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For a moment she questioned if he actually was capable of going to that length, but then she reminded herself of all the things he confessed to her on their first official date together.
Joey continued, “You’re not getting more than an arm’s length away from me until we get this all sorted.”
“What?” Her brain was still struggling to cope with the night’s events and even more so as the booze muddled everything so she could avoid an even bigger and epic emotional meltdown.
“You heard me.” He leaned over, placing two hands on the back of the sofa on either side of her as he intensely looked at her. “You don’t so much as open the door without me. You got that?”
“Don’t start with this, Joey. I’ve got one too many overprotective males in my life as it is.” Her hand rubbed her forehead trying to fend off a headache.
His voice lowered, unwavering his stance there in front of her. “Then, you have one more to deal with. I’m not fucking around.”
She shook her head as she ducked under his arms to get up off the couch. Layne finished the last of the whiskey and set the empty glass on the side table. “The hell I do, I don’t need you going all macho man because you think you have something to prove. If I wanted to be controlled, I would have let my dad marry me off years ago.”
Joey straightened up, taking his hands off the couch now that she was no longer sitting there. As for Layne, she walked over to the door to his apartment.
“What are you doing?” He asked even though it was obvious.
“What does it look like I’m doing? Leaving. I am not dealing with this bullshit.” Her hand slid the chain lock off, and twisted the door handle.
Joey’s hand shoved the door shut, leaving her unable to jerk it open under his strength. “Did you ever think you’re in over your head and actually need to let someone help you, huh? Instead, you’re being a stubborn bitch.”
That caught Layne’s attention and she turned to look at him, her hands violently shoving his chest but he didn’t budge an inch. “You’re one to talk about being stubborn!” She gave him another useless push against the muscles of his broad chest. “Now, stop getting in my way.”
“No.” His response may have been short, but it carried a heavy weight.
“Argh! See how stubborn you are?!” All of her emotions were bubbling up and now being taken out on him.
Joey wrapped an arm around her waist and hoisted her up, tossing her over his shoulder and walking her away from the door. Layne sharply gasped as she was suddenly flung over his shoulder like his own personal ragdoll to do with as he pleased. Her hands pushed against his back as she squirmed against him.
Dodging her feet kicking up near his face, he carried her into his bedroom and tossed her down onto his bed without any effort to ease the drop. “You’re not leaving.”
“Oh, fuck you, Joey.” Exasperated, she sat up from where she had landed in the center of the mattress.
“Promise?” He tugged his shirt off over his head, dropping it to the floor to be laundered later. His mouth curved into a devilish smile as his bare chest was exposed now, his tattoos that crawled up over his flesh on full display. He knew damn well what effect he had on her when he gave her something to look at.
Layne scoffed but couldn’t look away now that he was standing there half-naked. Damn him. She pressed her hands against the bed behind her. Her own body started to betray her as she felt desire pulsing between her thighs. “I’m not gonna stay here and be watched over like a prisoner.”
Joey didn’t respond. His hands moved down to the belt around his hips, yanking it open and slowly sliding it out from the loops of his pants. He proceeded to fold the leather belt in thirds, licking his lips as he kept his gaze on her.
Layne’s heart began pumping blood a little harder, distracting her from her original intent to leave. Damn her insatiable hormones, they were getting out of control.
“You know what, Layney? You’re right.” Both of his hands wrapped around the leather belt in front of him.
Was this a trap? Did he really just say she was right?
He approached the bed slowly, continuing, “maybe you’re not going to stay here, but you are going to have to make a choice.”
“And what choice is that?” Her tongue licked over her lips that suddenly felt dry as her eyes settled on the way he held the belt in his hands.
Joey tossed the belt onto the bed next to her. “Whether or not you can live with walking out that door.”
Her eyes softened as she mulled over what he had to say. Joey’s hands then suddenly took ahold of her legs and pulled her so her ass came right to the edge of the bed. He stood there in front of her, the front of his pants eye level with her.
“You either stay and accept that you’re mine, and I always fight for what belongs to me, or you can walk out that door. If you walk out that door, then this,” he unbuttoned his pants as he spoke, “is over. Your choice, Layne.”
Her eyes looked up at Joey while he stared down at her, waiting for her to make up her mind. Her brain was telling her to walk out that door if she ever wanted to live life the way she had before he interjected himself into it. Every other part of her was screaming to live in the moment and damn the consequences.
“Nothing good can come of this.” And she was likely right whether he wanted to admit to it or not. Layne stood up from the edge of his bed, her body brushing up against his. It was a struggle to resist wanting to lay her hands on him, even just for a split second. Catching herself about to do it anyway, she closed her hands into small fists and shook her head.
