I watched Ivan’s eyes flare before going dark and predatory. He leaned down farther and boxed me in, his hands planted firmly on the bed, even with my shoulders like a panther about to spring. A gorgeous wild panther I wanted to pet and lick and have purring against my leg. I could feel the body heat radiating off him and smell the sex in the air from what we’d been doing for the last hour. And in spite of all the orgasms he’d already given to me in that time, I could still be aroused by him, as evidenced by the delicious shiver that rolled through me from him devouring me with his gorgeous green eyes. His effect upon me sexually was immense, and I was certain he knew it.

His harsh expression softened. “Perfect answer, kitten. Now I think I’ll have a shower and dress myself before I consider what else I might like to do with you behind the door. I really would like you to see more of my home than just this bedroom.” He gave me a final thorough kiss to my lips, and also a lick and a suck to each of my breasts, murmuring, “Such spectacular tits,” before pulling away and boasting a pleased grin on his handsome face.

I suppose my admission of being submissive only “when we fuck” had made his day.

He was still grinning smugly when he sauntered into the bathroom after that snazzy little speech, his tight bare ass looking mighty fine from my view as I tilted my head to admire. What a gorgeous man he was, and amazingly he didn’t act like most guys who knew they were hot and tried to pull off being artificially humble. Ivan just behaved like a man who was completely comfortable in his own skin. A confident and easy man. Must be nice, I thought—with a bit of envy thrown in—to feel so confident.

As I got up from his bed and drew on the cerulean blue silk smoking jacket he’d gifted to me, I decided I wouldn’t tell him his habit of calling me “kitten” had a very nice effect on me.

Mr. “my lord” Everley would just have to work for the right to that knowledge.

Chapter 3

GABRIELLE

Ivan left me in privacy to shower and dress, asking me to meet him in front of the pool house when I was ready. I thought it was considerate of him to give me some alone time, because I was feeling more than a little self-conscious after all the sex. Not shy, so much, but rather more of an awareness of what we’d been doing a lot of since last night. It had been a long time for me, and I had the delicious aches and soreness to prove it.

After a luxurious shower taken in the equally luxurious and recently remodeled marble bathroom, I remembered to give thanks about being so careless as to leave my muddy clothes behind when I was here before. That and Mr. Finnegan’s laundering skills had me dressed in the same jeans and emerald green shirt I’d worn the night Ivan found me lost on the road, just sans the mud. Underwear and socks included. He’d even polished up my leather ankle boots and laid out a new toothbrush for me. I really needed to find out what Mr. Finnegan’s guilty pleasures were so I could buy him a thank you gift. He was the kindest man.