Forcing himself to pull back from their kiss, he took her hand, leading her into his apartment before shutting the door behind them.

He flipped the hall light on, but no others. Despite her bold seductress persona, he knew he was going to test her, to push her, and somehow thought that tonight, she’d prefer the sanctuary of shadows. He planned to expose far more than her beautiful body before this evening ended.

She walked past him into his living room, the steady stream of moonlight glistening off her silky blonde hair, giving it a silvery quality. Her h*ps swayed in a slow, sultry motion as they stroll through his home, the only one he’d had in years, a place she felt right inside, just as she did by his side.

He let her explore, standing back and watching her as he loosened his tie and tossed it onto the hall table. He loosened the top buttons of his shirt at the same time he willed the urgency in his body to calm.

He wanted Julie like nothing else in this world, in a way he couldn’t continue to ignore. He itched to peel off her dress, to once again touch that silky skin of hers. Patience, he reminded himself. Good things come to those who wait.

Slowly he walked into the living room, closing the distance between them, feeling like an animal stalking his prey, never taking his eyes off her. She picked up a picture of him and his brothers from the mantel. She stared at it a moment, and then looked up at him.

They stood a mere foot apart as their eyes locked. “I never knew you were so sentimental,” she said in a soft voice.

He took the picture from her hands, setting it back on the mantel. “Runs in the family,” he said as his hand settled on her hip. The air in the room seemed to crackle. “Sentimental and protective. You bring out those things and more in me. For instance, I remember every second of the weeks we spent together years ago, even when I tried to forget.”

Her hand went to his jaw, tenderly, a soft look in her eyes. He pulled her close, tangling their legs together, melding his h*ps to hers, his thick erection to her stomach where she’d know just how hot he was for her.

Her teeth scraped her full bottom lip and his c**k jerked. Damn, every time she did that he felt it in every inch of his body.

“How do I feel about it?” she asked softly.

“Mmmm,” he said staring down at her, fighting the desire to just kiss her and ask questions later, when he knew it would be a fatal mistake.

Her dark lashes fluttered to her pale cheeks as if she was surrendering to some feeling. Her lips parted before she looked back up at him. “At this very moment, I’d say I feel pretty good about it.”

She barely had the words out before his mouth was on hers, his tongue parting her lips, teasing and tasting, and God, she tasted good. Like chocolate and champagne, and temptation. The flavor sent a rush of blood through his veins that settled heavily, thickly in his groin.

His hands caressed a path down her waist, to cup her full, high, perfect ass. “I want to see you. All of you.”

One side of her mouth lifted in a sultry little smile that played with his c**k even as her fingers played with the buttons on his shirt. “And I want to see you.”

He gently shackled her wrists with his hands, making her gaze lock with his. “You first. I want you way too much to be na**d just yet, and way too much for you not to be.”

Her eyes narrowed and he drew her wrist to his lips, feeling the thrum of her rapid pulse against his mouth before he moved to kiss her palm. “I’m, hmmmm, all for getting out of this dress.”

His hands traveled down her neck, over her shoulders, and then gently over her br**sts. She pressed his hands against her, molding them to her chest. “I need help with my zipper,” she said. Slowly, she turned and gave him her back.

He brushed her hair over one of her delicate shoulders and tugged the metal clasp downward, each newly revealed inch of skin setting his pulse to a quicker pace. No woman had ever affected him with nothing but a slash of ivory skin. He kissed the sensitive spot at her nape and then slowly skimmed the material off her shoulders, then followed the dress down to her waist. She shimmied her hips, helping him pull it down until it pooled at her feet. His hands settled at her waist as she stepped aside and kicked away the garment.

She tried to rotate but he held her there. “Let me look at you,” he said, sounding gruff, his voice thick with arousal. And look he did. Damn, the woman had a fine backside, that the ivory thigh highs and strip of silk did everything to accent.

He popped the hook to her bra, and she shrugged it forward and tossed it to the floor. He stroked one lush butt cheek, and turned her to the fireplace. “Put your hands on the mantel,” he ordered.

“Luke–”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed his lips to her ear. “Tonight I’m in charge. Let me be in charge of your pleasure. You trust me enough to do what I say.”

She rolled her head forward a moment, and while he could feel her resistance, he could also smell her arousal. He ran his hand over her br**sts and then caressed one, teasing her nipple.

She moaned, and her head lifted and fell against his shoulder. “Put your hands on the mantel, sweetheart.” He turned her toward the fireplace and held onto her while her hands curled around the ledge. Her silent submission, her willingness to trust him, held meaning he didn’t miss, that he’d craved for far too long.

He didn’t immediately let her go, sensing that she needed him to hold her, that she needed to go slow. He knew the implications of her letting go of her control. He knew how hard she clung to it. He even thought he was beginning to understand why. That she felt it made her stronger, that it kept her in control of life. Kept her from getting hurt.