“You weren’t,” she says, placing her hand on my leg and giving it a slight squeeze, but it does nothing to ease the tension coiling my muscles.
“I almost lost my fucking mind earlier, Emily.”
“You did?”
“She told me she was going to help you find another man,” I growl. “The thought of anyone touching you … touching something that’s mine …” I let the rest of my words die off because my mood is souring fast, and I don’t want to ruin the rest of our night.
“Yours?”
“Yes, you’re mine now, Emily, so you may as well get used to it. And when people touch what’s mine, bad things happen.”
The second the words leave my mouth, I regret them, even though I meant every one.
“Bad things?” she asks quietly. “For them or me?”
I blow out a long breath. “Them, Em,” I say, placing my hand over hers. “Never you.” I turn into our driveway, put the car in park, and shift in my seat to face her. “You’re safe with me. I’d never hurt you, I’m not him.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
“Please don’t be mad at Lucia. I wish I hadn’t said anything now. She’s the first real friend I’ve had in a long time.”
“I can’t just let this slide,” I admit.
“Please,” she says, panic creeping into her voice. “Punish me instead.”
Her cheeks flame red, and my mind goes straight to the gutter. “Punish you how?” I ask, my voice rough with the kind of thoughts I shouldn’t be having right now.
Her eyes dart away for a beat before coming back to meet mine. “You could spank me.”
I roll my lips to hide my smile as red-hot desire flares through me. I shake my head once, slowly, trying to get a grip. “Careful, Em,” I murmur. “You don’t get to say things like that and expect me not to take them seriously.” Her breath hitches, but she doesn’t look away this time. I lean closer, my hand still covering hers, as my thumb brushes circles against her skin. The air around us becomes palpable. Thick and charged. “If I ever put my hands on you likethat,” I say quietly, “it won’t be because you asked me to fix someone else’s mistake.”
“It was my mistake too, I went along with it.”
“You sound like you’re begging to be spanked,mia tortina.”
“Maybe I am.”
Those three words loop in my head as I unclick my seat belt, step out, and stalk around to the passenger side.
I yank her door open with more force than necessary and reach for her hand. My grip is tighter than it should be as we head towards the house, but I’m so fucking ramped up, I can’t remember ever being this turned on.
It’s been so long for me, and I already know the moment I sink into that sweet, tight pussy of hers, I’m probably going to blow my load. I should’ve jacked off in the shower before I left, but even that probably wouldn’t have saved me.
The extent of what Emily makes me feel scares the fuck out of me, but I shove it all down as I unlock the front door and lead us inside.
I flick on the light and drop my keys into the porcelain dish on the hall stand, both things Lucia insisted I needed when she redecorated my entire home. I’ve always known she was chaos, but I’m just now realising how much of a bulldozer that five-foot-nothing woman really is.
Poor fucking Romeo. That man never stood a chance.
I can’t really fault Lucia for what she did, because I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for her. A few hours ago, things with Emily felt hopeless, and maybe forcing my hand was exactly what I needed.
Releasing my grip on Emily, I turn to face her, tugging her petite body closer so my fingers can brush over that damn sexy dress she’s wearing. The one that’s been driving me wild since the moment I saw her in it.
“As much as I love this,” I say, tugging on the fabric, “it’s got to go, but leave the boots on.”
Without hesitation, she steps back, reaches for the hem, and drags it over her head, dropping it to the floor by our feet.
