Battle Prize by Stephanie James Page B

Concentrate on the two of us," he urged gently.
    "Even if I do that, I find I still have some reservations," she murmured dryly, lifting her glass to her lips. "You're asking for a great deal on such short acquaintance, Gage. I'm not at all sure I'm ready to make the sort of commitment you're requiring for the sake of your masculine ego."
    She saw the tendons in his wrist tighten as he gripped the stem of his glass. Was he growing annoyed with her? Her own recklessness grew at the thought "Do you want only a one-night fling, then, Rani?" he challenged.
    At once she shook her head, mouth curving in wry amusement "No. I'm no more interested in that kind of thing than you seem to be."
    "Then there's really no alternative, is there?" he pounced. "By staying tonight, you'll be committing yourself to an affair with me. If you don't want the one, you must want the other."
    She shook her head once in denial. "You seem to be forgetting that there's a third alternative."
    "What's that?"
    "I don't have to stay tonight Very simple." Resolutely she rose to her feet, gracefully depositing the empty snifter on the low table in front of the couch. Straightening, her gaze clashed abruptly with his and she knew a shiver of apprehension. "I'm not nearly as sure of what I want yet as you seem to be, Gage. You're trying to push me tonight, and I don't think I want to be pushed. The best answer is to provide myself with a little more time. I'm going home Alone . I hope you enjoyed the evening." Her decision made at last, Rani gave him her most brilliant smile and made for the door.
    "No!" She hadn't gotten five steps before he was on her, reaching out to snag her wrist and jolt her to a stop. "Rani, you're not going anywhere tonight. Stop playing games with me, woman!"
    His eyes blazed down at her, and the hard line of his mouth was set in grim resolve. It was becoming increasingly difficult to defy him, she realized uneasily. And a part of her seemed to be thriving on having elicited this dangerous response in him. What was the matter with her? He was right. She was too old to be playing games like this. On the other hand, she'd never had the desire or the opportunity to play them before. They seemed somehow a part of the reckless passion he created in her.
    But I'm not playing games, she told herself in the next breath, and then she repeated it aloud for his benefit. "I'm not playing games, Gage. I mean it. I think both of us need more time. Everything's happening too fast and I won't be pushed into this . . . this arrangement you seem to want."
    "It's too late. You're already involved in it," he grated softly, fingers tightening around the small bones of her wrist as he drew her inexorably close. "I didn't go to the effort of carrying you in here tonight just to watch you walk back out the door!"
    He set his glass down absently and lifted his hand to touch the taut line of her throat. Rani trembled as his excitingly rough fingertip traced a path down to the point where the collar of her black dress opened. Instinctively she tried to step back, but the tip of his probing finger never lost contact with her skin.
    "Gage, we both know you won't force yourself on me," she whispered.
    "Do we?"
    "Now you're the one who's playing games. Arrogant male games. And I don't like them."
    His head moved once in a crisp negative response. "Why are you fighting me? You want this as much as I do."
    "I'm not sure yet what I want," she protested.
    "Then I'll help you make up your mind!" He dragged her against his chest, his hands sliding upward to spear into her hair and hold her head still for his kiss. Rani opened her mouth in a small exclamation of refusal, but the words were lost in the depths of his throat as he sealed her lips with his own.
    She felt the willpower in him as the purely masculine urge to dominate lapped at her, seeking to innundate her senses. She'd aroused something else in him besides desire, something that bordered on the dangerous. For the