Lacybourne Manor (Ghosts and Reincarnation #3)(85)
Author: Kristen Ashley

When her hands slid into his hair, holding his head to his task, he realised he was finally getting somewhere.

He lifted his head and she made a noise of disappointment that thrilled him in an almost primitive way and he interrupted his game by crushing his mouth to hers. He needed to taste her, allowed himself this moment of sheer pleasure before carrying on with his goal. She opened her lips immediately, inviting his tongue inside and, happily, he obliged. The kiss was hot and wild and he pressed his h*ps against hers, showing her his blatant arousal. She groaned into his mouth the moment she felt his need and her hand slid down his back, over his ass then fluttered around his hip to find him.

He caught it easily and shifted it behind her back.

“Not yet,” he warned. “Not until you talk.” This he said against her mouth, his breath was coming fast but hers was faster. His hand at the small of her back never ceased moving and she was, of her own accord, pressing her body against him, pushing her h*ps insistently against his.

He let go of her hand and before she knew what he was about, he lifted his leg off hers, pulled one of hers up to hook around his waist and slid his hand between her legs, finally touching her right where she needed it.

The minute he did, she gasped deliciously and his own body jerked at the sound and the evidence of her need.

Christ, she was amazing.

Colin lost several notches on his control.

“Talk,” he growled impatiently, needing this to end soon so he could take care of the both of them. He pressed his fingers against her, wanting his c**k to be where his fingers were, just as she pushed her h*ps against his hand.

“What… what do you want to know?” she breathed, delightfully losing her battle.

“The fifty thousand pounds,” he reminded her through clenched teeth, too far gone to glory in his triumph then, needing the feel of her, Colin slid one finger inside her. He watched her immediate reaction, her lips parting, she pulled in her breath delicately and he nearly lost himself in the seductive beauty of it.

Christ, he was going to come without her even touching him.

She emitted a deep, lusty groan and finally capitulated. “I gave it to the community centre. For… a… a minibus.”

Not finished, he wanted it all, so continued his torture. He slid his finger out of her silken wetness, sensing victory and then back in again. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“I thought…” She pressed against his hand and he took his finger away from her when she hesitated and her half-closed eyes flew open. “Colin, I want it back.” Her voice was throaty and her hands were moving all over him, they felt hot, fevered and wherever they went, they sent shafts of lust straight through him.

“You’ll get it back,” he promised and she’d get more than that, he knew. “Finish telling me.”

She shook her head but started talking anyway. “I thought you’d think I was crazy. I thought, if you knew I’d sell my body for a minibus, you’d leave me.”

That was not what he expected to hear and it so surprised him, he momentarily forgot his desire.

“Why would I leave you?”

Her dazed eyes found his.

“Who in their right mind sells their body for a minibus for oldies?” she burst out breathily, frustrated, tracing his arm to his hand to force him back to where she wanted him but he was now more interested in what she said than what they both wanted. She swiftly reminded him, “I told you, Colin, and you promised. Now I want it back,” she demanded and he pushed her on her back and loomed over her, spreading her legs with his thigh and pressing against her.

“You didn’t want me to leave?” he asked.

This was definitely something he wasn’t expecting and he found himself enjoying an entirely different sense of triumph.

Her gaze was soft on his face, her expression filled with longing but he could see fear there as well.

“No,” she whispered.

“Why?” he pressed.

“Colin, please. Don’t ask me these things.”

“Why didn’t you want me to leave?” he demanded, ignoring her request, now wanting more than ever to hear what she had to say, indeed, he found he needed to hear it.

“Because I thought you might be…”

She stopped, her hand drifted down his abdomen with seductive intent and he grabbed it and pulled it to his chest.

“Sibyl –”

“Someone special!” she suddenly shouted, losing her battle against him, her stubbornness and her body’s desire. “I thought you were someone special and I didn’t want you to think I was some crazy woman and leave. I mean, it isn’t every day someone sells their body and with it their soul and all they feel is good and right about themselves for a minibus! Don’t you find that odd? Strange? Utterly ludicrous? Do you want to be with a woman like that? I think not,” she snapped, not letting him react. Her words tore at him, lacerating his heart.

All they feel is good and right about themselves…

All of his desire to torment her fled as he stared at her, his heart clenching with guilt.

He had nothing to say except to point out the very important fact that she was exactly the kind of woman he wanted to be with but she didn’t give him the chance to say it.

She reared away from him, yanking her wrist out of his grasp, but he caught her and rolled to his back, pulling her on top of him, his thigh still pressed between hers and he lifted his knee.

“I’ve got to get out of here!” she cried desperately.

She was near tears, he could see them shimmering in her eyes.

“Sibyl.”

He knew then that, regrettably, he’d lost control of the situation and she’d lost control of her emotions. This wasn’t about desire anymore but about something else, something he was powerless to control, something that was totally Sibyl. The only thing he could do was ride it out.

“What?” she snapped. “You’re ruthless, you know. Just plain old mean.” Not allowing him to respond to those true, awful (but also rather adorable) statements, she tried to pull away again and grunted with the effort then stopped at once, for seemingly no reason, caught in her own turmoil, her weight collapsed on him and this time, he grunted.

“My parents warned me, after the animal shelter debacle, they warned me I’d end up doing something stupid and here I am. I should have said yes to you when you asked me out after the night at the club. But how was I to know you were, well… you!” she exploded. “That you were the type of man who could, and would, with a couple of phone calls, have gotten that vile minibus driver sacked. Or that you could be gentle and tender, sweet and generous. I didn’t know who you were, what you could do or that you’d even do it! I would have done anything in these last few weeks to take all of this back so you wouldn’t think I was a worthless, money-grubbing slut. But, back then, I thought you were insane. Now I know everything and…” She stopped abruptly, deciding again to fight, she pushed against him then just as suddenly gave up and crumpled on him, promptly lost control and burst into tears.