The Platinum Collection: A Convenient Proposal: His Diamond of Convenience / The Highest Price to Pay / His Ring Is Not Enough. Maisey Yates

of her nerves, the embracing of desire. To be so in tune with a lover’s body was an added dimension that he had not anticipated, nor one he had ever thought possible.

      “Turn around, Victoria.” He had an image in his mind of what it would look like to unzip the dress, and he was determined to see it brought to life.

      She obeyed him, turning to face the back wall, her hands clasped in front of her.

      He approached her slowly, placing his hand on her shoulder before trailing it down the center of her back to where to dress began, dipping his fingertip beneath the fabric. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her shoulder blade, feeling her intake of breath as his lips made contact with her skin. He closed his eyes, kissed her again, lower this time. And lower still, until his mouth was at the line where fabric met flesh. He was on his knees before her, inhaling her scent, relishing her softness. He opened his eyes, looked at the contrast between the rich dark red of the gown and the pale white of her skin.

      He took the tab of the zipper between his thumb and forefinger and began to draw it downward, exposing more of her body. He tugged it down past the border of her underwear, the same red as the dress, exposing her perfectly rounded ass for his inspection.

      “I imagine,” he said, his voice rough even to his own ears, “that you wear this style of underwear for practical reasons.” He hooked his finger in the waistband of her panties, tracing the line where the fabric had just rested. “But I would like to think you wore them for me. I only wish I would’ve known that you had something so provocative on beneath the gown. There’s no way I could’ve waited through that last hour.”

      Victoria said nothing in response, but no response was needed.

      He pulled lightly on the dress and it fell, revealing her gorgeous body for his inspection. She was not wearing a bra; the style of dress she was wearing would never have allowed it. And now she was wearing nothing more than the extremely brief red panties. And a pair of black stilettos. It did things to him. Made him crave things. Everything.

      He gripped her hips, turning her so that she was facing him, with him still on his knees. Leaving him at eye level with the most feminine part of her, barely concealed by the red lace of the G-string.

      “And the shoes...you wore those for me, didn’t you?”

      She laughed, the sound shaky. “Not everything is all about you.”

      “Of course not.” He kissed the tender skin of her stomach, just above the red lace, and felt her shiver beneath his touch. “Right now it’s about you. I feel as though I might be working backward, seeing as I have not yet kissed your beautiful lips today.”

      And any moment now he would. But he was momentarily stunned by her beauty, and this position seemed the only one she was worthy of. One of reverence, one befitting the perfection that was before him now.

      A fitting show of reverence before he took what he wanted.

      Before he took what he needed.

      He was still holding her hips, and he looked at the places where his skin covered hers. Tanned, callused hands concealing her smoothness. Cheap tattoos he’d acquired on the streets a sharp contrast to the fine fabric that she normally kept pressed against her body. Unworthy was the only word that filled his mind now. He was not equal to the gift being offered.

      But he would take it.

      He would take it now.

      He got to his feet, cupping her face and bringing her forward, bringing his mouth down hard on hers. She made a muffled sound, wrapping her arms around his neck and angling her head, parting her lips for him. He shifted, pulling her tightly to his body so that she was pressed against him completely, every inch of her touching every inch of him. He was still wearing the suit, layers of fabric between him and her beautiful near-naked body. It wasn’t enough. It was nothing more than a tease. And he needed all of it, everything.

      He suddenly felt desperate, as if he was drowning and she was air. As if he was sinking in quicksand and she was his lifeline.

      The quaking feeling that had begun in the pit of his stomach in the ballroom intensified now. He closed his eyes tight, deepened the kiss, trying to get closer to her, in spite of the fact that there was no air at all between their bodies.

      A jolt rocked him as her back came into contact with the wall. He had not realized that in his desperation for closeness he had moved them across the room. He had not realized because he wasn’t aware of anything around them, wasn’t aware of anything that expanded beyond the two of them. He wrenched his mouth away from hers and kissed her neck, down lower to her collarbone. She laced her fingers through his hair, holding him tightly to her. He kissed the valley between her breasts, tracing a line to her nipple with his tongue, relishing her flavor, her softness, her sweetness. He drew her deeply into his mouth, letting her hoarse cry wash over him, bathe him in satisfaction.

      He straightened, kissing her lips again as he moved his hands over her curves, down to her hips, down lower until he got a grip on her thighs and tugged her legs up, hooking them around his waist so that he could carry her from the sitting area into his bedroom. She clung tightly to him, not releasing her hold until they arrived at the bed and he deposited her in the center of it.

      He stepped back, looking at the picture she made, pale blond hair, pale skin over the white bedspread. The only color coming from the crimson thong that she still wore. It would have to go soon.

      He shrugged his jacket off, letting it fall to the floor. Then he began to work the buttons on his shirt, wrenching the tie off completely and letting it go the way of the jacket. He made quick work of the shirt, then his belt, shoving his pants and underwear down to his ankles and kicking them to the side. And all the while he kept his eyes on Victoria, on her almost-dazed expression. There was a strange innocence in the way she looked at him, an innocence combined with a hunger that amped up his own.

      “Your turn, Victoria.” He wrapped his hand around his shaft, squeezing tightly as she lifted her hips and took hold of the side of her panties, drawing them down her legs, exposing the pale curls at the apex of her thighs.