Forbidden by Lauren Smith

almost painful surge of lust.
    And then he was standing right in front of her, one hand touching her waist again, and the other cupping her chin. “You’d better remember to breathe, you’re turning red, darling.”
    Breathe? How can I breathe when I’m thinking about you dominating me in bed?
    She forced air into her lungs, shocked to find out she really hadn’t been breathing for the last several seconds. Tristan traced a fingertip over her lips, his intense gaze following its path as though he was fascinated. Most men stared at a girl’s breasts, or her ass, but not him. When Tristan stared at her mouth, she felt like he was thinking of a thousand erotic things he could do to her lips, and the possibilities sent bolts of electric awareness through her, turning her into a sexual livewire.
    “Can we not talk about sex?” she begged him and gently pushed his hand away from her mouth. She instantly missed his touch, but she knew she had to keep her head on straight to say what she needed to say.
    “Why not?” His eyes narrowed slightly. “It happens to be one of my favorite things.”
    She snorted. “I can tell, but it’s really distracting me, okay? And I need to be focused on school and classes and not…” She waved a hand between their bodies.
    “I thought you liked me?” He seemed puzzled.
    Kat blew out a frustrated breath. “That’s the problem! I like you too much. You’re bad for me, Tristan.”
    With a responding laugh, he checked his watch, eyed her stack of books, and then winked at her. “Perhaps I am bad for you, but everybody needs a weakness now and then, a guilty pleasure. Otherwise life isn’t worth living. Now, why don’t you take the rest of the night off? Live a little.”
    How did he know just what buttons to push? “Sleeping with you is living? Is that what you’re saying?” Why do I have to sound so breathless as I say this? Kat wanted to smack herself, but damn if her heart didn’t trip over a few beats at the thought of being in bed with him.
    “I’m saying that what we could have is worth exploring, and one night of putting the books aside won’t do you any harm.”
    Her focus fixed on the belt, noticing the silver buckle again. Was he seriously into kinky stuff? Kat hadn’t ever given thought to wild, edgy sex, but now that she was faced with Tristan and his belt, a flutter of excitement stirred in her belly.
    “I suggest that you let me stay the night, and we get to know each other. Whatever happens, happens. But you will be in full control.”
    She bit her lip.
    Can I do this? Bind this man to my bed? Her blood heated at the thought. If he couldn’t do anything, couldn’t overwhelm her, she would feel safe. His boldness, his natural domination excited her, but she was afraid of how much he affected her. Opening herself up to someone who could make her feel such strong emotions and have such strong physical reactions to was dangerous to her body…and her heart.
    “One night, Kat. Give me one night to prove it’s worth whatever risks you think you must take. If you still have reservations in the morning, I’ll let you go your way and I’ll go mine.” The man’s smooth words and the curve of his sensual lips were tempting.
    She felt like Eve staring at her reflection in the glossy, ruby red surface of an apple in the garden. Temptation. Pure, wicked, temptation . That was Tristan to his core.
    Kat had never been tempted before, not like this. Nothing had ever broken through that carefully guarded fortress she’d built when her mother left. Yet this man, like mist, seemed to seep through the walls of stone and fill every part of her mind with thoughts, and her body with surging desires.
    Kat nibbled her lip, sensing that neither of them could walk away now, not until they’d tried this.
    She was afraid to ask how far it would go. One night in bed? One night of making love, or did he intend to go beyond that? Was he serious about seeing her again after this? Like