips, and he licked his own.

She stared at the motion then shook her head. “So? Are we having lunch then?” Though she was not hungry at all and food the last thing on her mind. All she could think about was his lips, his tongue, his hands, and she swallowed, her mouth watering.

He half smiled then turned and nodded toward the entrance doors. “Let’s go inside.” He took her elbow and led her inside the house.

He would have no idea what the gesture did to her skin, sending shivers of electricity straight through her. His hand was not exactly soft, more like the texture of warm, rough suede. She clenched her teeth, battling to control her legs and breathe at the same time. She was hyperaware of his touch, a coal scorching against the skin of her arm.

A silver-haired, slim woman held the door open, her thin lips curved at the corners.

“Hi, thank you.” Gia smiled, unsure if she was Liam’s housekeeper, as she was dressed casually in a jeans and a tucked-in, crisp white shirt buttoned to the neck.

Reading her thoughts, Liam left her elbow and waved between the women. “Gia, this is Anna. She’s our caretaker. She literally takes care of everything and everyone. Anna, Gia.”

Gia nodded. “Pleased to meet you.”

Anna’s eyes and the corners of her lips lifted softly. “Lunch is ready. I’ve set it up on the veranda out back.” Then she turned and walked away, leaving them standing in the large double-volume foyer.

Gia removed her sunglasses then placed them into the side pocket of her bag. She looked up and stood awed by the Y-shaped staircase, stopping at a large skylight right above a crystal chandelier. Everything was so light and airy. The floors were a white, seamless sea of porcelain tiles, gleaming from the sunlight strobing in. She loved chandeliers, especially the obscenely large and ornate types with hundreds of tiny crystals. This one was perfect.

Her thoughts were jolted when an electric sizzle went from her fingertips, up her arm, and to the rest of her body.

Liam’s hand was wrapped around her own, and her body edged forward, leading her to the back of the foyer toward the floor-to- ceiling glass frameless doors. His steps were quick, and in her heels she half-ran in a noisy attempt to keep up with him. She was unable to take in the rest of the house, and she stared at his broad back instead.

His skin was so warm, she wanted to feel it on her face. But, she reminded herself, it was a simple gesture. He was simply leading her to the veranda. And she was supposed to be angry at him, not attracted to him. So why did she feel so inexplicably hot, bothered, and anxious? She was nervous, but she closed her fingers around his as she walked.

He flinched as she did, and his grip tightened around hers.

They walked through an opening of the glass doors, arriving at a wrought iron table with matching cushioned chairs.

He let go of her hand to pull out one of the upholstered cream chairs for her.

Gia glanced at him, placing her handbag around the back of the chair before taking her seat.

He turned to take the seat opposite her.

On the table a selection of fresh fruit and lemon iced tea, her favorite beverage, was laid out. In front of her, a modern silver dome lid covered her plate. She leaned forward and slowly lifted the lid. Gasping, her bottom lip dropped open, and she stared at her plate.

“Oh my God, this is—” She looked up quizzically, meeting the bemusement in his eyes watching her reaction.

Neatly arranged on her plate was her favorite and heavily customized sushi salad. Alternating slices of salmon and avocado were laid carefully across a bed of fresh butter lettuce. The pink and green confection was garnished with a mixture of mayonnaise, diced green chili, fresh ginger, wasabi, and a splattering of soya sauce.

As far as she knew, she was the only one who ate the salad this way. She racked her brain, trying to remember if she had written it as a special catering request, but she was sure she had not.

“Your favorite, yes, I know.” His lips curled along with the arch of one sexy, dark brow. He moved his arms up, elbows bent onto the table. He held his hands, watching her from the side of them.

“I haven’t had this in ages. Most of the restaurants have no idea what I mean when I try to explain exactly how I want it, and I never have time to make it at home. Oh my.” She stared at the tantalizing display, her hand still holding the lid aloft.

“Here, let me get this.” He removed the lid from her hand and placed it on the edge of the table. “I thought if I was getting you lunch as an apology, it would be more effective if it was your favorite. Though I must admit, no one I consulted had heard of it either, but Anna and Enzo are excellent cooks. This was all Anna though.” He smiled and looked down at the dish.

“She made this? Wow, I’m impressed. Can I take her home?” She giggled softly before looking down at the beckoning spicy salmon salad. She swallowed, her mouth watering already. She was actually hungry. She slowly picked up the sterling silver fork and matching knife then cut the mixture into bite sizes before popping a piece into her mouth, moaning when the taste sensation coursed through her.

He watched while she ate. Though he was smiling, there was a faint trace of the pained look across his face.

“Oh I’m sorry.” She covered her mouth, swallowing, before reaching for the napkin. “It just looks irresistible. Would you like to try some?” She wiped her mouth gently with the corner of her retrieved napkin.

“No need to be sorry, go ahead. The mixture looks quite interesting, but I’ll pass this time.”

“Come on. Tell me, how did you know this was my favorite? I don’t recall requesting it or mentioning it.” She raised her brow quizzically.

“If you must know, it’s not exactly mission impossible to get information on you. You should be careful of the company you keep.” He threw her a wicked smile. “I simply asked your agent. He was actually quite happy to tell me exactly how you like it, down to the drizzle of soya and ratio of fresh chili to mayo. I figured he would know you the longest and would know what your favorite food was. Turns out I was right.”

“Charlie told you? I didn’t even know he paid attention to what I ate. But thank you, it means a lot. I really appreciate it.” She found herself staring deeply into his eyes while she spoke, and she could feel the heat rising again, settling on her face, making its way down her neck and settling somewhere between her chest and her core. She blinked rapidly and looked down at the plate instead.

He leaned forward and lifted the jar of lemon iced tea before pouring into both their glasses.

She reached for the glass and took a slow sip, and then turned to look at the vast backyard. It was decidedly more a landscaped oasis than a yard. There was a crystal-clear infinity swimming pool and spa which stood amid the intricate design of a real-life secret garden.

“This is amazing” She placed the glass back on the table before eating more of the salad. “Did you always live here?”

He sat back in his chair, placing his arms on the armrests while he watched her. “Pretty much. It’s been in my family since my grandfather bought the estate in the fifties. We’ve lived here most of my life. My parents, well, they passed, so now it’s just us. My brother and I.”

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. It is what it is. I’m glad you like it.”

His eyes took on a subtle wistful look.

Gia noted a sadness there, guessing it was in reference to his parents. She swallowed a pang of sympathy. She had forgotten she was mad at him, and now she had the urge to reach out and hold his hand.

“So where is your brother? You guys are twins, right?”

He smiled, though only one corner of his lip was raised. And, she noted a wicked glint in his eyes.

She swallowed another forkful of perfectly ripened avocado before continuing. “In case you’re wondering, I saw photos of you in your father’s office a couple of years ago. He was one of the first to give me a chance to headline a movie, did you know? I used to go there with Charlie. Although I only saw him a couple of times. When I saw you today, I didn’t recognize you. You’ve changed, well, from then, in the photos, I mean.”

He looked at her as if he was searching for an answer on her mouth, then his lips curled up slowly into his unique, delicious smile.

“Sorry I’m rambling. I do that sometimes.”

“Ramble on. It’s adorable. It turns me on. “

She swallowed and exhaled sharply. “Adorable? Hardly, I’m twenty-six years old. Rambling is adorable at six, twenty-six, not so much.” She ignored the “turn-on” part, though her body heat inched up, as did her stomach as it flipped then settled, and she shifted in her chair.

He moved his hand, his elbow still on the armrest, then placed two fingers on his temple, his chin resting on his thumb. “You don’t look a day over twenty,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and tense. His eyes traversed slowly down to her neck then up again, piercing her eyes.

She could feel the current working its way through her body, her breath shallow. “You’re sweet, and you’re teasing me. But trust me, the more makeup they have to use on me, the older I feel. Oh gosh, it sounds like I’m fishing for compliments. Please just ignore me.”

“Ignoring you is hardly possible. You look perfect. More so without the makeup they put on your face.”

She smiled. “So I look horrible now?”

He was blinking so slowly, she wondered if it was a deliberate attempt to unnerve her.

“No, I just prefer you without makeup. It’s sexier.”

“I’ll let Sam know you said her natural look doesn’t look natural.” She giggled then immediately regretted it. She hadn’t been this self-conscious around a man in a long time. She could have been thirteen all over again, blushing uncontrollably and giggling in what she was sure was a high-pitched squeal.

He smiled, moving forward. He seemed to be considering his next question, his jaw tensing. “So, you don’t know my brother, Aidan.”

“No, not at all. Just from the photos.”

“You sure?” he asked with a wry gleam laced across the dark pupils of his eyes.

Shuffling in her seat, she said, “If I did, don’t you think I would have known who you were earlier today, pretending to be Cole? Identical twins.”

Mock satisfied, he leaned back. “Good point. Again, I’m sorry. I should have just told you I wasn’t Cole.”

Although she wanted to know why someone in his position would pretend to be anyone else, she bit her lip. “It’s fine, really. I tend to overreact. Unavoidable at times. I guess I was meant to be an actress.” She steeled herself against the sudden, inexplicable longing to hold him. To feel his body against hers, to press herself into him, feel his arms around her. It wasn’t just an attraction. There was something so alluring about him, she couldn’t quite place it.

He reached his arm over and placed his hand over hers, lacing his fingers through then rubbing it softly against her palm. “So you forgive me?” His voice was barely a whisper, and he lowered his lashes.

His hand was a hot stone on her skin. She could literally feel it blazing straight through to her bare bones. She could hear her own heartbeat throbbing in her ears, in her neck. Everywhere. She could feel her slit swelling in anticipation. She fought the desire to look down at his hand, her arm suddenly numb. It was hot. It was cold. She was frozen in place. Suddenly, she got it. The pained look was lust, pure lust. How could she not have seen it? His pupils were dilated, making his eyes seem even more mysterious, dark, and insanely sexy.

“Gia? Do you forgive me?” He maneuvered his hand sideways on hers, his thumb at the top and his fingers continuing to caress her palm.

She could feel the air caught somewhere between the furnace of his hand and her pounding chest. She was a ticking bomb, the fuse of her desire slowly igniting. Instead of fire, her panties were rewarded with a slick layer of her wetness. Forgive him? Looking at him now in all his heartthrob glory, she knew she already had. How could she not with his simmering sensuality screaming at her from every part of his face and body? Igniting every part of hers.