Chapter 75: Chapter 75

The press of Casey's lips shouldn't have thrown Roark off balance. Yet it did. He staggered, not because he hated the touch of her but because he wanted it. A shock went through him. Intense pleasure, too.

The heat of arousal roared through his veins as his arms tightened around her, drawing her body into his, looking to deepen the embrace. Her lips parted for him, and her tongue, lithe and sweet, swept across his teeth.

He groaned then froze as the tip of a knife pricked him.

"I win," she whispered.

It wasn't desire that led to the kiss but a need to win. He wondered if she'd figured out she'd won more than she realized. She'd managed to do something few could - throw him off balance and take him by surprise.

He didn't do or say anything as she stepped out of his embrace. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright. He knew if asked she'd deny any kind of arousal. His only consolation was he could feel it crackling in the air between them.