I knew her bodyguard had seen me dance with her at the club last night, but the bartender was also giving a protective vibe. I couldn’t fault him. I’d be the same way.
I was positive she didn’t want anyone to know the details on how we met, and already knew she kept her nightclub activities as quiet as possible.
I took a seat across the table from her, not saying anything. Her piercing dark blue eyes were a storm of emotions. He hands were flat on the table, pulling at the urge in me to give her comfort.
Maybe it was the combination of strength and vulnerability that she emanated.
“Stop staring at me like that.” The temper in her tone made me want to laugh. She’d let me guide her to the table without a word and now she was trying to take control of her body’s reaction to me.
“As I said, drinking your troubles away isn’t the best way to let go.”
She didn’t seem the type to drown her worries in alcohol. But then again, any encounter with Jonas could push a person to measures they’d never think of doing in other circumstances.
“I wasn’t drinking my troubles away. I was calming my temper. I’d have to drink half the bottle to get a good buzz. Those three shots did nothing to me.”
“Built up a high tolerance?”
“You could say that. The owner of Firewater, Penny, is my close friend’s cousin. I had to learn to keep up with the pint-sized genius. Plus, I don’t like to be out of control, so I refuse to get to the point where I am.”
Figured she would have some ties to the Lykaios family.
All of a sudden, it hit me that Isa had mentioned Penny’s cousin. Fuck, it had to be Ana. Ana had just married my ex-partner, Adrian, and we’d shared her not so long ago. It had been during an assignment, but that wouldn’t matter to Isa. I’d slept with one of her friends.
I couldn’t fault her if she wanted to shoot me when she found out. It would piss me off if she’d slept with someone I knew, let alone a friend.
“You’re doing that stare thing again. Stop it.”
Ignoring her order, I gave one of my own. “Lay your hands on the table, palms up.”
Fuck, what was I doing? I’d met her less than twenty-four hours ago and I was ready to push her in a direction I probably should wait to go.
She narrowed her gaze at me. “Why?”
“Just do it. If what I do makes you uncomfortable then I’ll stop.”
She licked her lips and then followed my order. Some of her compliance was curiosity but the other part was her response to me.
The second the backs of her hands touched the table, I set mine over hers, holding her wrists under each palm. Immediately, her breath grew unsteady and her eyes dilated.
Her response mixed with touching her in this way had my cock jumping. She had no idea what she was. No. It was more likely she ignored that part of herself, not wanting to entertain the idea she wanted to give up control.
“What are you doing?” Her words were unsteady.
I gave a slight squeeze of pressure causing her to shift in her seat.
“I’m in charge now. You can’t leave unless I let you go. Everything pressing has to wait.”
I knew as well as she did that with one word, her security would be over here and putting me in a headlock.
“We shouldn’t be touching like this.”
“Then tell me to let you go.” I held her gaze. “All you have to do is say stop.”
The indecision warring in her eyes made me realize how much she needed this.
“Look at me, Isa.”
Her blue gaze shifted from where I held her wrists to my face.
A crease formed between her brows. “I don’t understand why I listened to you. It makes no sense.”
“Have you ever let any of the men you’ve taken to bed be in charge?”
A twinge of irritation entered my mind at the thought of anyone having ever touched her.
Yes, it was irrational, but knowing this was the woman who was going to be my wife and the intense pull we had to each other brought out the caveman in me.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Her response was all I needed to confirm my suspicions and ease my annoyance.
“Did you leave feeling unsatisfied, feeling like you were missing something?”
She opened her mouth to deny my claim but shut it.
She knew the truth as well as I did.
“Tell me, Isa, if a man took all the control, bent you to his will, and gave your mind and body unimaginable pleasure, would you let him?”
Her breathing grew ragged and she swallowed to ease the arousal I saw flushing over her skin.
“I can’t do this. I’m going to marry someone else,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s…it’s… I have to go.”
My fingers tightened before she could pull free.
Isa closed her eyes. “Baz, don’t make me want things I can’t have. It’s cruel.”
“Why is it cruel? You should admit, at least to yourself, the true nature of your desire.”
“And do what with it?” The anger in her voice surprised me. “I’m about to marry a man I don’t know or love. Who knows what he’ll be like?”
I studied her, not releasing my hold on her.
Fuck. I was going to fuck this up. Hell, I’d already screwed up beyond repair. I was lying to my fiancée. I was…God, I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that when everything came out, she’d hate me.
I wasn’t supposed to have this need for her.
“What if you react to him the way you do to me?”
“It doesn’t matter how I react to you. Nothing can come of it. I’m marrying another man.” This time she managed to pull free of my hold. “I can’t throw away my
