"Thank you, Anthony," she said, a small smile lighting
her face. "You’re very kind." She leaned over and planted a
chaste kiss on his cheek.
Kind? He wondered if she would still think him
kind if he told her that right now all he could think about
was tasting her lips, touching her breasts, feeling her bare
skin. Kind? Hardly.
He cleared his throat and met her gaze. He had to set her
straight before she started imagining all sorts of other
crazy things about him. "Kind? That’s not a term that’s
usually associated with me."
She laughed, a tinkling sound that ran through his body
like fire. "That’s because you want everyone to think you
are some sort of cruel beast. You even had me fooled for a
while." Her voice dipped to a low purr. "But you aren’t a
beast, Anthony, not at all. No beast would eat my bread just
so he wouldn’t hurt my feelings."
He frowned, hoping his scar stuck out white and ugly.
"You should be afraid of me." Men twice her size couldn’t
look him in the eye.
"How can I be afraid of you when you’ve got butter on the
side of your mouth?" She reached out to brush it away with
her forefinger. "And all over your lips," she murmured,
tracing her finger over first his upper and then his lower
lip.
Anthony caught her hand. She was playing a dangerous game
and she didn’t even know it. He opened his mouth and flicked
his tongue along the tip of her finger. He heard the small
catch in her throat. His tongue traced another finger, and
then another. Sweet Jesus, but he wanted her.
"Come to me, Meriel," he whispered, planting a kiss on
the inside of her palm. "Let me taste you."