The Woman Sent to Tame Him by Victoria Parker

for.
    ‘Happy now?’ she snapped.
    ‘Ecstatic.’ Only Serena would storm into one of the most exclusive casinos in the world wearing a pair of frayed denims cut high on her toned thighs and another quirky T-shirt—this one ocean blue, with two scuba divers and the words ‘Keep Your Friends Close and Your Anemones Closer’ riding across her taut stomach.
    With no effort whatsoever, she lit up his dark, dark soul.
    ‘What gave me away?’ she asked, a hint of petulance smoking her tone.
    He pointed his index south. ‘Your feet.’
    Her gaze followed the direction of his finger. ‘What’s wrong with my feet?’ Her brow furrowed, her head shot back up, eyes slamming into his. ‘And what’s with that wicked gleam and that grin?’
    ‘I’ve just never seen you in anything other than biker boots.’
    ‘So?’ she snarked. ‘One of my dad’s ex-lovers gave them to me, I think. This is the first time I’ve had them on.’
    Light crept over marble-grey and Finn hurtled towards lucidity. The reason she wouldn’t be seen dead here. The reason she’d shied away from the glamour puss outside the bathroom. Not only did she feel uncomfortable around women, she felt horridly out of place—and yet she’d come here to find him.
    Beautiful and brave. He’d never wanted her more. And didn’t that spell trouble?
    ‘So I’ll ask you again,’ she groused. ‘What’s wrong with my feet?’
    ‘Nothing, baby, they’re cute.’ The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel worse. She didn’t have a clue.
    ‘Cute?’ she spat. ‘Kittens are cute. I am not cute. And cut it out with the baby . It’s driving me nuts!’
    ‘Tell the truth—you love it. Every time I say it you careen into some kind of delightful fluster.’
    The nutspart was that she was beginning to like it, and she didn’t want to like anything he said to her.
    ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she snapped. ‘Now it’s my turn. I want my wi...’
    Her voice trailed off, eyes widening, as he pushed himself off the sofa-arm and sauntered towards her. While he had every intention of playing fair, it wouldn’t hurt to distract her, now, would it? If he tried to kiss her again she would either hit him or bolt. Either exit was fine with him.
    When he was up close and personal she raised her head, and Finn caught sight of the wild flutter at the base of her throat.
    ‘I bet you don’t even realise you have the most beautiful, elegant décolletage.’ He trailed one fingertip down the side of her neck. ‘And this skin of yours is a perfectly gorgeous peach colour.’ Yeah, like peaches and cream, to go with that strawberries and cream voice.
    ‘St...stop saying stuff like that, Finn.’
    No.
    ‘Love the T,’ he murmured as he brushed down between her breasts with the backs of his fingers, over the creased transfer of frothy waves in a blue ocean—‘Keep Your Anemones Closer’. Sorry, beautiful, not going to happen.
    Down, down he stroked—with fire unfurling at the tops of his thighs—and when he reached her navel—
    He growled. Snatched his fingers away and slammed both hands against the wall on either side of her head.
    ‘Wha...what’s wrong?’
    Finn closed his eyes. ‘I need to look.’
    ‘A...at what?’
    ‘You know what. On your stomach.’
    A tremble shook her voice. ‘Only if you tell me what’s wrong with my...my feet.’
    Prising his eyes open, he focused on the perpetrators. ‘Nothing is wrong. Nothing at all. They’re pretty little...ballerina pumps. I think that’s what they’re called.’
    ‘Do you know you pause when you lie?’
    Great.
    ‘Okay, okay. They’re slippers.’
    Her gorgeous face fell in horror and if she’d been any other woman he suspected she would have burst into tears. Not Serena.
    ‘They are ?’
    ‘Cute ones,’ he said quickly. ‘With little leopard spots on.’
    Dismay vaulted into pique and she visibly vibrated before him. ‘I refuse to feel stupid just because you know more about women’s