but the charm was definitely gone, leaving in its stead a man of compelling, indomitable will.
Why hadn’t she seen this cold, implacable man behind that charm three days ago?
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think I want to do that.’
His smile was chilly and humourless. ‘Oh, I really think you’ll find that you do,’ he taunted.
Luccy’s eyes widened at his continued arrogance. ‘You’re mistaken—’
‘Luccy, I believe you only have—what?—a couple of months left to run on your photography contract with PAN Cosmetics, a contract you very badly need to be renewed before you start to flounder financially, if not professionally,’ Sin cut in, knowing by the way her eyes widened that he had surprised her with his knowledge of her financial status. He intended surprising her with a lot more than that before the day was over!
‘How do you—? You had no right to delve into my financial affairs!’ Luccy exclaimed with horror as she realised that was exactly what he had done.
‘What happened between us the other evening gave me that right,’ Sin announced.
‘No!’
‘Oh, yes, Luccy,’ he ground out. ‘I’m sure you would much prefer it if your contract with PAN were to be renewed, wouldn’t you?’
Luccy blinked dazedly. How did this man know so much about her? And what business was it of his, anyway?
She glared at him. ‘And what if I would?’
Sin couldn’t help but admire the way this woman continued to defy him. Pointlessly so. But he admired her defiance anyway.
He topped her by at least seven inches, the delicacy of her bone structure showing that he probably weighed almost twice as much as she did too. Yet she was so totally, angrily defiant; she reminded him of a small cat hissing a warning at a lion to stay off her territory.
His mouth tightened. ‘Isn’t it obvious?’
‘Not to me, no.’
‘It’s time to stop playing games, Luccy,’ Sin warned icily.
‘I’m not playing games!’
‘I agree, blackmail can never be considered anything as light-hearted as a game—’
‘Blackmail!’ Luccy took a shocked step back at the accusation.
He arched mocking brows. ‘Perhaps you would prefer it if I used the term “leverage”?’
‘Now you just listen to me—’
‘You have it all wrong, Luccy—you will be the one listening to me,’ Sin cautioned in a coldly chilling voice. ‘Whatever you think the other night was about, whatever leverage you think you may have gained by making love with me, I advise you to just forget it. I can assure you, I have no intention—’
‘Get out!’ Luccy ordered shakily. ‘Just get out!’
His mouth thinned. ‘Will you be coming to my hotel later?’
She glared at him. ‘Certainly not!’
Sin gave a shrug. ‘Then I guess I’m not leaving, after all.’
Her eyes sparkled like twin sapphires. ‘Are you threatening me?’ she finally breathed softly.
‘No more than you intended blackmailing me,’ Sin assured her smoothly.
She shook her head. ‘I have no absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Try a little harder, Luccy.’
Her frown was pained. ‘You’re deluding yourself if you think I have any intention of so much as seeing you again.’
Beautiful didn’t even begin to describe this woman, Sin allowed ruefully. She was stunningly lovely. Very intelligent. Extremely—arousingly—sexy. Even now…
‘I believe at the moment you’re the one who is deceiving yourself,’ he said huskily.
She blinked. ‘I beg your pardon?’
Sin felt an overwhelming compulsion to shake this woman, to leave her as confused as she had left him when he’d come out of the bathroom to find her gone.
‘I—what are you doing?’ she gasped as Sin crossed the room in two long strides, her eyes wide and wary as she looked up at him as he now stood only inches away from her.
A humourless smile curved his lips. ‘You’re trembling again, Luccy,’ he murmured. ‘Why is that?’ He quirked dark brows over taunting grey eyes. ‘Is it because you are frightened of me, after all?’ he taunted. ‘Or are you trembling because you think I might touch you again, and you’re perhaps a little—just a little—apprehensive of your own response?’
Those blue eyes flashed with temper. ‘You egotistical, arrogant son-of-a—’
‘I don’t believe insulting my mother is going to help this situation,’ he cut in.
‘I hate y—’ Her words were cut off as Sin reached out to cup either side of her face before his mouth firmly claimed hers.
His mouth was hard, demanding, punishing against hers. Sin barely registered the pummelling of her tiny fists against his chest as she fought to release herself.
She continued to fight for several long seconds before the pummelling slowly stopped and her lips softened beneath his, her body seeming to become liquid flame as it melted into his.
Dangerously so.
Luccy’s breasts were pressed against the muscled hardness of Sin’s chest, the soft curve of her stomach against his arousal, an arousal that pulsed, burned, with a rapidly spiralling need.
And then his lips softened against hers, sipping, tasting now, inciting an even deeper hunger inside her.
What was it about this man that made her respond in this way?
Luccy had absolutely no idea, but much more of this and she knew that when Cathy returned from her lunch break in a few minutes she was going to be met with the shock of seeing her employer making love to a strange man on top of her desk!
Luccy’s face was flushed, her lips slightly bruised-looking, her eyes glittering furiously when Sin finally raised his head to look down at her in slow appraisal.
‘No, I don’t believe you hate me, Luccy,’ he said. ‘And hopefully, given time, you’ll come to realise that, although I like a certain amount of—spirit, in my women, I actually prefer the way you were the other night rather than having to fight you into submission.’
She gasped. ‘You arrogant—’
‘I believe we’ve already more than adequately covered that aspect of my nature,’ he dismissed in a bored voice. ‘Seven-thirty this evening,’ he bit out firmly, taking his leave this time before Luccy could argue any further.
As he was sure that she had wanted to do.
Although he was equally unsure that Luccy would actually come to his hotel later this evening. But if she considered him arrogant now, then she certainly wouldn’t like his mood if he had to come looking for her a second time…
CHAPTER FOUR
‘A VERY wise decision on your part,’ Sin drawled as the lift doors of the penthouse suite opened to admit Luccy that evening. ‘And only ten minutes late, too,’ he added appreciatively as he stepped back to allow her to stride forcefully past him into the suite. ‘I expected it to be eight o’clock at least before you put in an appearance,’ he jeered as he followed her into the lounge.
A room that unfortunately brought back all too many memories for Luccy. Disturbing memories she had tried to forget, but couldn’t…