Free Velvet Embrace by Nicole Jordan Page B

change hues like an ocean. He found himself wondering what color they would be when they were glazed with passion.
    That thought was uppermost in Dominic's mind as he set about soothing Brie's ruffled feathers. He put himself out to be charming, drawing on skills that had worked with reticent females in the past.
    His strategy was successful. At the end of an hour spent discussing neutral subjects, Brie had totally forgotten her anger and was even enjoying their conversation. Curled up on the chaise longue with her feet tucked beneath her, she listened with unfeigned interest to Dominic's tale of how Elgin had brought his famous Greek antiquities to England.
    And since she was unaware of Dominic's specific plans for her seduction, Brie wasn't particularly concerned when he rose to throw another log on the fire. Even when he settled himself on the bear rug at her feet, she didn't immediately recognize the danger. Dominic's movements were casual and unhurried. He leaned back, bracing his weight on one hand, resting an arm on his upraised knee. When he stopped talking, the silence was comfortable and natural.
    It was only when Dominic looked up at her, fixing her with those penetrating gray eyes of his, that Brie felt her heart skip a beat. He was so close that she could actually feel the heat that radiated from his body. She was suddenly afraid of their intimacy, of his nearness.
    Thinking only of escape, Brie uncurled herself and swung her legs to the floor. But Dominic was faster. He caught her hand in his, preventing her from rising.
    Brie stared at him, her heart pounding in her throat. The flickering firelight painted his carved features an orange bronze, accenting their hard masculinity. He was watching her with a heavy-lidded expression that she had no trouble defining.
    His thumb swirled lazily against her palm, making his intent crystal clear. "You know I want you," Dominic murmured, his voice low and caressing.
    The husky tone sent shivers up Brie's spine. She wanted to look away, to break the spell he was weaving around her, but her eyes seemed to be locked with his. Mesmerized, she nodded wordlessly.
    Dominic was satisfied with her answer. He tugged gently on her hand, drawing Brie to her knees beside him. Then, slowly, he reached up to stroke her cheek.
    His fingers were warm and reassuring, but his touch left her breathless, as if she had been running too quickly. When Dominic's gaze settled on her lips, Brie felt her heart start to hammer against her ribcage. She held her breath, unable to move.
    Taking his time, Dominic ran his fingers through the burnished flame of her hair. Then cradling the back of her head, he drew her mouth closer. His lips touched hers softly at first, in a tantalizing butterfly kiss. Brie's palms instinctively came up to press against Dominic's chest, but his lips continued to move softly over hers, and her token resistance faded beneath the gentle persuasion of his mouth.
    She felt herself losing all sense of reality as she knelt there before him, yet all her senses seemed infinitely sharper. She was conscious of the steely strength of Dominic's muscles beneath her hands and the crisp linen of his shirt against her palms. She tasted the warm brandy on his breath as she opened to his probing tongue, then felt the ruffled thickness of his hair with her fingertips as her arms crept up to encircle his neck. She was aware, too, when Dominic's hands began sensuously kneading her shoulders. She shivered as a tremulous wave of longing flowed through her.
    Brie wasn't prepared for his next move, though. His hand slipped between the parted fabric of her robe before she even realized what he planned. She was stunned to feel his warm, seeking fingers on her naked breast. She stiffened automatically. Pulling away, she stared at Dominic with wide, frightened eyes.
    Dominic was puzzled by her fear. He had felt her body's first response to his caresses and was convinced that she wanted him almost as much