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“Open. Up. Now.”
I bit back a whimper. Shit! Why did he have to use that imposing Dom voice on me?
“Okay,” I snapped. Cursing under my breath, I chided myself for letting him awaken my dormant submissive longings.
Slipping on my fiery red stilettos, I yanked the door open and instantly wished I’d kept the sucker shut. Joshua stared down at me, wearing nothing but his black tuxedo pants and a nipple-hardening scowl. His commanding mien nearly took me out at the knees.
When he opened his mouth to speak, I raised my hand and pushed past him, surprising him into silence.
“Thanks for a wonderful time, Joshua. I had fun.” The tone of my voice was so dismissive I couldn’t help but cringe inside. I couldn’t even look at him. Coward. Plucking a business card from my purse, I held it out to him. “If you’re ever in Phoenix, give me a call.”
When he didn’t take the card or utter a single word, I looked up at him. Both brows were arched in disbelief, and his eyes were steeped in ‘Dominant censure.’ Yes, the man had that look perfected, which further fueled the riot of panic inside me. He wasn’t happy. The barbs of shame for displeasing him pricked at the sub inside me. She all but screamed to fall at his feet and beg his forgiveness—while the pragmatic parts of me wanted to slap him across the face for breathing life back into the woman I’d put to death.
“Really? You’re actually going to tear out of here like your ass is on fire and not tell me what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. It’s time for me to go.”
Liar.
A noise of disbelief rumbled in the back of his throat.
“I had fun. We got to burn off some stress, but it’s late, and I’m tired. Besides, I need to get back to my sister’s house. She’ll worry.”
“Worried, huh? Does she always treat you like you’re a teenager?” he chuckled in disbelief.
I flashed him a sarcastic smirk and shook my head.
“You have a cell phone, right?”
“Of course.”
“So, don’t you find it ironic that it hasn’t rung once since we came to the loft?” He cocked his head and stared into my eyes, delving far deeper than he had a right to. “Tell me what this is really about, little one.”
“Stop calling me that,” I hissed. “I’m not your little one. I’m no one’s little one.”
I tensed as Joshua clasped his hands on my shoulders in a gesture meant to calm. World War III raged inside me, and I had to force myself to stare at his face and not cast my eyes toward the floor.
Shit! His very touch seduced my submission and threatened to reduce my walls to dust. He was living, breathing kryptonite to my self-restraint, and it pissed me off.
Sucking in a shaky breath, I planted my fists on my hips. “Look, Joshua, the whole Dom/sub thing isn’t for me.”
“Okay. I can respect that. But that still doesn’t explain why you’re dressed and running out the door like…” He frowned. “Like…I’m a one-night stand.”
Busted. While I had no intention of making a love connection with him or any other man, I’d established internal rules about one-night stands. Knowing I’d have to cope with the onslaught of guilt afterward, I usually kept my hormones in check, shying away from casual bed-hopping. Not the case with Joshua Lars. No, star struck, I’d tossed my principles out the window and bedded the man without a second thought about the consequences for my actions. Shame would come—probably in the morning, if not sooner—and I’d have to swim my way to the top of my remorse. But first, I needed to find a tactful way to get out of there without crushing Joshua’s fragile male ego even more.
“It’s not like that at all,” I lied, again. “It’s simply time for me to go before my sister files an Amber Alert,” I replied with a forced chuckle.
Joshua’s sour expression didn’t change. Obviously, he didn’t find my poor attempt at humor funny in the least.
“So you say, but I still don’t buy it, my frightened little bird,” Joshua challenged, stepping closer. “At least, let me drive you home.”
“Frightened? That’s crazy. I’m not the least bit afraid of you.” Not physically. Emotionally? You scare the beejeebers out of me. “Really, I’m fine. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
“It’s not an inconvenience,” he whispered, inching closer still. “Let me drive you home, Mellie.”
“I-I Ah, I already called a cab.”
His body tensed at my rejection. “I see. When do you go back to Phoenix? I’d like to see you again before you leave.” His words were clipped and matter-of-fact.
