He stared at me. “You think you can just...”

I flicked my thumb against my clit and came in a rush, the pleasure coursing through my body as I shuddered beneath him.

For a moment, Ash just stared at me.

Then he started to laugh, a slow, throaty chuckle that made things low in my body throb.

I lay there panting as he sat back on his knees. A look of amused incredulity settled over his face, and I started to snicker. It bloomed into a whoop of laughter when he shook his head, his eyes still hot as he stared at me.

But my amusement faded, fizzled, and then died as he lifted his hand and lazily licked his fingers.

I gulped, heat exploding through me like a series of mini-fireworks. Pop-pop-pop.

“I think next time, I’ll tie you up…”

Next time? I wanted to sneer at him, laugh at him, show him that he had no power over me. But all I could see was myself stretched out underneath hum, my hands tied up, bound to something over my head. My body stripped bare under that hot gaze. I wondered if he'd even ask before slipping the first rope around my wrist.

“Mr. Lang!”

The voice from the hall had us both bolting upright.

Ash was on his feet and moving while I half-rolled, half-fell to the floor.

I fumbled my skirt back into place while Ash strode across the room and yanked the doors closed.

Fuck.

He turned his head to stare at me, and the look in his eyes almost sent me to my knees. It was pure naked lust.

I’d never felt so wanted in my life.

Then there was a fist pounding on the door, breaking the spell. Someone tried to open it. “Mr. Lang!”

“I need a few minutes,” he said, his voice remarkably calm as he kept one hand on the door without looking away from me.

Nice that he could be calm. I couldn’t. Reality had just slammed into me, and as blood rushed to stain my face red, I thought I might be sick.

What had I been thinking?

He was practically my employer! He was Isadora's brother. An obscenely wealthy man who moved in circles I could never even dream of breaking into.

Fuck!

“I…” I swallowed and looked around, feeling strangely lost. “I need a restroom.”

He jerked his head off to the right and I nodded, feeling foolish. I’d known there was a bathroom in there. I’d even used it before. My face was on fire, and my legs were stiff and awkward. They didn’t want to move at all.

I just had to make it to the bathroom. It was only a few feet away, but after what seemed like an age, I finally reached it and ducked inside. Yet when I tried to close the door, a hand stopped me.

I shoved against it and he pushed back.

Gently, but inexorably, he pushed. I was strong – damn strong for a woman who’s five foot nothing – but I didn’t have a chance against a guy his size. Not when it came to strength anyway.

He came inside, his eyes intent on my face.

I drew myself up to my full height. In my heels, it was all of five foot three. But I could cut a man off at the knees with my glare, or so I’d been told. “Excuse me, Mr. Lang. I need to use the restroom.”

“Don’t start that shit again.” He jabbed a finger at me.

“I’m sorry?” Widening my eyes in mock innocence, I pressed a hand to my chest.

That was a bad move.

His eyes immediately fell to my breasts, and in response, my nipples hardened. Fortunately, I’d discovered the beauty of lined bras years ago, yet I still had a feeling he knew exactly what sort of reaction he’d caused.

“Don’t do that,” he said, his voice a rough growl. “I had you all but purring my name. Don’t you dare go back to calling me Mr. Lang in that haughty voice again.”

“Mr. Lang—”

“Don’t!”

The snapping fury in his voice ignited my own temper, and I shoved myself up onto my toes, snapping at him. “Excuse me? You don’t get to talk to me in that tone of voice.” I jabbed him in the chest and had the pleasure of watching his eyes widen. “I’m not your doting baby sister who hasn’t figured out yet that you're a total ass. I’m not your employee to boss around. I’m not your anything.”

“Yeah?” He shot out an arm and yanked me against him.

A startled oomph escaped me as I crashed into his chest. His hard, muscled chest.

Fuck.

I shoved my hands between us and wedged as much distance between us as I could.

“Two minutes ago, you were the woman I was getting ready to have wrapped around my cock, sweetheart.”

The smoky heat in his voice made my heart race.

The potent desire in his eyes made my knees weak.

And the arrogance on his face made me want to punch him in the head.

Curling a hand into a fist, I was seriously considering the last option. Out in the parlor, I heard a woman’s voice and I froze.

It wasn’t Isadora.

It was somebody older – and she sounded scared.

“Mr. Lang?”

Ash shot a fulminating glare at the door, but his voice was level as he said, “Just a couple of minutes, Beth.”

“How about now?” I smiled sweetly and pointed towards the door. I needed him away from me.

“Because we’re not done, Princess.”

I gaped at him. Princess? Had he seriously just called me Princess?

He chuckled, apparently amused by the look he’d seen on my face.

“Did you just call me Princess?”

“Yes.” He scraped the tips of his fingers down his jaw, rasping them over the light growth of stubble. Stubble I'd felt scraping against my skin. “I think it suits you. All damn high and mighty, staring down your nose at me.”

“Oh, really?” I sniffed and raked him up and down with a telling look. “I’m not the one who thinks I can snap my fingers and everybody will come rushing to do my bidding.”

There was a flicker in his eyes.

Out in the parlor, I heard Beth again and she sounded really upset. “Mr. Lang, please…”

I started to move toward the door, but he shoved an arm up, blocking me.

“Beth, two minutes isn’t going to hurt!” He all but shouted it.

Then he bent down, placing his lips next to mine. “What do you think, Princess? If I snap my fingers, will you do my bidding?” The hand he’d curved over my hip slid up, up, up until it was right under my breast. “Because I’m tempted to try. See, I’ve been having these fantasies ever since I first saw you.”

I sucked in a breath.

He lifted a hand, snapped his fingers right between our faces.

I jolted and heat exploded through me. My face burned red.

And my pussy…oh, man. I was so wet and so empty, I ached.

“I want to see you on your knees, Toni,” he said, his voice low and rough and raw. “I want you on your knees with your mouth wrapped around my cock.”

I had to swallow my whimper to keep it from escaping. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. I just had to keep remembering that he wasn't the kind of guy I wanted. He was an asshole.

I could see it, me on my knees doing exactly what he’d just described. My mouth was practically watering, and I had to fight to keep myself from reaching out and freeing him from his trousers. Running my fingers up, then down his length. Taking him between my lips. Tasting him...

I jumped as a fist pounded on the bathroom door. “Mr. Lang,” Beth said, her voice plaintive. “Please, this is urgent.”

He snarled and spun away, yanking open the door.

The sight of the ugly snarl on his face froze something in me.

But not as much as the sound of the woman’s voice.

Something was wrong.

I’d heard enough bad news in my life to know that.

Before he could yell at her, I cut between them.

She still stared at him. “Mr. Lang—”

“It couldn’t wait two minutes?” he bellowed.

“It’s probably been five,” I snapped, smacking a hand against his chest when he would have advanced. Then I looked back at the woman. Her pale eyes were overly wide, her breath coming too raggedly. And she was swaying.