His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 531

Virginia's luminous skin was bare, and without gloves, her slender fingers quickly turned pink from the biting cold, a flush matching her cheeks.

For the first time, the usually stoic man dropped his formal exterior, parting his heavy coat to pull her freezing hands against the warmth of his chest, letting his body heat soothe her through the thin fabric of his shirt.

She couldn't recall exactly how they made it back to the estate, only the vague, dizzying memory of stepping through the front door.

What followed was a blur of him pressing her against the heavy wooden door, his kisses raining down on her, completely enveloping her in his signature scent of Oud & Bergamot.

That night, from the entryway to the living room, and finally the bedroom, they finished what had been left undone on their wedding night...

The vivid memory abruptly snapped shut in her mind.

Sitting at the table of the upscale restaurant with its sweeping city views, Virginia's cheeks, ears, and neck burned a deep crimson.

She lowered her gaze, biting her bottom lip as she fought to compose herself, only to look up and meet Archer's intense, predatory gaze.

He took in her suddenly flushed cheeks and the way her eyes darted away, his sharp instincts immediately picking up on the shift.

"Did you remember something?"

He kept his voice low, testing the waters.

Virginia hastily grabbed her water glass, taking a sip to mask her panic, though her voice still wavered. "No, nothing at all."

Archer didn't push it, though a glint of sheer satisfaction flickered in his dark eyes.

He picked up his fork and placed a piece of BBQ ribs onto Cindy's plate, then served Virginia a portion of her favorite roasted vegetables.

"Eat up. After dinner, we'll take Cindy out to build a snowman."

At the mere mention of a snowman, the color in Virginia's cheeks deepened even further...

The three of them spent hours at the winter park until the little girl was yawning uncontrollably; with a single phone call from Archer, Zachary Cole pulled the car up to the exit, and the family headed back to South Hill.

It was around nine in the evening.

Exhausted from a full day of playing, Cindy was washed up and fast asleep early.

The scorching heat of his body and his intoxicating, clean scent instantly swallowed her whole.

"Virginia," he murmured, his voice gritty with raw, undisguised hunger.

Her heart did a wild flip, but instinct pinned her to the spot, letting him lean entirely into her space.

Archer turned his head slightly, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, and while a tremor ripped through her, she didn't pull away.

That tiny, unspoken surrender snapped the last thread of his restraint.

His large hand slid down to grip her waist, effortlessly lifting her from the chair before he spun around and pressed her into the soft mattress of the massive bed.

His kisses descended like a storm.

From her forehead to her eyes, trailing down to her lips and her neck.

He kissed her with a punishing intensity, pouring eighteen months of desperate longing, lingering terror, and agonizingly suppressed desire into every touch.