Page 37 of Regally Binding

“Bloody hell, woman.” He held her tenderly. Her heart ached, but it was pointless. He was her bodyguard and nothing more. Maybe his way of getting in her head was part of his appeal. She’d meant what she said about the kiss. But she barely knew him. Maybe he was purely her coping mechanism for the new drama in her life. “Have you caused more damage, Liss?”

She shook her head as he investigated. He ran his thumb gently over her wrist. Her breath hitched. She followed his touch with her gaze and revelled in the burn it left. Was it so wrong to embrace her attraction if it helped and gave her a bit of calm?

“Maybe you should kiss it better,” she stammered, blinking in surprise at her words. He wasn’t a good guy, but his actions suggested she had him wrong. She was probably just anotherhorny woman overwhelmed by her emotions and unable to resist Bear’s seduction.

He looked up at her. His eyes crackled with intent. Bear bowed his head, but his gaze refused to leave her eyes as he brushed his lips across the pulse point of her inner wrist.

“Your heartbeat is frantic, Princess. Should I be worried about you?” His chest rose with every deep breath.

Her words caught in her throat.

“Is there something wrong with your mouth? Do I need to kiss that better too?” His voice was deep and gruff.

She tried to hide her smile, but it pulled at the corners of her mouth. She licked her lips as Bear tipped her chin with his finger. “These lips could do with some attention.”

Anticipation and arousal owned her body, and her head swam, threatening her balance. She held onto his bicep, careful not to squeeze it like an inexperienced teenager, as he leaned in.

“Hold on tight,” he taunted her. She’d read in love stories about the heroine’s knees going weak, but she’d thought writers overplayed it for dramatic effect. Yet her legs trembled, and Liss gripped him harder.

She closed her eyes, and her tongue teased her lower lip.

RING RING.

At the hotel intercom, Bear leant his forehead against hers. His lips brushed hers as delicately as if he’d used a feather to tease her.

“Saved by the bell,” she whispered against him.

“Anyone would think you were relieved,” Bear replied as he headed to the hotel phone. “We need to stop doing that.”

He was unreadable as he flipped to his professional mode when answering the call. “Describe her,” he grunted. The person on the other end must have passed whatever the test was because he followed with a “Send her up.”

“Have you eaten?” he asked Liss.

She shook her head. “But I’m not really hungry.”

He stared her down as he told reception, “And send up four burgers, fries, and all the puddings.”

He replaced the phone in its cradle as she protested, “I said I’m not hungry.”

“As far as I know, you’ve barely eaten today and are about to take painkillers. You’re eating.”

She glared back at him. But the way he told her what to do made that heat between her legs continue to burn. She’d spent her life with independence forced upon her and unable to trust anyone, yet she was putty in Bear’s hands after four days.

“I can’t eat four burgers and all the puddings,” she pouted with narrowed eyes.

“You keep pouting like that, and I won’t call you good girl again.” His eyes darkened, and a flush heated her cheeks. He’d not mentioned it since the night he slept in her room. Why did that do something to her, and what filthy thoughts would he give her next? In subtle ways that probably meant nothing to him, he was teaching her about her wants in a way she hadn’t experienced before. She glanced at his hands and imagined them sliding into her leggings. “Interesting. And for your information, two of the burgers are for me, and I got an extra one because Isla is on her way up. Now be a good girl and get ready for our guest.”

“I hate you.”

“You tell your rosy cheeks that,” he said with lips so full she wanted to slap them off his face.

“I will fuck you up.”

The lift dinged, announcing Isla’s arrival. “Save that for later when your arm’s healed. I look forward to being fucked up by you,” he said, although he shook his head and face-palmed as soon as he spoke.

Returning to banter rather than sharing painfully personal things was almost a relief. Liss liked both Bear’s sweet and naughty sides, even though they had the power to destroy her.

Isla jumped out of the lift, oblivious to the cage of sexual tension she’d walked in on.