Page 35 of Surrender

Left alone with Theo, Genevieve met his stony gaze. Eyes glittering with fury, the man looked as angry now as he had when he’d pulled Ansbach off of her. The memory sent an icy finger scraping down Genevieve’s spine.

While she was grateful Theo had arrived when he had, she knew she couldn’t remain silent as to how his behavior had affected her mission. She could have easily managed the count if Theo hadn’t arrived. A voice in the back of her head snorted with disgust at her lie.

Genevieve drew in a deep breath as she readied herself for battle. Any reprimand she uttered regarding his behavior would be dismissed. But she wasn’t about to let Theo get away unscathed when it came to his starting a fight with Ansbach. Although his rescue had been more than welcome, Theo’s demand the count stay away from her would only make the Prussian all the more determined to pursue her.

That alarmed her, because at the moment, all she wanted to do was to stay as far away from the count as she could. Before she could open her mouth, Theo dragged her across the terrace toward the doors to the ballroom. They’d gone only a few steps when he came to an abrupt halt. With another sharp tug of her arm, he changed their course.

“I do not appreciate you man-handling me,” Genevieve protested angrily, trying to free her arm from his grip.

He didn’t say a word as he ignored her protest, easily preventing her attempt to escape. With her stumbling along behind him, he led her further down the terrace to another set of French doors. There was only a small amount of light emanating from behind the glass, and Theo tested the handle. When it dipped downward, he jerked it open and forced Genevieve into a small library.

Theo released her to lock the door behind him, then brushed past her and headed toward another door. In several quick strides he reached the other entryway and opened it to peer out into what Genevieve could tell was a hallway. Shutting the door, he locked the door as he had the one they’d entered. Theo spun about on his heel and looked around the room. In the low light, his handsome features were still dark with anger, and she shook her head with irritation.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she asked in a tight voice. “Do you have any idea how difficult you just made things for me when it comes to gathering information from Ansbach?”

The moment she questioned him, Theo strode across the room, caught her arm in his hand again and tugged her into the dark shadows toward a large bookcase. When they were enveloped by the darkness, his hard frame pressed her into the sidewall of a bookcase.

“I don’t want you going near that bastard again. Do you understand?”

The low, harsh words echoed with a threat that said she would regret ignoring his command. Despite her irritation, she couldn’t help feeling a rush of excitement at the possessive note in his voice. Genevieve quickly pushed the emotion aside, and drew in a breath, and the male scent of him invaded her senses.

Her heart skipped a beat. She’d always liked the clean, fresh smell of pine and bergamot whenever he was near. It was a masculine scent that suited him, but all thought of how good he smelled vanished as he bent his head toward her.

“I asked you a question, Genevieve. Have I made myself clear that you’re to have nothing to do with Ansbach from now on.” His arrogance made her irritation go up a notch.

“Oh, I heard you, but you are not my guardian or even my protector, so what you say holds no water with me, especially—”

Theo uttered a soft oath, then crushed her mouth beneath his firm one. Stunned, her senses reeled as his lips possessed hers in a mind-numbing kiss. Fire streaked across her skin as her surprise gave way to a delirious pleasure. With a murmur of delight, she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with fervor.

Heat sank deep into her pores until it ignited a blaze that sped through her blood, spreading its way into every cell of her body. His tongue slid across the seam of her mouth, demanding access. Eagerly, she parted her lips, and his tongue swirled around hers.

He tasted of a fruity, fire-infused brandy, and it mixed with his masculine scent to stoke a desire inside her that threatened to be her undoing, but she didn’t care. This was what it had been like last time, and she reveled in the sensations his kiss sent flooding through her. The scent and taste of him aroused a pulsating need in her that swelled and became a desperate hunger.

Hot. Sultry. Probing.

It rose up, consuming her as she pressed her body into his in a silent plea for him to make her his as he had that day in the croft. She wanted, craved his touch, desperate for him to pleasure her once more. Eager for more than just his kiss, she thrust her hips into his, jubilant to feel his hard, thick length press into the apex of her thighs. His mouth slid away from her lips to blaze its way downward to the edge of her bodice.

One hand cupping her, his thumb rubbed across the tip of her breast, causing her nipples to harden. The acute, tantalizing feel of his tongue dipping into the valley between her breasts made her gasp. With slow, measured strokes, he slid it in and out of the small recess until she released a low moan as she relished the hedonistic sensation that was sending small throbs of need through her.

God, how she wanted him right now. Wanted their bodies to be joined. Demanding and unrelenting, her sex ached and pulsed with need. She wanted him inside her, sliding in and out of her as his tongue was doing between her breasts. Fingers spiking through his silky, oil-free hair, she trembled with longing, wanting more of him. Cool air brushed across her legs and then her thighs as his hand roughly tugged her dress upward.

As he pressed her deeper into the bookshelves, the front of her gown was caught between them at her waist. One large hand glided up her thigh in a leisurely caress that made her want to sob as her aching sex demanded he touch her—appease her need. She was certain he knew the effect he was having on her, as his finger skimmed its way over the edge of her sex.

The caress made her shudder and whimper with a hunger that threatened to spiral out of control. A low growl floated through the air as he slid first one finger, then two more inside her in an intimate caress that made her gasp before another moan blew past her lips. His mouth nipped almost playfully at her earlobe, the warmth of his breath a fiery caress.

“You are mine. No other man will ever touch you again, do you understand?”

Harsh and fierce, his words were an invisible brand that marked her in a way that made her heart crash into her chest. A second later, it pounded wildly in her breast until every inch of her tingled with delight.

“Say it. Say you’re mine.” The command sent a shudder rippling through her as she hesitated. The order came again as he withdrew his fingers, and she released a low cry of protest.

“Oh God, please. Don’t tease me,” she pleaded, knowing her voice echoed with intense longing and hunger.

“Then unless you want me to leave you aching with need, say it.” The darkness in his voice made her tremble as she knew she was about to give up a piece of herself simply to have him continue touching her.

“Yes, I’m yours. I belong to no other man, only to you,” she rasped.

The moment her hoarse response filled the air, he stroked her hard, hitting a spot inside her that made her cry out in pleasure. Immediately, his mouth silenced her sob of rapture. Frantic to touch him, her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his trousers, and in seconds her hand was wrapped around him. Deep from within his chest, a groan rumbled upward to vibrate against her lips.