Sarah Holland - Extreme Provocation

It was enough to make her scream...

THE next day, Lucy was polishing the drawing-room when she saw the long white sports car pull up outside the house. Pulses leaping with fury, she froze, staring. It was eleven o’clock, a sunny day, and her father was still asleep. If she didn’t answer the door to Randal, he would wake her father, and she didn’t want that. She didn’t want him to know that this dangerous man had taken such a fancy to her and was in hot pursuit. He didn’t even know she had visited the casino that night. What would he say if he found out what had happened? She had asked Edward to keep silent on the subject. They had dined together last night, as always on a Saturday night, and he had gone home at midnight, aware that her father was once more at Marlborough’s casino. But Edward could do no more to stop her father than Lucy herself could. He had told her he would go to the casino at some point himself to try to prevent her father from gambling. But so far, he hadn’t done anything. Lucy was afraid to go there again, and the reason for her fear was currently getting out of that long white sports car, flashing dangerous blue eyes to the house.

Randal walked with that lazy arrogance to the door. He looked casually wealthy in black trousers and a black cashmere V-neck sweater. His black hair was pushed back from his hard forehead, his blue eyes hooded by those heavy eyelids.

Lucy moved away to the hall, light footsteps taking her to the front door before he could knock or ring or make any sound that might wake her father.

Wrenching open the door, she looked angrily into his face. ‘What are you doing here?’

He smiled mockingly. ‘I came to see you. What else?’

‘Well, I don’t want to see you . Haven’t you got the message yet?’

‘But you’ve answered the door.’ Black brows arched coolly.

Lucy’s face flushed a delicate pink. ‘I didn’t want you hammering on the door and attracting attention. This is a quiet residential square. The neighbours notice everything that happens.’

He surveyed her with amused insolence. ‘Nothing to do with your father sleeping off last night’s hangover, then?’

Lucy’s colour deepened. ‘I don’t know what you mean!’

‘He was in the casino until dawn,’ Randal said coolly, his face unsmiling. ‘He ordered a magnum of champagne. I doubt he’ll surface much before lunchtime.’

‘Gossip?’ she queried, dislike in her green eyes.

He laughed under his breath. ‘That’s right. Aren’t you going to ask me in? I’d love a cup of coffee.’

‘No, I’m not going to ask you in,’ she said tightly, and began to close the door.

‘Want me to start hammering on the door?’ he drawled, preventing her from shutting it with one strong hand.

Her eyes warred with his. Angrily, she felt she had no option but to let him in. ‘Very well,’ she said angrily. ‘I’ll let you come in. But one false move and I’ll scream the house down.’ Holding the door back for him, she felt her pulses leap as he moved inside.

He dominated the hallway, his presence like electricity. He was so tall—at least six feet four—and those shoulders were intensely broad, his body rippling with lean muscle.

Lucy looked up at him through her lashes. ‘We’ll go in the kitchen. Please keep your voice down...’

He followed her coolly along the hall. Lucy was so aware of him behind her that her pulses were leaping like fire by the time they reached the kitchen.

As they entered the sunlit pine kitchen, she turned and found him right behind her, very close, his muscled chest at eye-level, the tanned flesh visible where the V of his sweater ended, and a sprinkling of black hairs curling there.

Her eyes flashed to meet his. Their gazes collided with violent impact. She felt breathless suddenly, her heart thudding with alarm. Why does he affect me like this? she thought in panic.

‘I’ll get you that coffee...’ she said, her voice oddly husky, and turned away from him, going to the side and switching on the kettle.

He moved behind her, and she felt his breath on her neck as he bent his dark head, long fingers pushing her blonde hair softly back to expose the naked nape of her neck.

‘You’re not wearing that perfume,’ he said softly, and his mouth kissed her throat.

Angrily, she turned. ‘Keep your hands to yourself!’

‘Why aren’t you wearing it? I went to a great deal of trouble to have it delivered here for you.’

‘I couldn’t stand the smell of it,’ she said deliberately. ‘It reminded me of you.’

‘What did you do? Pour it down a sink?’

Her face flamed. ‘Yes!’

He laughed. ‘Well, that rebounded on you, didn’t it? The whole house smells of it.’

‘It’ll go away eventually,’ she snapped. ‘Just like you.’

‘But I won’t,’ he said under his breath, moving towards her. ‘I won’t go away until I’ve got what I want.’

She backed, found herself cornered, heart thudding as she stared up at him in sudden wild panic. ‘But what is it? What do you want from me?’

His blue eyes moved to her mouth, then her full breasts as they rose and fell beneath the pale blue silk dress she wore, and they were both suddenly aware of the swift erection of her nipples as excitement shot through her under that powerful gaze.

‘I want to make love to you,’ he said softly.

It was suddenly impossible to breathe. Lucy stared at him, her body tense. As those blue eyes flickered back up to meet hers she felt her heartbeat rocket.

‘Well!’ She was almost speechless. ‘If you think that I...’ The words seemed to stumble over each other. ‘That I would dream...think of...even consider...’

He was smiling sardonically, his strong hands moving to her waist as he took that last, deadly step towards her.

‘Don’t...!’ she gasped out.

His hard thighs pressed inexorably against hers. He had her completely cornered now, her heart drumming as she clutched his powerful arms with nerveless fingers.

‘Have dinner with me tonight,’ he drawled. ‘Or I’ll kiss you until your legs give way.’

‘I’ll scream!’ she whispered, appalled to realise that she was almost hypnotised by him.

‘Then scream,’ he mocked, and bent his dark head, very slowly, giving her time to scream her head off, but she couldn’t move or speak as that hard mouth came closer, her pulses drumming feverishly as she waited for that kiss.

His mouth closed over hers at last, and she shook as his lips parted hers, a terrifying sweetness invading her body as she felt her mouth open beneath his and accept the hot exploration of his kiss. Pleasure was flooding her, her eyes closing and her hands curling on his broad shoulders, loving the feel of those firm muscles beneath her fingers. The kiss was slow, sensual and unbearably exciting, making her want more, her pulses clamouring as she suddenly felt an urge to touch his strong throat and push her fingers slowly through his dark hair.

With a smothered gasp of self-loathing, she struggled out of that hot embrace, but his arms tightened around her and his kiss deepened, his mouth forcing her to accept the growing passion of the kiss. She started to hit out at him, giving hoarse gasps of angry excitement as she felt that hard male body in every nerve-ending, and, most of all, felt the press of his manhood against her.

Suddenly, she was terrified. Her voice shakily pleaded for release. ‘Please...’ Her mouth was against his, her body trembling. ‘Please let me go...Randal...’ She felt humiliated, intolerably excited, confused...

He released her with reluctance, his mouth lifting from hers as though he could not bear to stop kissing her. He looked down at her flushed, fevered little face, saw the green eyes enormous with panic, the pulse beating hotly at her throat.