Oh. My. God.

The naked man was coming closer and I backed away, tightening my grip on the ridiculous golf club I still held. It took everything I had not to let my gaze drop to the thick length between his legs. Okay, I’d looked. So, sue me. I was only human and he was … well, I hadn’t seen anything like him before in my entire life. He was what I would imagine a God would look like if they were real, like Apollo or Zeus, his huge frame made up of sinuous ropes of muscles, flexing and gleaming in the dimly lit room as he stalked his prey. Because this man was a predator, it was hidden in the gleam of his ice blue eyes and the set of his square jaw. Thick stubble clung to his chin, almost softening his angular features, the proud ridge of his nose, the vicious curve of his lips as they tilted in a smirk. Inky black hair dipped into his eyes, shorn high and tight around the sides, but left to run wild on top. He paused, tilting his head as we stared at each other. Then his hand reached behind him and closed the door with a click.

Ah, shit! He had me cornered in Alex’s playroom. My eyes shot to the other door that opened into the corridor. It was closed, but if I ran, I might make it. But why would I run? Oh, right, the naked man who looked like he wanted to eat me. That’s why I should run. But I didn’t. I wasn’t even sure my legs still worked.

“Are you going to run?” He sounded amused. He also sounded a hell of a lot closer than he had been.

My eyes whipped back to him and were met with a smooth expanse of chest, broad and exquisitely defined, as though a painter had lovingly spent hours worshiping his body as a canvas. I forced myself to look up, into eyes that almost glowed with an inner light, glints of silver sparking and swirling.

Ridiculous. It had to be a trick of the light. I took another step back. It wasn’t a sign of weakness, just sensible. How was I meant to have a conversation with a naked man while ogling his chest? Unfortunately, stepping back just widened my view point, until I had to physically tilt my chin up to prevent my eyes from straying. “Why are you naked?”

“You would prefer it if I were clothed?” His accent was delicious, a sharp guttural bite to the words as one of his eyebrows arched up, disappearing beneath the fall of hair.

Would I prefer it? Uh, hell no. But I wasn’t telling him that. “Yes.” I even added a nod. Big mistake. My eyes dipped and my mouth went dry.

“I think we can both agree that is a lie,” he growled, as a certain part of him responded to my unblinking attention. A very large, impressive, and, to be honest, kind of scary looking part of him. I swallowed, lust bubbling low in my stomach, and he let out a low groan. “Fuck playing by the rules,” he muttered, then he was on me, pressing me back against the wall that had appeared behind me, his hands cradling my face as his lips sealed against mine, moving in a violent, bruising caress. A low growl vibrated against the seam of my mouth, his tongue darting out to lick as he leaned into me, letting me feel the length of him pressing against my stomach.

My gasp was one of astonishment, not lust. Definitely not. I should be shoving him away, asking him what the hell he thought he was doing, but my body appeared to have other ideas. My arms came up and landed on his shoulders, my nails digging into his skin as my lips parted for him, allowing his tongue to sweep inside and tangle with mine. His hands dragged down my body to grasp my hips, dragging me closer as he ground against me, a strangled groan passing between us on a heated breath of air. Caged by his massive body, the world around me vanished as a surge of lust bubbled up inside of me, teased to life by the press of his fingers against my skin, his tongue sliding against mine, the low rumble in his chest as he pressed even closer. His hand slid between us, covering my breast as he pushed my legs wider, rubbing the length of his shaft against my sensitive spot.

“Min älskling,” he murmured, lowering his head to my breast.

My back arched as he sucked my nipple through the thin fabric of my tank top, my hands moving to his head and fingers raking through his hair. On my low moan, his eyes flicked up to mine, icy blue and filled with the same lust that was pulsing through me.

Oh, hell. I shuddered, then pushed him away, falling back against the wall as he surprisingly flowed back without hesitation, and squeezed my eyes shut. My self-control was in tatters, and there was no way I could trust myself to look at the glorious specimen of naked man in front of me. Not now that I knew his taste, how his hands had felt roaming my body. Then there was the weapon he wielded between his thighs. What kind of man was built like that? “What the hell are you doing?” I eventually forced out, pleased that my voice held steady, and didn’t come out all breathy and wheezy, like I felt.

His silence had me peeking. A smirk curved his lips, lifting his face from handsome to knee wobblingly gorgeous in mere seconds. Catching my sneaky glance, he winked, letting out a low chuckle. “You need me to explain the … mechanics?”

My mouth dropped open as his eyes trailed the length of my body in obvious appreciation, stripping my sleep shorts and tank away with his hungry gaze. “Eyes up, buddy.”

“Why?” He delivered the question without artifice. As if he genuinely didn’t understand why he shouldn’t be undressing me mentally, as if preparing to eat me.

Oh, no … no … no! My mental groan was loud and clear as my mind wandered dangerously close to visualizing this man dropping to his knees to do just that.

He arched an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing. “You ask me to stop, but your body doesn’t agree.”

“Huh?”

He lifted his head, nostrils flaring, as if scenting the air. “You want me.” It was a statement delivered with the air of a man who always got what he wanted.

Okay. This had gone too far. And was too weird. Yup. Way too weird for little old me. “Actually, it looks like you want me.” I tilted my head in the direction of his crotch, without actually lowering my eyes. I wasn’t an idiot, or completely in control of my traitorous hormones.

He shrugged. “Of course I do.”

Okay. Mind blown. And did this man not possess a scrap of humility. Not once had he reached to cover himself. Not that he needed to. He was pure perfection, the wet dream of women all around the world, brought to life. He was—

Gah! I shook my head. “Can you please put some clothes on.”

A frown firmed his lips, but when I held his eyes and crossed my arms, he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“What is it?” The question was out the second it crossed my mind.

Striding back to Alex’s room, he slipped inside, then returned wearing a pair of jeans.

I started breathing again, the image of his firm, muscular ass burned into my retinas.

Picking up where we’d left off, he finished zipping himself up and strolled over to the wall, taking up position next to me. “I never believed the stories, but they’re true.” His arm reached out, hand hovering between us. Tension rode his jaw, his eyes flashing with what looked like anger. Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, his shoulders tensed, muscles bunching before he retreated.

“What rumors?” I ignored the wave of anticipation that flowed through me, the irrational need to move closer to him.

Fixing me with a wary look, he frowned again, the lines falling into place as if they were rarely absent. “Fate tells us that the perfect woman will tame the beast inside. That she will command him and he will listen.”

“And who’s the beast?” I caught myself before I leaned forward, mimicking his stance and resting my shoulder against the wall. My arms stayed firmly folded across my chest, creating a much-needed barrier between us. “You?”

His eyes dropped to my cleavage, the corner of his mouth edging up into an appreciative grin.

I rolled my eyes, earning a chuckle.

Hazy sunlight danced across the shadows of his face, casting his harsh features in a predatory light as he murmured his answer, “Ah, but that would make you the perfect woman.”

It took everything I had to stop the shudder in its tracks. “Well, this perfect woman is going back to bed.” I yanked the door open, then glanced back at Alex’s room, and hesitated.

“I’m family,” he offered with a sincere smile. Probably the first one I’d seen on him since he’d so rudely attacked me, all naked and buff and sexy like. And damn it, that little smile nearly stole my legs out from under me. It was just rude to be so … so … Argh! Time to beat a hasty retreat, before I found myself plastered against his chest and begging for another taste. “Nice meeting you, beast,” I called over my shoulder, letting the door slam shut behind me.

His startled laughter followed me out into the hall, but the door remained closed.

I was halfway to my room when I put two and two together. Oh, gooseberry farts. I was pretty sure I’d just seen my employer naked. Had rubbed up against every delectable inch of him.

The one and only, King Nicholas.