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He hadn’t, but he did not correct her "You shouldn’t have agreed to bet me"

"Because you’re a scoundrel?"

"Because I do not lose" A stool scraped against wood in the pub Thepressed closer to her, his hands encircling her waist She squeaked her surprise as he leaned in There was no tie his plan No ti but a quick, low "Time for my forfeit Make it look real, Mrs Matthew" And he set his lips to hers

For a ether in a flat line, her hands up at his shoulders, pushing at hiht in her throat He lifted one hand to her neck, his thu into the hair at the nape of her neck,her pleasure at the sensation

He didn’t intend to like kissing Sophie Talbot

He didn’t intend for anything h to convince her pursuers, and h did hile, pulling her tighter against hi all his expertise into the touch--instinctively knowing that if she’d ever kissed another, it had been nothing like this For, if there was anything in the world King enjoyed, it was kissing He adored the privacy of it The nificent way it tested and teased and tereater, more intense act

Her mouth was open, her full lips on his, and he took what she likely didn’t even know she’d offered, worrying her beautiful bottoue and stroking deep, tasting her, the tang of berga sweeter, ain, and he pulled her closer, loving the way she gasped at theher hands around his neck and threading her fingers in his hair Christ It felt good

She felt good

Even better when her tongue etting out of control

He broke it off, lifting his lips from hers, ready to stop the moment before it ran aith them both But her eyes remained closed and her hands re her was not in the cards Instead, he returned his lips to her skin, tracing her cheekbone, her jaw, running his teeth down the coluer in the space where itdelicately before he sucked just enough to elicit a lovely little cry

A cry punctuated with his own growl

Her grasp tightened, and she whispered his naain "King"

The word gave hiainst her skin "What did you call me?"

She opened her eyes then--liquid blue and filled with desire It took ain it "Don’t get ideas"

"Too late for that" His ideas were legion And he liked every single one of them He slid one hand down her back, over the swell of her behind, to grab her thigh and lift it, pulling her tighter to hiasped at the movement, but did not pull away Indeed, she arched into hi moan Sophie Talbot lorious excite could happily sequester the all the things that h andfor her And this was neither the place nor the tiued by the lady A point that was validated by the appearance of the man who’d questioned them, who stepped into the di look at the very much that her current state be for his view alone "You ask for trouble," he growled at the newco’s liking

He turned around to face the man "Did you misunderstand me?"