Charlie didn’t give him the pleasure of a snappy retort. Instead, she simply turned and walked away. She felt him watching her as she made her way to the cloakroom and out of sight. She gathered her things and headed out into the chilly Pittsburgh night.

***

After Charlotte’s disappearing act, Declan found her where Aaron said she would be. She just had to choose the Altar bar didn’t she? He pushed his way through the crowd. When he finally made it to the bar, he ordered a Jameson and Seven on the rocks. He took a moment to survey the writhing, twisting bodies melt into each other as the music throbbed. And then he saw Charlotte. Glowing in a silver slip of a dress, she had changed somewhere between the exhibit and the bar. She got lost in the music as one song bled into another. A throng of men surrounded her and the group of women she was dancing with.

As her body moved hypnotically, Declan wondered if she knew what it would mean for him to devour her. Did Charlotte realize he was going to be as explicit as his promise sounded? He thought of his head between her thighs; his arms wrapped around her hips, holding her open while he tasted her sweetness. He licked his lips as he watched her. She smiled as if she knew he was watching her.

Her hips moved to the beat while her skirt slipped farther up her thighs. Most men didn’t appreciate the value of perfectly pale skin, but Declan did, and Charlotte had the most exquisite skin. He knew she was dancing for him, that she knew he was watching. That tiny dress. Her messy caramel hair and those innocent brown eyes; those eyes made him want to do bad things to her while she watched.

“I see you’ve spotted Charlie and Mikki.” Aaron stood next to Declan at the edge of the dance floor.

“Mmm?” Declan murmured, careful not to react in any way. “How much has she had to drink?”

“Not sure. Maybe one. She’s been nursing some rum concoction since she arrived.”

Charlotte shoved her way up to the bar. Her cheeks burned, and her hair was damp from dancing.

“Excuse me!” she yelled trying to get the bartender’s attention. “Hey!” she called, pounding on the bar.

“He seems to be doing his best to ignore you, isn’t he, Ms. Flynn?” Charlotte blinked as Declan pressed closer to her. “You never shout at the bartender, Charlotte. It’s impolite.”

The bartender returned and looked at Declan expectantly. Declan raised his voice, but it was so deep it carried effortlessly. “Evan, two Jameson and Sevens, please.” Declan turned to Charlotte wearing a smile that could stoke embers into flames.

“How dare you order for me, Mr. Pearse!” Charlie shouted. “I thought I made it clear, I’m your employee and not your charge to boss around at your whim.” She seethed. “Besides, what if I wanted something else to drink?”

“Like what, Ms. Flynn, that ridiculous cocktail you’ve been nursing all night? Really, Charlotte, you’re not some giggling college girl looking for a quick buzz.” He placed a tip on the bar. “You will drink this and then we shall leave for the evening.”

“Like hell I will!”

“You will, Ms. Flynn. We have unfinished business to attend to.”

***

The hotel elevator hummed as it headed toward its destination. Charlie stood facing the wall, reading an advertisement for the Monks Bar while Declan took a call. She knew what they were doing there. Her nerves had nearly destroyed all feelings of desire. She knew this moment was going to happen, and yet now that it was here, Charlie felt as though her heart was about to jump through her chest. She was certain Declan was taking her to his suite to devour her. Of course, it had to be a suite. He was a Pearse after all. Panic cracked like ice in her veins and spread to her heart and mind. Despite everything that had happened and all she had experienced in her past, something with Declan made her feel nervous and awkward. As though she had extra sensory perception, she was suddenly aware of every blemish, every freckle, and every little extra fat deposit. Suddenly her reflection in the shiny brass walls of the elevator made her wonder what she was doing there.

Charlie turned abruptly, and he was there, inches away from her. She stilled, her gaze locked on his. A sudden thrill of fear, or something, pulsed through her body. She let out a slow, hesitant breath, suddenly wishing she hadn’t as she was sure her breath must smell dreadful. Declan still hadn’t moved an inch, and she was starting to feel a bit afraid. Her senses were telling her to move before something happened, but she couldn’t. She stood, locked into staring at his face.

When it came, she wasn’t expecting it; his hand moved up, his fingers against the skin at the base of her throat, moving up around her neck. He held her for a second before he crushed his lips against hers. For a long moment she struggled against his touch, attempting to pull away, but his firm hand on her shoulder and neck held his body warm against hers. After a moment of brain whirling, freaking out, she allowed herself to fall into the kiss and kiss him back. Their lips merged, blending and moving as the intensity grew within each of them.

Charlie parted her lips, and his tongue slipped against them gently. She flicked her tongue against his, wanting more. Declan took his tongue away, and she slid hers after it, allowing her tongue to slip into his mouth, where he moved his against it like she had done to his moments before. Declan’s grip on her was hard now as the kissing grew more intense. He slid his tongue into her mouth, and she put her lips around it, sucking it as she thought of sucking on his cock, and he made a noise inside his throat, smashing his lips back over hers. The emotions running through her were heady and making her feel faint. Charlie tucked her fingers into the belt holes of his suit pants, pulling his body hard against hers. Her back was up against the wall, her handbag on the floor at her feet. She could feel him actually becoming hard, and she pushed her hips toward him.

He pushed her back into the wall, hard, his mouth devouring hers, one hand around her throat, the other somewhere, but she had no idea where! The feel of his erect cock through his pants was making her crazy. Her hand rubbed up and down his crotch, firm but gentle at the same time, and he removed his lips from hers to moan a little. She wasn’t going to allow it, and she pressed her lips back against his, wanton and stupid with lust.

Declan stopped her, breathing heavily, and his hands moved down to her wrists, locking them tightly.

“No,” he said, his gaze on hers.

“I-I …” Charlie retreated a bit.

“No! Charlotte, I have not given you permission!”

Her gaze searched his for a moment, and she smiled a coy smile. “Yeah? Simple solution, tell me I can do it!” Charlie moved her head forward for another kiss, but he merely raised an eyebrow at her, and she squirmed, feeling a little silly. She tried to move her hands, and he allowed her a little bit, until her fingers began to touch the crotch of his pants again.

“No!” he told her, firmly.

“Yes!” she responded, even more firmly. She struggled to break his grip, the whole thing making her more turned on than before. By God, nobody had made her feel like this, not even Griffin. She squealed in her throat as she squirmed wildly, trying to unlock the grip on her wrists. The battle went on for a long while until suddenly he let her go. Declan’s arms twisted around her, and he kissed her, a mind-blowing kiss on the mouth, which she returned with just as much fervor. Her hands were roaming back over his cock again, massaging it through his pants.

“Damn it, Charlotte!” he broke off quickly, grabbing her arms again.

“You know I can play this game all night!” she teased, her eyes sparkling with the desperate lust she was giving in to.