Princess in the Iron Mask - By Victoria Parker Page 0,16

torso. Oh, God, she had to get away from him before she did something seriously stupid. Like smooth her hands up his soaked shirt. ‘You know what, Lucas? You can sleep in your posh car for all I care. Frankly, I’ve been more comfortable on the 271 bus from Highgate. I’m staying here.’

Before he could say another word she bolted sideways. Only to be blocked by a one-arm barricade.

‘Over my dead body,’ he growled, corralling her back towards the car.

‘That could be arranged,’ she said, suddenly breathless.

Rain poured down her face, her throat, to trickle down the inside of her collar. That was why she shuddered so hard. It had nothing to do with the fact that Lucas was inching towards her with lethal intent.

‘You are coming with me. From now on I am in charge.’

‘Well, you can just rid yourself of that illusion. You’ll never be in charge of me!’

Suddenly her back connected with the car in a wet slap and she felt the engine thunder and roar with its need to unleash power. The vibration shot up her spine and then pinballed back down her vertebrae, surging for every extremity until she felt like a pulsing livewire.

‘You know what, Claudia?’

It was his hot, heavy tone more than his words that caught her attention, and she jerked up to catch the feral gleam in his eyes.

‘Wha...what?’

Water streamed down his brow, dripped off his nose and lingered on his darkening jaw as she hung on his every word. After swiping his face with deft hands he shook his head, like a dog shedding its bath, to send even more rain showering over her.

Hot and sultry liquid pooled in her abdomen and she pushed against the cool metal to stop herself from sliding into a heap at his feet. The awesome sight of him was distressing enough, but for some reason Claudia wished he were utterly naked. Well, not totally. Maybe just his top half. So she could take a peek. Oh, God, what was happening to her?

‘I am beginning to think I’ve handled you all wrong,’ he said, licking his lips hungrily. ‘I have been a negotiator,’ he said, holding up one finger. ‘Waste of time and effort.’

Her eyes were glued to his sensual mouth, mesmerised by the way his wet lips moved as he spoke. He had great teeth.

‘I have tried to appeal to your better nature,’ he continued, holding two fingers up. ‘However, I’m not at all sure you have one.’

‘Hey, that’s not fair—’

He silenced her with two warm fingers and her cool flesh sizzled on contact. It took every ounce of self-control to stop herself licking. Nibbling.

‘I have even tried kid gloves and allowing you to barter for extra time. And look where that has brought us. To a hovel in one of the scummiest areas I have ever had the displeasure to visit.’

Lucas dragged his fingers over her mouth, the pressure curling her bottom lip and tugging her eyelids shut. ‘This is a nice area. You’re just a snob,’ she breathed.

‘I should have hauled you out of that lab hours ago,’ he said, his volume lower, his tone silkier. ‘Straight onto a plane and straight home to Arunthia. This is what I get for being considerate.’

Oh, he had to be joking!

Her eyes flew open. He was staring at her mouth, following her tongue as it licked her lips over and over in basic instinct. The fresh taste of Mother Nature blended with bittersweet anticipation. ‘You’re an animal. A...a beast.’

‘You know what else, Just Claudia? I think there’s only one way to shut you up.’

Bracing his hands against the car on either side of her, he leaned forward, eyes glittering.

Oooh, my. Her heart kicked into overdrive. Her blood fizzed through her veins. A strange bearing down in her abdomen forced her to clench her insides, the slight twitch making her core spasm with liquid fever.

Lucas’s body heat burned through her wet clothing and she trembled so violently that her words—‘You wouldn’t dare...’—came out more like a plea.

Hitching a dark, sexy brow, he murmured. ‘Ah, Claudia, didn’t anyone ever tell you never to provoke an animal?’

CHAPTER FOUR

ANIMAL.

The word assaulted his brain, fighting to break through the heady maelstrom of anger and high-octane sexual desire. Blinking rapidly, every shuttering of his eyes brought another aspect of their surroundings into sharper relief.

London. Unsafe. Protect.

They were soaked to the skin. Claudia’s grey Mac moulded to the swell of her full, high breasts with every shivery breath she took. Minuscule drops of