Stealing His Heart by Diane Alberts Page B

over as a girl. Freaking dimples, on top of the captivating one he had in his chin. “Pick your animal.”
    “You did it.” She threw herself into his arms, squeezing him tight. Wanting to give him affection, mostly suspecting he’d had none in his life lately. “Thank you!”
    For a second, he didn’t touch her. Didn’t return her hug. His arms hung at his sides, as if he didn’t know how to react to a simple kind gesture. But then he hauled her close and cupped her butt firmly. His fingers bit into her tender flesh.
    “ Tara ,” he said, his voice hard and shattered all at once. Leaning in, he whispered, “You keep this up, and you’ll be on your back behind the Ferris wheel, and I’ll be so deep inside of you you’ll forget what it feels like not to have me there. Tread lightly.”
    She shuddered, the ache between her thighs immediate and demanding. Wanting exactly what he’d said and more. “Maybe that’s not really a threat.”
    He dug his fingers deeper. “Oh, it is. You have no idea what you’d be getting yourself into, sweetheart. No idea what I’m capable of. If you go to bed with me, you will submit. I won’t have it any other way.” He let go of her and moved away, his attention locked on her. “Now claim your prize.”
    It was on the tip of her tongue to say, “You. I claim you.”
    But she forced her attention toward the booth, and the waiting clerk, despite the need eating her alive. “I’ll take the little orange cat, please.”
    “You can get a bigger animal,” the man said, pointing at the upper shelf. “Anything from there.”
    She shrugged. “I like the cat.”
    “All right.” The man shook his head, but tossed her the tiny fur ball anyway. “Suit yourself.”
    Smiling, she hugged the stuffed animal close and turned back to Jake. He watched her with a wrinkled brow. He looked almost as if someone had punched him in the stomach or something. She paused, her foot in midair. “What?”
    “The cat. It’s…” He shook his head. “Never mind, it’s nothing. Are you ready to go home? Had enough fun yet?”
    “But we didn’t ride the Ferris wheel,” she protested, her heart picking up speed at the thought of him doing naughty things to her like he’d promised. “Or get cotton candy.”
    His own gaze darkened, but he held his hand out for her. “Fine. Let’s go.”
    She slid her fingers into his, and an electric shock skittered up her arm and straight to her stomach. They walked to the Ferris wheel in silence, her mind racing a mile a minute. She should probably keep her hands to herself.
    Stop trying to make him smile and laugh and—whatever else she was hoping to do. Not even she knew.
    After they climbed on, the Ferris wheel took off, and they were the only ones on it. Her whole life, she’d been surrounded by people. Servants. Family. Teachers. As a kid, she’d never been alone. Now…she was always alone. It was hard to get used to.
    The shaky box surged forward, and Jake cursed. Gripping the sides, he glared at her. It wasn’t until they went up that she remembered how much he hated this ride. “Oh my God. You’re still scared of heights, aren’t you?”
    He glowered straight ahead. “It’s not natural to be this high in the air.”
    “So if I did this”—she grinned and wiggled her butt, shaking the cart. He white-knuckled the sides even more—“you wouldn’t like it?”
    “ Tara .” He finally turned her way, but he seemed as if he was contemplating throwing her over the side for his own safety. “Knock it off or I’ll—”
    “You’ll what?” she asked, cutting him off. She shook the cart again, and he cursed under his breath. “What will you do to me, big guy?”
    He frowned at her. “The better question is what wouldn’t I do? I know you want me. Know you want to feel me moving inside of you, making you come so many times you lose count. I know you want me to dominate you. Take you. Fuck you. Own you.”
    She shook her head. “I