New Year, New Man. Laura Iding

what?’ she choked out.

      ‘The tempting. No, don’t bother to deny it. Or defend yourself. Everything you’ve done today has been leading to this moment. Very well. You’ve won. Though I doubt you’ll see it as a win by tomorrow morning.’

      ‘What do you mean?’

      Again, that cold, cryptic smile. ‘I did warn you. If you insist on playing with the devil, then you have to be prepared to take the consequences.’

       CHAPTER TEN

      THE rest of the afternoon was endless, an eternity of wondering and worrying exactly what Nick meant by his provocative yet threatening words.

      Several times Sarah tried to draw him into further clarification but he would have none of it, always turning the conversation away from the subject, or turning away from her altogether. After the lunch was over he deserted her to play the role of host, mingling with all his guests and making sure they had a good time. Coffee was served around the pool, with a few of the guests changing afterwards for a swim. Unfortunately Nick joined them, the sight of him in his brief black costume not doing Sarah’s agitated state of mind any good.

      It was around this time that Derek received a call on his cellphone from his mother, saying that his father had had a change of heart and wanted him to come home for Christmas after all. A delighted Derek called a taxi straight away and rushed off, leaving Sarah pleased for him, but even more lonely and agitated herself. In desperation, she left the party and escaped to the privacy of her bedroom.

      But there was no peace for her there. She could still hear the gaiety downstairs through the French doors, the sounds tormenting her. What kind of man was Nick to say what he’d said to her and then ignore her? Finally, she could not bear her solitude any longer and made her way out onto the balcony, where she had a perfect view of the pool below…and Nick.

      He saw her watching him, she knew. But he still ignored her, choosing instead to put his head down and swim, up and down, up and down. He must have swum for a good fifteen minutes straight before he stopped abruptly at one end and hauled himself out of the pool. Grabbing a towel, he draped it around his dripping shoulders before throwing her a savage glance, then striding up the terrace steps and disappearing under the roof created by the canvas blinds.

      Every female nerve-ending in Sarah’s body went on high alert. He was coming upstairs. To change? Or for something else?

      She gripped the wrought-iron railing of the balcony, hot blood rushing around her veins at the possibility that it was her he was coming for; that he was about to put his teasing words into action. It didn’t seem possible that he would do such a thing with the house still full of guests. But he’d said he was a scoundrel, hadn’t he?

      Sarah did not hear him enter her bedroom. But she felt his presence in every pore of her body. She whirled to find him standing in the doorway that led out onto the balcony. The towel was no longer draped around his shoulders. His legs were set solidly apart, his hands balled into fists by his sides.

      Sarah had seen him dressed in nothing but his swimming costume many times, but never in her bedroom, and never with that look on his face.

      She shivered under the impact of the dark passion emanating from his coal-black eyes.

      ‘Come here,’ he commanded, his voice low and harsh.

      Shock—and a sudden wave of fear—held her motionless.

      He stunned her further by stripping down to total nudity, leaving her to confront the physical evidence of his desire.

      Now, that she’d never seen before, and a dark excitement sent her head spinning and her pulse racing.

      ‘Come here,’ he repeated in gravelly tones.

      She moved across the balcony like some robot, her mouth dry, her heart thudding loudly behind her ribs. When she was close enough he reached up to cup her heated face, his eyes holding hers captive whilst his mouth lowered to her still parched lips.

      But he didn’t kiss her. He just slowly licked her lips with his tongue. She found it incredibly erotic, her eyes shutting as her lips fell further apart on a soft moan.

      Another moan punched from Sarah’s throat when his tongue suddenly slid into her mouth. Surprise swiftly gave way to a wild craving to draw him in deeper and yet deeper. The need to pleasure him was great; the need to possess him even greater.

      Her eyes flung wide when he wrenched his tongue away, her cry the cry of dismay. But then his hands fell to her shoulders and he was pushing her down onto her knees in front of him.

      Any shock was momentary. If this was what he wanted, then she wanted it too.

      He tasted clean and salty from the swimming pool. But it wasn’t the taste of him that mattered to Sarah. All the years of wanting him to want her made her both reckless and wild. Her secret passion was finally unleashed.

      Afterwards, she had no detailed recollection of how long it was before he came. A minute perhaps. Maybe two.

      All she could recall was her satisfaction in his release, thrilling to the raw groans that filled the room, exulting in his uncontrolled surrender.

      She glanced up at him, still unbearably aroused by what she’d just done. Her body was on fire, her conscience in danger of being totally routed. She did not care if he was a scoundrel. Did not care if he was only using her. She’d never been so excited in all her life.

      ‘You do realise there’s no going back now,’ he grated out as he lifted her to her feet.

      She just stared at him, unable to formulate any reply at that moment.

      He stared back with hard, glittering eyes. ‘I should have known you’d do this to me today.’

      ‘Do what?’ she choked out.

      ‘Make me cross the line. You think you know what you’re doing but you don’t.’

      ‘I’m not a child, Nick.’

      He laughed. ‘You are, compared to me. But that’s all right. That’s your attraction. I like it that you’re relatively innocent. It excites me. It’ll almost be worth it to open your eyes, to make you see what kind of men there are in this world. And how easily it is for them to seduce girls like you. Hopefully, by the time I’ve finished with you, you’ll have enough experience to protect yourself in future.’

      ‘I’m not that innocent,’ she threw back at him.

      ‘No? Why do you say that? Because you think you know how to go down on a man?’

      Sarah’s face flamed.

      ‘I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy it,’ Nick went on, reaching out to stroke a perversely loving hand down her cheek. ‘But I’ll enjoy teaching you how to do it properly a lot more.’

      His hand drifted across to her mouth, where he inserted a finger between her lips.

      ‘Most men prefer not to be gobbled up like fast food,’ he advised, sliding that knowing finger back and forth along the middle of her tongue. ‘Once you master the art, you can love a man more times than you would think possible. Have you ever been made love to all night long, Sarah?’

      A shudder rippled down Sarah’s spine at the images he was evoking.

      ‘I think not,’ he purred, his dark gaze narrowing on her wide eyes.

      His finger retreated, leaving her feeling weirdly bereft and empty.

      ‘But tonight you will, my love,’ he promised. ‘Tonight, I will take you to places you’ve never been before. If that’s what you want, of course. Do you want it, Sarah? This is your last chance to tell me to go to hell.’

      She stared into his heavily lidded eyes, afraid now of the power he had