Master of Her Virtue - By Miranda Lee Page 0,30
Violet reached up on tip toe and pressed her lips to his. He stiffened for a moment, after which he took a firm hold of her shoulders and held her away from him, his face raw with emotion, his eyes dark and dangerous-looking.
‘I’ll take that to be a yes,’ he ground out. ‘Now, not another word. And definitely no more kisses. Not till we’re safely alone in that hotel room. I need to find some control if I’m to deliver all my promises of gentleness and pleasure. I don’t think you appreciate your power, lovely Violet.’
‘My power?’ she echoed blankly.
His smile was wry. ‘One day, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. And, when you do, God help the man you’re with.’
His comment was both telling and hurtful. For it meant that this was all there would ever be between them—this one night. Tomorrow, Leo would jet off back to England and that would be that.
For a split second, Violet baulked at this horrible thought, because of course she wanted more of him than one short night. Even before the event, she knew that. It came from deep within her feminine self, that knowledge, as did another inevitability: if she let Leo make love to her tonight, she would undoubtedly fall in love with him. Did she want to risk that?
Another silly question.
Her heart lurched when he took her hand in his, but she didn’t snatch it away. She steeled herself and willingly let him lead her over the bridge towards the brightly lit casino and the night ahead.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘HOTEL RECEPTION’S THIS way,’ Leo explained as he led her round the block to the back of the casino.
Violet’s eyes widened as they passed a whole line of very expensive cars pulling into the kerb. When a black stretch limousine drove past slowly, Leo’s head didn’t even turn. Clearly, he was used to this kind of lifestyle. No doubt he’d stayed at a lot of top hotels all over the world. She’d never stayed at one. Or any hotel at all!
Not that she said so. Violet wasn’t about to underline her lack of experience. She did her best to look suitably sophisticated as Leo drew her inside the huge, marble-tiled foyer where he deposited her in a plush chair whilst he went up to the reception desk. There was a small queue so he didn’t get served straight away; the delay contracted her stomach into even tighter knots of tension.
Several of the male patrons walking past stared at her almost lewdly as she sat there all alone, bringing home to Violet how vulnerable women were when out on their own in a city. At last Leo returned, taking her hand and steering her over to a bank of lifts.
They didn’t speak; there were other people waiting for lifts also. They didn’t speak during the lift ride as they were still not alone. Another couple exited the lift on the same floor as theirs, so once again there was no talk between them as Leo led her along the carpeted corridor. Finally, Leo stopped at a door, using a key card to enter.
At least I know about key cards, Violet thought. Henry’s old apartment—and now his office—used that kind of security. And of course she’d seen hotel rooms in countless movies and television shows. So there were no real surprises when she entered the room.
Everything was pretty much as she expected in a hotel of this calibre. The decor was sleek and modern, the colour palate warm and rich without being over-the-top. The walls were the colour of milk chocolate, the carpet a deep, plush cream, the furniture wooden—not light, yet not dark. Possibly teak. Her mother had a teak table about that colour. The soft furnishings came in various shades of gold, the brightest being the bedspread which covered what was really a very large bed.
For a long moment, Violet just stood there, staring at the bed whilst Leo walked over and drew back the curtains from the plate-glass window which covered one entire wall.
‘Great view,’ he said, and she glanced over at it. Indeed, it was pretty spectacular, especially now that night was falling and all the lights of the city had come on. You could see way beyond Darling Harbour to the bridge and beyond.
It was impossible, however, for Violet to care about the view, no matter how great it was. All she could think about was what they were going to be doing shortly, right there, in that