His Ultimate Demand

He was breathtakingly gorgeous. With a definite edge of danger that sent her already thundering pulse straight into bungee-jump mode.

She watched his face grow taut. Watchful...condemning.

‘You know who I am.’ His words were icily precise, the warmth in his tone completely gone.

Licking dry lips, she nodded. His other hand dropped from his belt, leaving her curiously disappointed.

‘You’re American.’

‘Yes, I live in New York, same as you. That’s where I came from.’

‘And you followed me all the way to Macau. Why?’ The clipped demand came with eyes narrowed into cold slits.

A mixture of anger and trepidation rushed through her, propelling her from the bed.

He caught her easily. ‘Move again and I’ll be forced to restrain you.’

Panic flared through her. Tugging at his hands, she fought to free herself. Before she could fathom his intentions, her wrists were bound to the bedpost with velvet rope he’d pulled from the side of the bed.

She looked from her wrists to his face, unable to believe what was happening. He tossed his mask on the bed, whipped the unbound tie from his neck and flung it across the room, barely suppressed fury in the movement. ‘Okay, fine, you’ve made your point. But you can’t keep me prisoner for ever.’

‘Watch me.’

‘I could scream, you know.’

Nice, Ruby. Nice.

‘You could. And I can turn you over to the management and let them deal with what can only be regarded as a security breach. Trust me, breaches aren’t taken lightly.’

She tugged at her bound wrists. ‘I can’t believe you tied me up.’

‘You left me no choice. Now start talking before I call security.’

Her breath caught as images tumbled through her head of being stuck in a foreign prison. Aside from her roommate, Annie, no one knew her whereabouts. And even if Annie tracked her down to Macau, she wouldn’t have the first clue where to find her.

‘Tell me what you want to know,’ she offered in a rush.

‘Is Ruby really your name?’ he asked, his gaze dropping to her lips.

Remembering what he’d said about her mouth, she felt heat spike through her belly again.

‘Yes.’

‘And your earlier assurance that we hadn’t met before?’

‘Is true. Although we almost did...last week.’

One sleek brow shot upward. ‘How?’

‘I tried to find you at a nightclub—Riga—but you were leaving when I arrived.’

He prowled closer to the bed, and a fresh load of anxiety coursed through her system. Hands poised on lean hips, he stared down at her.

‘I’ve had women do...unexpected things to get my attention but I don’t think I’ve had the privilege of a full-blown crazy stalker before.’ His eyes raked her from head to toe. ‘Perhaps I should’ve made it happen sooner.’

‘I’m not a crazy stalker!’ She yanked at the restraints and only succeeded in tightening them.

‘Of course not. Because those ones readily admit to their charges.’

‘Look, I can explain. Just...untie me.’

He ignored her and leaned down, placing his palms flat on the bed so his face was level with hers. ‘We could’ve had so much fun, amante. Why did you have to spoil it?’ There was genuine regret in his tone, but bitterness had crept in with the iciness.

‘I have a genuine reason for being here.’

‘For your own sake, I hope so. I don’t take lightly to being manipulated.’

Her mind flashed to earlier in the evening. Watching him toy with his opponent had shown her just how dangerous this man was. Despite the outward charm and spellbinding magnetism, he could become lethal on the turn of a dime.

He turned and prowled to the window. With jerky movements, he tore off his expensive shirt, sending cufflinks she was almost certain were made with black diamonds pinging across the room.

Tossing the shirt the way his bow tie had gone, he shoved his hands into his pockets.

The movement contracted his bronzed, strongly muscled back. Among the electrons firing crazily in her brain came the thought that this was the first time she’d come this close to a semi-naked man worth looking at.

He turned and the sight of his naked torso was almost too much to bear. A light smattering of hair grew outward from the middle of his sculpted chest and arrowed down to disappear into his waistband.

Heat intensified as her gaze landed on his flat brown nipples. A decadent shudder coursed through her. She grasped the sturdy, intricately carved bedpost made of highly polished Chinese cedarwood, pulled herself closer to the edge of the bed and peered closer at the intricate knots that bound her.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ he rasped.

‘I can’t stay trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey all night long.’

‘Answer my questions and I’ll consider freeing you.’

‘You’ll consider it?’

‘Have you forgotten already that I hold all the cards here?’ He sauntered back and stopped in front of her.

Suddenly, Ruby wished she’d stayed put in the middle of the bed. This close the heat emanating from his satin-like skin blanketed her. The urge to move her fingers just that little bit and touch the skin covering his ribcage was immense.

‘Go ahead,’ he invited softly. Silkily.

Flames leapt through her bloodstream. ‘Excuse me?’

‘You want to touch me. Go ahead. We can pick up this conversation in a moment once you’ve satisfied your craving.’

‘I... You’re wrong. I don’t want to touch you. There’s no craving. What I want is to be set free—’