Jess Michaels Read online

  The door opened and Hawk surged to his feet as Bianca entered. Her gown was a benign color, a summer green that highlighted the dark silk of her hair, but the cut of it was bordering on scandalous. It swooped low on her chest, so low that if he slipped his hand beneath the satin he wouldn’t have to search very far to find the puckered rigidity of one of her nipples.

  The thought hardened him to a painful degree. As Bianca stepped forward, her gaze drifted downward and she smiled in satisfaction at the swell that ballooned his trousers.

  “Hawk, thank you so much for accepting my invitation. I know it was abominably short notice. I didn’t interrupt anything important, did I?”

  She motioned to the settee by the fire. He took a spot on it and was surprised when she joined him, rather than taking a chair across from him. She was being shockingly, delightfully forward and a surge of electric excitement hummed through Hawk’s whole body.

  “No, nothing at all,” he drawled as he watched her pour tea. Even that innocuous activity was made sensual by the way she leaned forward to allow him a generous glimpse of cleavage.

  “No afternoon trysts with a woman?” she asked sweetly, as if she had just inquired about the weather.

  Hawk swallowed back his surprise and took the cup of tea she offered. “No, Bianca. I’m between mistresses at present and thank you for asking. I hear you’re in the same state.”

  She smiled at his honest answer and gave a laughing one of her own. “Yes, I am on my own again, so it seems. And that is why I’ve called you here today.”

  “Yes?” He set the teacup down on its saucer with a clatter and leaned forward. He couldn’t mask his anticipation and didn’t even bother to try.

  “I’ve come to realize I cannot beat you at cards,” she said, before taking a casual sip of her tea.

  Hawk wrinkled his brow. It seemed an odd and rather anti-climactic statement to make when sexual tension zinged between them. “Is that so? Does that mean I won’t be gaming with you in the hells anymore?”

  “I don’t know that I’ll return to the hells.” She tilted her head. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t wish to gamble with you. You have won a great deal of money from me and I want a chance to take it back.”

  He was still puzzled, but refused to show her his confusion. Instead he leaned back in the settee and arched an eyebrow. “You intrigue me. If you don’t intend to meet me at the tables any longer, how shall you win your money back?”

  “With a wager.”

  He laughed. He never made a bet he couldn’t win. Many men had learned that the hard way. “What kind of wager? Horses, cock fights, perhaps a boxing match?”

  “No.” Now she set her own cup down and leaned closer to him. Her hand dropped casually onto his leg and the implied intimacy of the touch made him jerk in response. She ignored the reaction. “I think it’s silly to deny how we’re drawn to each other. I will admit I want you, Hawk. I want you more than I’ve wanted any other man for as long as I can remember. And I think you want me just as much, even though you’ve kept your distance since Oscar’s death.”

  Hawk’s heart was racing so hard, he feared it might burst through his chest before he heard the rest of her offer. And anything that started out so provocatively had to be worthwhile.

  “I do want you, Bianca. That has never been a secret,” he said and cursed the hoarseness of his voice.

  “Then I would like to place a wager based on our mutual…” She laughed. “Attraction to each other.” Her hand inched up his knee and she squeezed his thigh lightly. “I want you in my bed for a month, Hawk. I need you in my bed for a month.”

  He grasped the hand she continued sliding higher and higher. He needed to focus. When she was within inches of cupping his erection he couldn’t breathe, let alone have coherent thoughts. “And how is that a wager, my dear?”

  Her smile twitched bigger. “You and I are similar creatures. We bore of our lovers quickly. But my guess is that you won’t tire of me in a month. You’ll beg me not to leave you when the time comes. And if you do, then I win all my money back.”

  She slipped her hand away from his and sat back triumphant as she waited for his answer. The answer Hawk couldn’t give because he was too busy staring at her in utter amazement. His dream, his fantasy for so many years he’d lost count, had been for Bianca to offer herself to him. Now she had done that… yet it was part of a wager, not for her personal pleasure. Somehow that stung. Bianca had always been more to him than a mere prize to be won. Apparently she thought less of herself than that.

  Less of him.

  And he wanted more. So much more.

  “I’m not sure,” he said.

  She blinked, but didn’t seem surprised at his lie. “Your cock says differently, Mr. Hawkins. Your mouth and eyes make a good bluff, but your body tells the truth.”

  Hawk couldn’t help but laugh. Bianca had more sparkle than anyone he’d ever known. And she was correct. His body did ache for the chance she offered. It could be his only opportunity with her. And if he could negotiate the terms, perhaps his very best one.

  “Let’s say I do want to take you up on your offer,” he said as he leaned forward to drape his elbows over his knees. His hand brushed her leg as he did so and she hissed out a sigh before she could control the reaction. Hawk smiled. He had proven his point as deftly as she had.

  “I knew you would.”

  “If I do, what do I get if you fall at my feet?”

  For the first time since she’d come into the room, Bianca seemed surprised by his answer. Her eyes widened and her face paled as she rose to her feet and paced away. He watched her as she stood with her back to him near the window.

  Finally she turned with a shake of her head. “That won’t happen.”

  The absolute assuredness of her tone set Hawk’s teeth on edge. And drove him with a desire to prove her wrong. In one smooth motion, he rose to his feet and crossed the distance between them. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, he pressed her against the wall and covered her lips with his own.

  There was never a moment of resistance. From the second he pinned her with his body, her mouth fell open and Bianca’s tongue collided with his. It was a kiss he’d waited years to claim and he savored every moment of it, memorizing the fresh taste of her and the way her tongue tangled with his. She had as much aggression as he, taking as much as he gave, and clinging to his shoulders with both hands until he actually felt her nails cutting through his shirt.

  He clawed for her breast and cupped it, then dipped his hand beneath the neckline as he’d imagined doing when she entered the room. Her nipple swelled and hardened against his fingers and she let out a harsh cry of pleasure that was lost in his mouth. She arched against him and their pelvises collided. The friction was painful bliss and Hawk wanted so much more.

  But he wouldn’t take it yet. Not until he had an answer to his question.

  Deftly, he slid his fingers out of her dress and stepped back. He steadied her with one hand and smiled when she stared up at him in desire.

  “What? Why did you stop?” she asked in utter shock. Apparently, this was a new experience for her.

  He tilted his head. “Like you, I was proving a point. You say you won’t beg, but I think I’ve shown you that it could and will happen.”

  Her swollen lips thinned to a frown and her blue eyes narrowed to slits. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He cupped her breasts and nudged the hard bead of her nipple that thrust against the silk. Bianca’s head dipped back as she gasped.

  “Your body can’t bluff, either, Bianca,” he whispered before he released her. “So if you end up begging me for more after our month together, what will I receive?”

  She shrugged, but her wide eyes told him how much she was affected by him. “You can keep the money.”

  He laughed. “Not good enough. You’re giving me something I already have.”

  “I-I-” she stammered.

&n
bsp; Hawk flushed in triumph. He’d never seen Bianca so off balance before. And he had done that to her. With a kiss and a refusal to let her lead this game she wanted him to play. By taking the upper hand, he’d stymied her entirely.

  “Max,” she blurted out. “You can have Max.”

  “Oscar’s horse?”

  She nodded swiftly. “You’ve always coveted him.”

  Hawk shook off his surprise. “Yes. I did, but I don’t want him now.”

  She looked like she wanted to stomp her foot in frustration. “What then?”

  He looked her up and down and his body clenched with need. This could be his only chance to tell her the truth. A risk he had to take if he wanted her. And oh, how he wanted her. Even more now that he’d had a taste.

  “You. I have always coveted you. More than any amount of money. More than any horse. I won’t beg for you, Bianca. If at the end of a month, you want to leave, I shall let you go without an argument. But I do want you.”

  She groped behind her for the back of a chair and leaned on it with all her weight. She was so pale Hawk thought she might faint.

  “What?” The word barely carried.

  “You know, Bianca.” He stepped forward. “You’ve always known or you wouldn’t have come to me with this offer. If I enter into this wager with you and at the end of the month you’re begging me for more, then I want you. For as long as I want you, however I want you. As my mistress.”

  ***

  Bianca reeled back until her rear end hit the wall next to the window Hawk had pressed her against not moments before. His mistress? God, the possibilities that one little word created! His bed. His life. By his side. Forever.

  Or at least until he bored of her and found someone else.

  Her heart dropped at that thought. Her time with Oscar had taught her how much power she could wield with her body. But she was no fool. Desire could be used against her, as well.

  That was why she had always been the one to throw over the lovers in her life. She’d never been the one to be sent on her way.

  Hawk wasn’t like the other men who had shared her bed. If she stayed with him for more than a month, she wouldn’t ever want to leave. And she couldn’t bear his rejection when he was through with her.

  Even if she could, becoming his lover wouldn’t solve her problem. In fact, it would compound it. Her father wouldn’t stand for the hated Lucius Hawkins taking her as a mistress. He would definitely have her declared unfit if that happened and even Hawk couldn’t protect her from the consequences of that action. She couldn’t have it.

  So she was back to her original plan. Take Hawk to her bed for one month, but keep him from her heart. Give him all her body, but none of her soul. If she could do that, she knew he wouldn’t want to let her go. He was a man after all, driven by baser needs. If she could manage to stay aloof, he would be as easy to tame as every other man who’d spent time in her bed.

  “Very well.” She forced a slow, sultry smile, then moved toward him. “Have we agreed to the terms of the wager then? Do you accept my bet?”

  Hawk shook his head. “Not quite yet. I have one more question.”

  She froze. Why wouldn’t he simply acquiesce? No other man had ever given her so much trouble! She couldn’t control the peevish tone to her voice. “Yes?”

  “Why are you doing this now, Bianca?” He folded his arms. “What makes you need your money back so desperately?”

  She shivered. If she told Hawk the truth, she put herself at a distinct disadvantage. He would be privy to her troubles and her desperation to escape her father’s threats.

  If she had learned anything from facing him across a card table, it was to never give Hawk the upper hand.

  “Who says this bargain is about money?” She took his hand and slowly lifted it to her cheek. She was pleased when his eyes fluttered shut for just a moment. He had a weakness, too, and she intended to exploit it. “Perhaps I’ve simply decided our time has come and the money only makes it more dangerous. More interesting. Now stop toying with me, Hawk. I won’t ask again. Do you or do you not take me up on this wager?”

  His fingers curled on her cheek as his other hand swiftly encircled her waist. “With pleasure, my lady,” he growled before his mouth came down on hers.

  As it had been the first time they kissed, Bianca melted. His touch was like fire and she longed to burn. They fell back onto the settee with his body pressing hers into the cushions. She was trapped, in more ways than one. Not only did his weight not allow her to control the pace of their physical interaction, but his touch pulled away her control over her own reactions.

  A spike of self-doubt flashed through her. If he could do this with a simple kiss, what would happen when he took her? When he made her cry out with absolute pleasure?

  The images sent a hot gush of wet desire through her body and made her moan against his skillful lips.

  No! She had to maintain control. Her very life was at stake. If she was going to make him come to heel, make him beg for her after a month of pleasure, she would need the focus and power her body had possessed for so long. She couldn’t give that over to him and win.

  With a low growl, she speared her tongue between his lips, but he countered by gently sucking it. Her eyes rolled back of their own accord. The gentle pulling went straight through her body, tightening her nipples painfully against her silken gown and sending a flood of need to dampen her thighs. For the first time in a long time, she truly needed a man. Not just any man, this man. She wanted him to rip her clothing to shreds. She wanted him to wrap her legs around his waist. To bury himself as deeply as he would go. She wanted to lay helpless beneath him while he did it and just enjoy the pleasures of his skilled hands and tongue and cock.

  Despite the fact that surrender was her path to ruination.

  Hawk gripped the hem of her skirt and pushed it up. Bianca smiled. Here was where she would wrest control from him. She wore nothing beneath her thin gown. Once he discovered that fact, he would be panting and wouldn’t be able to keep himself from having her right then and there. Where he lost control, she would sweep it up and wield it over him.

  But he didn’t act surprised at the discovery. He actually laughed as his hands glided up her bare, smooth legs and his fingers found the slick, hot entrance to her sex. He teased her mercilessly, tracing her slit, but never touching her clit or delving deeply inside her. She tried to remain still, to keep kissing him as if his torture didn’t bother her, but finally she arched up with a groan.

  “Begging already?” he whispered as he cruelly removed his hand and pushed her skirt back down. “You told me you were better at this than cards.”

  She pushed against his chest with all her might until she was able to put a little space between them. Dragging her nails down the front of his shirt, she reached for the buttons of his fly. She’d show him torture when she had his cock in her hand.

  Hawk laughed, a low and seductive sound that made her clit tingle and her nipples grow even more sensitive to the rasping glide of her gown. He caught her hand before she could touch the first button of his fly and pushed it away.

  She reached for him again, but he dodged her as he suddenly stood up, leaving her sprawled across her couch like a wanton.

  “Why are you stopping?” she panted as she watched him casually straighten his cravat and smooth his tangled hair back into place.

  “I have waited for this moment for years, Bianca,” he said and at least she was rewarded with the fact that his voice shook. “Too long to make your sitting room the first place where I take you.”

  She scrambled off the settee so quickly that she stumbled. “What?”

  How could this be happening? She had felt his cock pressing against her like velvet steel. She still saw it jutting toward her. Yet he stopped? No man stopped! No man had ever gone as far as Hawk had, then left her wet and wanting.

  He smiled. A wicked smile that told her how easily he read her thoughts. “Tonight. Come to my t
own home after midnight and we’ll begin your wager.”

  Bianca’s mouth fell open. Midnight was hours away. She was so full of desire her knees were actually shaking and she was sure her gown was soaked where it had brushed her thighs. How could she wait so long for release?

  “Do you agree?” he asked before he reached forward and pushed her jaw shut with one finger.

  She yanked away from his hand and tried to appear as if she didn’t care that he’d left her in such a state.

  “Fine. After midnight,” she ground out through clenched teeth.

  “Until then.”

  Without so much as a kiss goodbye, Hawk turned and left her sitting room. He even shut the door behind him.

  Bianca sank back into the settee. When her dress brushed the heated flesh at the juncture of her thighs, she groaned. Damn the man. He had left her with a powerful reminder of how much control he already wielded over her. That he could leave her so wet and wanting that by the time she reached him that night she would be begging for his touch.

  “Oh, no I won’t,” she muttered as she lay back against the pillows. The servants had been given express instructions not to bother her while she was in this room, so she felt no worry when she glided her skirts up to her hips.

  She slid her hand down and touched the puffy nether lips of her pussy. They were sopping wet with her juices and she ached when she brushed along them to find her clit.

  She moaned as she slid a finger inside herself while she used her other hand to bear down on the tender nub of flesh. She pictured Hawk and her hips bucked up. He had hardly touched her at all really, but she was affected this powerfully. And tonight she would have more.

  Sweating, she stroked her fingers inside and along her clit. Her hips twisted, her breath came short as she built toward a blazing release. Already the inner walls of her womb contracted madly until she gripped her own finger like a vice and a wet gush of cream coated her hand. She trembled and cried out with the power of her pleasure.