The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13) - J. R. Ward Page 0,122

he mounted the steps to the door to the vestibule. “It was something else, for sure.”

Stretching around Trez’s triceps, she called out to the butler, “Fritz, can we do that again tomorrow night?”

The butler followed in their wake. “But of course, mistress! Anything to be of service. I must comment, however, that the car shall require some attention prior to any further such excursions.”

Probably right, and maybe that was why the doggen had parked it parallel to the front door instead of with the other vehicles on the far side of the fountain. Could the thing even reverse anymore?

There was a quick pause as they entered the vestibule, and then they were welcomed into the mansion’s warm, lush interior by one of Fritz’s staff.

“If you will excuse me,” the butler said, “I must attend to Last Meal’s preparations, as I indicated.”

“Thanks for getting us back in one piece,” Trez murmured.

“My pleasure indeed.”

As the doggen went off through the dining room, Trez started for the stairs, his long strides crossing over the foyer’s mosaic floor—and Selena started to smile for a different reason than pure adrenaline.

But he didn’t take her up to his bedroom. Her male strode around the base of the grand staircase on the left, taking them to the ornate door of the bathroom.

“Open the door for me,” he growled.

She glanced up and drank in the sight of his face. Pure sexual need gritted his jaw and narrowed his eyes, turning him into an animalistic version of himself.

His response to the car ride, she thought.

Reaching out her hand, she gripped the brass knob and released the lock, opening the way in.

Such a beautiful room, with its private stall for the toilet, and its sweet-smelling air, and especially its peach, red and pink veined marble that covered the walls and the floors. Red and peach satin fell from both sides of the mirror over the sink, as if the thing were a window to look out of, and the velvet skirting around the basin was bloodred with gold-tasseled fringe. Old-fashioned gas sconces burned incessantly all around the room, the mellow yellow light like that of candles.

“You’re going to want to use that lock,” he said, bending down so she could get to the thing. Slide it home. Give them some privacy.

There was a long, skirted bench on the far wall, and he brought her over to it, holding her with one hand as he shoved all kinds of silk and needlepoint pillows onto the floor. Stretching her out, he purred deep in his throat as he caressed her shoulders, her waist, her legs.

“I thought about this all night,” he said.

Arching up, she felt the caress of her dress moving up over her thighs as he swept his palms higher and higher.

“Oh, God,” he breathed as he looked at her sex.

“Did you forget already?” She smiled as she lowered her lids. “That they gave me everything but the panties?”

“Mmm, no, I remember.”

He moved her around, pulling her forward so that he could split her legs around his hips. Leaning down over her, he put his mouth on the side of her neck and then drew his tongue up until he nipped at her earlobe.

“You know what the hardest thing is?”

He punctuated the question with a thrust of his pelvis, his arousal pushing into her bare sex through the fine fabric of his slacks. As she gasped, his fingers drifted over the bodice of the dress.

“Hmmm?” he murmured, nipping at her again as if to chastise her. “Do you?”

“I have a good idea,” she moaned.

“It’s not this.” He pushed into her core again, stroking her with his erection. “Believe it or not.”

“Wha-what…?”

He put his mouth next to her ear. “It’s not ripping your dress off with my teeth. I want to take you to Last Meal after this, and as much as I respect the Brothers…” Trez kissed his way down to her shoulder. “I’d have to kill them all if they saw you naked. And that’s a lot of clean-up.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“Sit up for me.”

She was dizzy as she did what he asked, but it was from the passion, the heat … the need. “Now … what?”

“We very carefully get rid of this.” Grasping the hem, he pulled the black wisp up over her waist … over her breasts. “Fuuuuuuuuuck.”

As he tossed the silk to the floor, he just stared at what he had revealed. “Oh, that’s what I want.”

With his palms stroking up and down her