Master Of Seduction. Sarah Holland

with sounds of their tussle: the sheets rustling, the light thud against the wall, the gasps from her mouth as she tried to evade him.

      Then suddenly, as though a switch had been thrown, she felt a rush of desire so powerful that she moaned, let her lips part just for a second, felt his tongue slip through to meet hers, and a second later she was kissing him back with an answering passion that appalled her as much as it excited her.

      His prey surrendering briefly, Patrick moved like lightning. He pushed her back on to the pillows, almost clumsy in his haste. They fell together awkwardly, and she tried to sit up again, murmuring, ‘No,’ against his hot mouth, but he was quick, very quick, his lips opening hers beneath him as one strong hand tunnelled into the wealth of her dark hair, making her helpless as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and the kiss took fire.

      Her head spun dizzily. She could barely breathe. Her excitement was so violent, so unprecedented and so out of the blue that all she could do was kiss, be kissed, lose herself in his mouth, his arms, his touch, his scent…

      ‘Yes…!’ Patrick said thickly, and fumbled with one hand to punch out the light. Darkness fell between them and, as it did, so Emma’s fear slipped away under a tidal wave of unprecedented hunger, making it easy, so easy to drown in his kiss, the touch of his hands, the completely natural feel of it all…

      Her mouth drank thirstily from his. She felt as though they had entered a completely different dimension. It was as though a door had opened between them when they’d talked together earlier today, and that Patrick had just walked through it to claim her forever.

      Forever lay in this kiss. Forever…

      This is insane, she thought wildly. Why am I thinking such crazy, romantic, stupid, stupid thoughts?

      She started to fight, aware even as she pushed at his powerful chest that she loved the feel of it, wanted to undress him, be naked with him, make absolute love with him and lose herself in his body.

      ‘Don’t, don’t, don’t…!’ her swollen mouth muttered against his, and he stopped, raising his head an inch from hers, dragging air into his lungs. ‘Please!’

      His face was flushed in the darkness. ‘Are you all right?’

      ‘No, I’m not all right!’ Her voice shook. ‘I don’t like this at all and I want it to stop happening!’

      ‘I don’t think it’s going to, but I certainly agree we should talk before we go any further.’

      ‘What do you mean, go any further? You don’t seriously think this is going to lead to sex, do you? You do! I can see it in your eyes! My God, get off this bed before I——’

      ‘I think we need to talk—that’s all.’

      ‘Not like this, not on my bed, not in the dark!’

      He breathed harshly for a moment in silence, then slowly reached out one hand to punch the light back on. It flooded the cabin, blinding them both once more.

      For a second, Emma just lay there staring up at his hard, handsome face, seeing the dark colour on his cheekbones, the fierce heat of his blue eyes, the tousled black hair where her own fingers had run so passionately through it.

      Then she pushed back the duvet and tried to get out of bed.

      He stopped her at once, his hands gripping her slim shoulders.

      ‘Take your hands off me!’ she whispered fiercely, and he didn’t move for a second, but he saw the fierce glare of her eyes, glittering like savage emeralds in her flushed face. His dark lashes flickered. He released her, lowered his gaze, and she scrambled off the bed in a breathless movement, black silk pyjamas rippling on her slender body.

      Putting a hand to her forehead, she moved to the windows, breathing in shallow, inaudible gasps. She pulled the curtain back a little, staring out at the dark, moonlit sea as they sailed on through the night.