Wedding Favors Read Free

only in her most secret fantasies. She definitely would have remembered a man this gorgeous in real life.
    He was gazing down at her with an intense regard that instantly kicked her heartbeat into overdrive. “Let me help you put that on,” he offered, reaching for the mask. Flavored with a French Creole accent, the words were melodic, hypnotic. Seductive.
    Her throat went dry instantly. “No. Thank you.” She managed not to croak. Too badly. “I’m not—I was just, um, testing how it felt.”
    He tilted his head. “And?”
    She swallowed, knowing what he was really asking. Was she available? For sex.
    She licked her lips. Oh, Lord. Was she? If ever she were to do this crazy thing, now was the time. This man was ... holy hell ... pure walking sex.
    And way out of her league.
    “I—” This time her voice did crack. She cleared her throat. “I don’t think so.”
    He smiled, undaunted. “Afraid?”
    Was he kid ding? “Any rational woman would be,” she told him, fighting desperately to gather her quickly flagging wits. And to douse the illicit flames of desire heating her belly.
    “Mais, a rational woman wouldn’t be found in a place like this,” he observed. He slipped the mask from her fingers, brushing his hand against hers as he did so. Sparks danced along her skin. Ho-boy.
    “It’s all my friend’s doing,” she said, her eyes drawn unwillingly as he ran his forefinger slowly and deliberately along the gilded edge of the mask. The gesture was disturbingly sensual ... as though he were touching her instead. Heat flashed down her chest, zinging through her breasts. She jerked her gaze away. “This wasn’t my idea.”
    “And yet, here you are.” He took a step closer to her. “All on your own. Not a friend in sight.”
    His gaze shifted down as her nipples tightened to hard, painful knots. Or maybe it was the low-cut dress that attracted his regard. Or both.
    Ho . Boy. She should get out of there. Now. Away from this insane situation and this alarmingly sexy man. But her body just wasn’t getting the message. It wanted to stay. It wanted to indulge in all of those outrageous fantasies of helpless submission she’d only dreamed of.
    Would it be so wicked to give herself to him? To let him use her body for his pleasure? To grant his every wish and fulfill his every sexual demand? And by doing so, fulfill her own fantasy?
    Don’t do it! her inner good girl cried. Yes! Dare! her fantasy self urged.
    She stepped back from him. “I should go.”
    “Non.” He lifted the mask once again to her face, capturing her eyes as he adjusted it snugly in place. He placed the elastic around the back of her head. “You should stay.” Feathering a lock of her hair between his fingers, he let the strands cascade along the side of the mask. It was all she could do not to press her cheek into his palm. “At least let me buy you a drink,” he said, “before you go.”
    What was wrong with her? She wanted to refuse. She should refuse! But there was something so powerful about this man’s attraction, something so compelling, that her mouth just wouldn’t form the words. It was as though he’d cast some kind of sensual spell over her body, filling it with a rush of urgent sexual desire. A Jaillissement de Plaisir. Like that mysterious fountain in the courtyard.
    She hesitated a shade too long. He offered her his arm with a very gratified male smile, as though the night’s end were a forgone conclusion. “Vien. Come.”
    Adrenaline sang through her limbs. Oh, God. Did she really want to do this?
    Laura’s words echoed. Give yourself permission to become whomever you want, to do whatever you wish.
    And she did want to. For once in her life, she wanted to just let herself go. Live the breathless fantasy. Be that brave woman who dared the outrageous, the risky. The downright dangerous.
    Swallowing her overwhelming qualms, she reached out to take his arm and whispered tremulously, “How long do you want me