Chapter 48

“What happened to change your mind so quickly, Mr. Blackthorn?”

Zavian’s large hand clamped down on her hip with branding intensity then pulled it snugly against his as their dance turned into a sinful roll and grind of their lower bodies.

Emmeline dropped her head to avoid his blazing stare but he simply dipped his own to recapture her gaze, refusing to let her retreat.

“A great many things happened,” he mumbled in a voice gone rough with restrained desire. “Your petite stature, those pretty little sundresses you wear, your sweet, innocent way of speaking - those were all reasons I viewed you as a child at first.”

Emmeline felt her flush deepening at his frank assessment, the heated glide of their bodies making her achingly aware of every inch of him pressed against her.

She struggled to keep her breathing measured and even as his hand continued its torturous path along her lower back and over the swell of her backside.

“But then we met at the gy