Free The Kiss by Emma Shortt

with some surprise Eva saw
that he was holding his hand out. Shit, for me?
    She looked back at Grace but she was already asking the next
guest to step forward, a startling curvy woman whose eyes were directly on
Ryan.
    Eva looked at him instead, and he smiled again before
reaching quite deliberately for her hand. The moment their skin met was instant
and shocking; like an electric pulse across the surface and Eva’s immediate
reaction was to pull away.  She gasped but he held on tightly and began walking
up the stairs. Again Eva had no choice but to follow, her hand secure in his.
    “What’s your name, lovely?” he asked.
    Eva stumbled slightly on one of the steps at the sound of his
voice. It was musical and husky all at once and was having a strange soporific
effect on her. “Eva,” she replied.
    He laughed softly and gripped her hand a little bit tighter. “Do
you know what your name means?” he asked.
    “Yes.”
    “Tell me please,” he said. “If you would.”
    “It means life,” Eva replied.
    He paused at the top of the stairs and smiled at her. Eva’s skin
tingled from his gaze and she had to shake herself inwardly to get a grip. What
the hell is he doing to me?
    “Eva, Eva,” he chanted. “You have no idea how ironic that is, in
more ways that one. I can’t tell you how delighted I am to meet you at last.”
    Puzzled Eva gazed up at him, trying once again to get her brain
back on all cylinders.  He wasn’t making sense but to be honest she didn’t much
care. His smile was like a siren’s song and shivers raced across her skin. Bloody
hell.  
    “Did Grace tell you what your duties would be, Eva?” he asked as
he turned left, the way to the red room. His accent was strange and Eva
couldn’t place it, somewhere in England she guessed but where exactly she
couldn’t tell.
    “Umm yes.” Think, Eva, get it together. “Cleaning,
waitressing, serving drinks, things like that.”
    The nervousness made her voice come out in a strangled whisper.
He was so attractive, simply too attractive to be true . And he’s holding my
freaking hand . It was just surreal.
    “Sounds dull doesn’t it?” he said. “Why don’t we forget all that?
All I really need, all I want, is your company.”
    “What?”
    He flashed a smile, which made her insides turn gooey and tugged
her along in silence until they were standing outside of the red room. Without
letting go of her hand he lifted a key from his pocket and opened the door. A
tingle of something—unease maybe—touched Eva. She couldn’t help but wonder how
he knew the way to his room, and if he did why had Grace asked her to show him,
and more to the point where had he gotten the key from?
    “Come in please,” he said and pulled her into the room.
    It was as beautiful as Eva remembered and her eyes went straight
to the flowers she had arranged on the bedside cabinet only yesterday. They
were roses, white and red to match the room. The lights must have been turned
on by someone and they gave the room almost a seductive air. Eva’s gaze fixed
on the huge bed, draped in red silk... waiting.
    He turned to face her, one hand continued to hold hers whilst the
other shot out to shut the door. It closed with soft thud, leaving them
completely alone. She waited for him to say something but he didn’t, he just
continued to assess her with his eyes.
    Eva bit down on her lip and tried to take steady, calming
breaths. She had never felt so nervous in her entire life. The adrenaline was
pumping through her body and once again her nipples were tingling.
    The air around them was pulsing with what Eva suspected was desire,
and it was impossible to think properly around it.
    You’re probably imagining it. He probably just wants a drink
made, a bath run or something . But those thoughts fled as soon as Eva
realized his thumb was making little strokes up and down the side of her hand.
    He lifted his other hand and fingered the curl which had escaped.
    “Your hair is