Lair of the Lion

affected her as Nicolai did. She liked touching him, liked how hard and solid his body was. Isabella sighed and patted the guardian on the hearth behind its shaggy mane.
    There was no noise, no sound, nothing to warn her, but she turned her head, and Nicolai was standing there, on the far side of the room, part of the wall open. His eyes glittered in the darkness, blazed with the leaping flames from the fireplace. Isabella's heart began to pound. He looked every inch a predator, as frightening as one of his lions. She felt vulnerable without her clothes and rather wanton. She ducked her head to bring her long hair swinging around her body like a cape.
    "You shouldn't be here," she managed to say.
    His hot gaze drifted possessively over her body. One breast peeked out at him through the fall of silken hair, but she didn't notice. "You're right. I shouldn't." His voice was husky, and his body hardened with a savage ache.
    "Sarina said we should not be together until we are wed," she blurted out, the only thing she could think of to say.
    "Don't look so afraid, cara. I intend to be propriety itself. It would help if I could wrap you in a robe. You're rather tempting standing there with the firelight touching you in intriguing places." He picked up the robe flung over a chair and crossed the room to stand close to her.
    Isabella could feel the heat radiating off his skin. Off her skin. Her body clenched and went liquid at the sight of him. He seemed to be the very air she breathed, his scent in her lungs, in her mind. "I didn't mean to tempt you." She didn't know if that was the truth. If she had any sense at all, she would run. At the very least she should cry out for Sarina. Instead, she stood very still, waiting. Hoping. Exhilarated.
    He bent his head slowly to her. She watched the long fall of his strangely colored hair, much like the mane of a lion. She wanted to bury her hands in it and feel it, but she stood, mesmerized, watching his head come closer to her. His tongue flicked the nipple peeking through the veil of her hair. His hand cupped her bare bottom, drew her closer to him, so that he could take her breast into his mouth. Hot and moist, his mouth closed around her, suckled strongly, greedily. His fingers kneaded her buttocks, a slow, sensual massage that left her weak and aching with need. Her hands came up and cradled his head, her fingers delving into the thick mass of his hair.
    "What are you doing to me?" she whispered, closing her eyes as his hands skimmed her body possessively and cupped her breasts.
    His palm slipped around the nape of her neck. "Something I shouldn't. Put on the robe before I forget all my good intentions." He draped the robe around her, cinching it tightly.
    "I have a surprise for you. I knew you wouldn't be sleeping." He bunched her hair in his hand, pulled back her head, and fastened his mouth to hers. His kiss rocked her world, sending a firestorm rushing through her body. When he lifted his mouth from hers, they could only stare wordlessly into one another's eyes.
    Isabella touched his face, her fingertips caressing the deep scars. "Are we going somewhere?"
    He grinned at her, a little-boy, mischievous grin. "You'll need shoes. I knew you wouldn't even ask me questions—you'd just come with me. You love adventures, don't you?"
    Isabella laughed softly. "I can't help it. I should have been born a boy."
    His eyebrows shot up, and he reached out to slip a hand inside her robe, his palm cupping the weight of one breast, his thumb caressing the nipple. "I'm very glad you were born female." There was a catch in his voice, a small rasp betraying the urgent demands of his body.
    Isabella stood very still, trying not to melt at his touch, trying not to fling herself into his arms. "I suppose I'm very glad I was, too," she admitted while her blood heated and pooled into a throbbing ache.
    "Didn't Sarina tell you to stop me when I touched you like this?" He bent his head to brush a kiss across her trembling mouth as he reluctantly withdrew his hand from the warmth of her body. "Because if she didn't, she should have."
    "I can't remember right now," Isabella admitted, feeling dazed. She looked around for a distraction. "I knew there was a secret passageway. There was one in our palazzo. I used to play in it as a child."
    "I am not here to seduce you, Isabella, but to take you on a great adventure."
    "Good, because I do recall now that Sarina made it very clear that there is to be no