Ashcroft’s jaw tightened—just barely—but she saw it, the twitch at the corner of his mouth, the flare in his eyes. Her taunt had hit exactly where she wanted.
“Careful,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous rumble. “You’re playing with fire, Harper.”
But she only tilted her head, lips curving into a daring smirk. “Oh?” she teased softly, her hand still resting against his bulge. “And what happens when I get burned?”
Something in his composure cracked—subtle, but undeniable. His hand left her now-damp core, catching her wrist before she could retreat. The warmth of his grip was searing, his thumb brushing the frantic beat of her pulse as he drew her closer, until her breath tangled with his.
“What if I say yes,” he murmured, each word measured, darkly intimate. “I like ho
