She wet her lips.“So, you’ve basically told me that you’re a walking red flag.Yet you still expect me to choose you.To fuck you.”
“Ah, sweets, you really going to tell me that you don’t enjoy a red flag?”
“Red flags are dangerous.”
“I willneverbe dangerous to you.You have my word.I’d cut off both my hands before I hurt you.”
“No need to get bloody.I like your hands.”Her gaze did not waver.“I like the way I feel when you touch me.”
Every muscle in his body tightened.Oh, Lily, you do not know how dangerous the beast I carry truly is, and he wants you.You’re making so many mistakes with me.
“You seem incredibly certain of yourself.”The gold gleamed in the darkness of her eyes.
“I’m not.Not when it comes to you.Forty-eight hours.”That was the clock he was running.“I figure in forty-eight hours, you’ll either tell me to fuck off…or you’ll say,‘Fuck me.’”
“I’veneverjumped into bed with someone forty-eight hours after meeting them.”
No, not his careful Lily.“Good thing you’ve known me much longer than forty-eight hours.”
“Atlas—”
“That’s how long you get to decide.Will we be real lovers?Or just pretend?Because if I’m a line you don’t want to cross, a monster you just can’t handle, I will keep my hands off you.The world can think you belong to me, that cover will protect you, my guards will protect you,Iwill protect you, but if you don’t want to be in my bed…I will stay away.”The choice would be hers.
Forty-eight hours.
The clock was ticking.
“You are very blunt,” Lily noted.
“With you, yeah, I am.”Why?“I feel like I don’t have to pretend as much with you.I know how to play the game.Icouldbe a charming asshole, but I don’t want to do that.”A pause.“I don’t want to hide who I am with you.So I’m saying what I feel.I.Want.You.”
“It’s probably adrenaline.It’s confusing you.Making your emotions and your, ah, lust, seem heightened.”She swallowed.“We’ve had one hell of a first date.”
A first date?His eyes narrowed.“Are you joking with me?”
“I have a terrible sense of humor.Ask anyone.”
“I don’t care what anyone else says.I care…”About you.Whoa.Bad.So bad.“I want to know what you say.What you think.”
“I say it’s probably the adrenaline impacting us both.I mean, you’re handsome.Obviously.And I do feel some attraction to you?—”
“Some?Ah, Lily, just stab me in the heart, why don’t you?”
“No.”Sharp.“I won’t.”
He already knew that.But he took her hand, lifting it off the diary, and he placed it over his heart.“Someattraction?Some?I feel more thansomefor you.I knew you were going to be a problem from that very first email.”He kept his hand curled around hers.“Kiss me, and tell me that you don’t feel the connection, too.I’m not talking aboutsomemild attraction.I’m talking a consuming lust that makes you want to forget every single rule you’ve ever followed.”He suspected she followed lots of rules.“And just take what you want.”
“I…” A ragged breath.“Too much has happened.I’m too tired.Too on edge.I am not in control right now.”
“I am.”Barely.“I’ll keep you safe.”
She wasn’t going to do it.She wasn’t going to kiss him.Too bad.He’d really wanted her mouth.
She leapt toward him.Straddled him.His unpredictable Lily.She pressed her mouth to his, and she kissed him as if she had forgotten every rule.Her mouth was hungry and eager and so incredibly sweet, and she had to feel the giant dick shoving against her.
His hands dropped to her waist.Hers pressed to his jaw.His tongue thrust into her mouth, and he took and took, and when she moaned, he greedily swallowed the sound.
She was warm and soft and sexy.Every single thing he wanted—theonlything he wanted.Her hips rocked against him as she rode his dick through their clothes.Over and over, and she kept kissing him.Open-mouthed, sweet tongue, hungry need.Driving him wild.Closer and closer to the edge, but he held on to his control with both hands because he’d made a promise to Lily.
