“I put myself through college, cobbling together scholarships, grants, and working as a server and bartender about thirty hours a week. By the time I reached law school, Rhett had turned the corner and was financially successful. He paid for UCLA Law and wouldn’t let me work, other than summer internships. He said it was too important to soak up everything I could. I doubt I would’ve become editor of Law Review or participated in the Moot Court Honors Program if I’d been moonlighting at a couple of jobs.”
“Obviously, you learned those law lessons well. You made partner at one of the most prestigious firms in California. You’ve been recognized as a top attorney in entertainment law by LA Today.”
A wistful look crossed her face. “Sometimes, it’s not enough,” she said honestly. “Have you ever hungered for more, Wynn? More than being paid an outrageous amount to speak lines someone else wrote?”
“Yes,” he said softly. His hands framed her face. “Right now. I want more now. From you.”
He lowered his mouth to hers.
The kiss started slow. Scarlett didn’t move. She relished Wynn’s nearness. The spicy scent of his cologne. The warm palms cradling her face. His lips brushing against hers tenderly. For the first time in her life, she felt cherished by a man. The feeling overwhelmed her.
Then Wynn’s tongue outlined her mouth and ran along the seam of her lips, teasing them open. She welcomed him, her hands sliding up his chest to rest on his shoulders as he lazily explored her. He tasted of champagne and success. Scarlett had dated men with confidence, some at the top of their professions, but none affected her as Wynn Gallagher did now. His conversation had been natural and sincere. For a man who avoided being seen in Hollywood, he possessed self-assurance mixed with an authenticity she rarely saw.
And oh, this man could kiss.
Scarlett gave herself over to the kiss, fully committing to it now, holding nothing back. Her nails dug into Wynn’s shoulders as her tongue clashed with his. The slow exploration gave way to heated, frantic kisses that consumed them both. Everything tingled on her, from her scalp to her toes, a delicious rush of desire sweeping through her.
Wynn’s hands left her face and stroked her neck, his long fingers almost singeing her skin. They slid down her bare arms, capturing her wrists and holding them firmly, his thumbs rubbing against the tender underside. When he finally released her, Scarlett’s hands slid behind his neck, playing with the hair along the nape of his neck. He growled, low in his throat, and his hands seized her waist and lifted her until she sat sideways in his lap. Her fingers locked together behind his head, pulling him closer.
He broke the kiss, his lips caressing her cheek and moving to her ear, where his tongue swirled in an amazing pattern that made her shiver. Scarlett moaned and clung to him, pressing her mouth against his forehead as his tongue slid to the pulse in her throat. He nipped at her, sending a rush of hot desire through her veins. His hand glided along her bare leg, back and forth, and then slipped under the hem of her dress, caressing her thigh. She sucked in a breath, finding it hard to believe how erotic the touch was—and wanting him to go higher.
Scarlett wriggled against him, twisting, hiking up her dress so she could straddle him, all the while, kissing him frantically. His hands stroked her thighs now, each time rising a little higher. She leaned into him, urging him on as she poured everything she had into the kiss, threading her fingers through his hair and finally gripping the ends of it to hold him in place.
“I want you,” she murmured against his mouth.
Wynn broke the kiss, his lips hovering above hers. “Much as I want you, my Boy Scout days of being prepared for anything are far behind me. I don’t think I saw condoms listed on the room service menu.”
He kissed her again, a long, drugging kiss that scrambled her thoughts. Scarlett clung to him. Finally, in her fog, she formed a coherent thought and pulled away from him.
“I’m on the pill,” she said breathlessly and kissed him again.
She could feel him smiling as she pressed her breasts against his rock-hard chest. Suddenly, Wynn stood up. Her legs fastened about his waist, one stiletto falling from her foot.
He looked around, dazed. “Where the hell is the bedroom?” he asked as he wrapped his arms tightly about her.
Her other stiletto dropped to the ground. “That way, I think,” gesturing with her head, unable to take her eyes off him.
Wynn kissed her hard and swift. “Clever girl,” he said, his voice low as he moved in that direction.
Scarlett’s heart pounded fiercely against her ribs. The tingling poured through her, causing everything within her to come alive. She had never anticipated something with such aching desperation.
They arrived in a large suite, one lamp lit next to the massive bed. Wynn stopped next to it and kissed her so thoroughly she barely remembered her name. His hands searched and found the zipper to her dress. He lowered it slowly until it stopped and slid one hand inside the back of her dress. It stroked her bare skin, causing her to sigh. Scarlett unwrapped her legs from his waist and lowered them to the ground. Fortunately, Wynn’s arms remained around her. If they hadn’t, she didn’t know if she could have stood on her own.
“I like that you’re tall. We fit together well,” he said, his lips nibbling along her neck as he pushed her dress from her shoulders, past her waist, and over her hips. It puddled around her feet. His lips traveled to her shoulder and his fingers pushed aside her bra strap, replacing it with small love bites that had her moaning. He repeated the action on her other shoulder and then unclasped the bra and
