Dropping down onto the retro club sofa behind her, she toed off her ebony flats and gave him a disarming smile. ‘I agree. It has. I never would have guessed that indulging in pursuits purely for pleasure could make me this tired.’
‘Presumably that’s because you aren’t used to flexing that particular muscle? Tell me—is that the only reason you’re tired, Imogen, or is there something else on your mind?’
Her expression veiled, she rose slowly to her feet. A jolt of surprise ricocheted through Seth’s insides when she moved to stand right in front of him. The scent of her warm, light perfume was like the petals of exquisite frangipani and indelibly intoxicating.
All of a sudden the air between them was alive with electricity. He had only to stretch out his hand to touch her and he would be able to ease the need that was growing stronger in him by the second. He was beginning to learn that this woman was pure carnal temptation. His blood wasn’t merely flowing through his veins...it was pounding.
But although her hard-to-resist allure was seriously testing him, he was concerned about what she might be going to say. Was she going to tell him that she’d changed her mind about marrying him? When he realised it was a possibility he sensed his heart racing in protest.
‘What is it?’
‘It’s nothing... I just— I just...’
As she brushed aside her hair where it glanced against her cheek, Imogen’s gaze was surprisingly steady. Seth couldn’t attest to the fact that he even breathed right then. The look in her eyes had stopped all thought in its tracks. What he saw in those silken burnished depths was a seductive mix of desire, need and longing... All the things he’d secretly yearned for her to feel for him and more...
‘What are you trying to do to me?’ he husked.
‘Don’t worry...I just want you to kiss me...’
Whether the gesture was meant or purely unconscious, she moistened her heavenly lips with her tongue.
‘Is that allowed on the night before we get married, Seth?’
‘We can do whatever we damn well please.’
Hungrily urging her slim body towards his, he held her head fast and eagerly brought his lips down to hers. The contact was akin to that magical moment when a flame was ignited from dry tinder and took hold. The more he kissed her, the more he wanted to explore the satin textures of her mouth.
Seth fed the flames of his desire and the sparks spat and hissed, scorching his skin and burning him. He had never known such need. Yes, he had known hunger for sexual fulfilment—of course he had—but not as powerful and fierce as this.
Lifting the filmy material of her blouse aside, he cupped one full breast and bent down to taste it. When he’d tugged her white lace bra lower to expose her nipple, his mouth hungrily latched on to it and suckled. She was salty and sweet, the nipple that swelled beneath his fingers musky and sexy.
The shuddering sigh of pleasure she released left him in no doubt that she wanted him, and the knowledge made him clutch her even closer. Claiming her mouth once again, he drove his hips against her belly. He was hot, hard and aching. He could take her now, in a heartbeat, he was so turned on.
But just as he was about to direct her towards the couch so they could be more intimate, Imogen put her hands on his chest and pressed firmly to halt him. First she had indicated that she wanted him, but now it seemed she was cooling things down.
Seth’s head throbbed in confusion. ‘What’s wrong? Isn’t this what you wanted...? To be closer?’
She swallowed hard, her gaze nervous. ‘Presumably you’re talking about being sexually closer but not close in any other way?’
He scowled. ‘If you’re talking about engaging feelings, I’ve told you that I prefer not to involve my emotions. Risking that kind of attachment has too many painful connotations for me.’
‘Why? Is it because you fear more loss?’
Suddenly Imogen felt much older than her years. The shocking effect of losing the woman he’d adored when he was young had instilled a deep fear into Seth’s heart, she guessed... So much so that he didn’t want to risk getting close to another woman emotionally in case he somehow lost her, too.
Breathing out a sigh, he studied her thoughtfully for a few moments. ‘We all have to take steps to protect ourselves sometimes. But that doesn’t mean I won’t respect you or take care of your needs, Imogen. I’ll do everything I can to ensure that you have a good life...the life you deserve.’
‘Let’s be frank. Do you still wish it was Louisa that you were marrying, Seth? In that note I found in the book you said that you would never love anyone but her.’