already closed.” She gestures to the crowds continuing to pour out the main door.
My answering smirk makes her pause.
“What did you do?” she asks, surprise giving way to suspicion.
I lead her to the side, away from the central door, saying nothing to give away my little surprise. Instead, I leave that to the uniformed guard, who tips his hat as we approach. “Mr. Stone, right this way with your guest, please.”
Emma’s eyes are wide, her grip tight on my arm as she mouths, “Oh, my God!” But she follows my lead as we head into the museum.
The lights are softer, only half on in the hallways though the spotlights shine on the collection of items. The quiet is complete, our steps echoing around us.
It feels like a spell, like a dream. I suspect that for Emma, it may well be.
Her sass and fire are snuffed, overtaken by childlike giddiness as she lets go of my arm to rush from display to display. She tells me trivia facts about each item, information I suspect is well beyond what the plaques on the wall describe because she seems to be pulling from the library inside her mind.
Honestly, I barely hear the words because her beauty and excitement are enthralling.
We walk together, experiencing the museum in a way no one ever has before. Not because it’s after hours and magical but because it’s the two of us. Most women I’ve dated since taking over the family business have expected fancy cars, expensive restaurants, and paparazzi-dotted red carpets.
But not Emma. She wants none of that, just the opportunity to explore past civilizations and old art with me by her side. It’s refreshing and makes me want her that much more.
“The monolithic art of the fifth century brought a whole new—”
Her words falter as she realizes I’m staring openly at her. The heat burning through my body from seeing her has only intensified as she’s passionately spoken nearly non-stop. Her intelligence is even sexier than her shapely body.
“What?” she asks, not privy to the train of my thoughts.
“You are captivating.” I move closer, cupping her cheek in my palm and tracing along her cheekbone with my thumb.
One side of her mouth tilts upward, not quite giving into the smile, but her delight is palpable in the inches of space between us. “You are rather fascinating yourself, sir.”
Her play with calling me sir like she did with Nikolai is both a reminder of just what’s at stake and how far we’re both willing to go.
I pull her to me, catching her weight against my own as I press our bodies together and grip her other cheek, cradling her face in my palms. Her lips part, letting me know she feels the same way I do.
I don’t hold back, no softness or mercy given. I simply take her, roughly and savagely. As our lips press, our teeth clack once, but I still need more. I shove my tongue into her mouth, wanting to taste her, needing to devour her. She gives as good as she’s getting, rising up to her toes to gain better access and gripping my lapels for leverage.
Heat builds between us as her moan echoes through the quiet room. I’m one kiss away from bending her over the nearest bench and flipping her dress over her ass to get at her pussy when I hear footsteps. They’re far away, but they’re close enough that I won’t risk it. I won’t chance someone else, even a paid off security guard, seeing her that way.
Despite the public display at the party, I was telling the truth when I said I prefer privacy. I want her sounds, her passion, her complete submission to whatever this is between us to be mine and mine alone. Her pussy, her orgasms, her pleasure, I selfishly want them all.
So I pull back, breaths heaving, still sharing air between us. “We should go.”
Emma nods, biting her lip, and I know that if I took her back to my home right now, I could have her.
But I will always wonder. As much as I can feel that she wants me, I don’t want this to happen with Nikolai’s threat hanging over us. I want it to be just the two of us when I slip inside her. Because I am going to fuck her, hard and raw and powerfully.
So, as painful as it is for us both, I have the driver head to her apartment and force myself to stay in the car,