Despise.
Desire.
Loathe.
Need.
This man came out of nowhere, stole my breath, and now I had no fucking clue what to do with myself.
Rhylan gave a devilish smirk as he pushed off the doorway, sliding his hands into his pockets as he slowly swaggered backward through the exit. His eyes held mine hostage for as long as they could before he disappeared around the corner, and the last thing I heard was the bell from the door as he finally left me alone.
My dark horse just had to look likethat.
But I guess the joke’s on me, because I’ve already let him fuck me.
Chapter 11
Dakota
I’mnotoverreacting.I’mnot over-fucking-reacting.
“Every day, for the past four goddamn days, every time I stand behind this desk, I can feel someone…himwatching me like some kind of… DNR officer,” I groaned into my palms, elbows propped on the front counter as I unloaded my deep innermost thoughts on my sister.
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t specifically Rhylan that I felt stalking me, but he was still on my mind.Maybe a part of me just wanted it to be him. Those two nights; one insanely hot, the other hostile, stuck on replay—driving me crazy.
“Uh, is Steph at the nutrition shop spiking your protein shakes?” Tiffany’s brows pinched together, her lips pursed, surveying me as if I’d gone mad. “Do you see him watching you? Like, actually,physicallysee him at his window?”
I may have been over-exaggerating, to an extent. Subconsciously wanting his attention without saying it aloud. But I did sense that someone was following me, even if it wasn’t actually him.
“No, of course not, I—”
“Then how do you know for sure? He doesn’t look like the type who’d be prone to stalking women—have youseenhis fucking abs?”Yes. I have, in fact, multiple times.The image of his body burned inside my fucking brain.
“Are you suggesting that stalkers can’t be hot?” I argued, pressing my palms onto the counter to push myself up from my bent position.
“No, I’m simply stating that he appears more than capable of getting any girl on Broadway to drop her panties just by looking at them, so he probably doesn’t need to chase you for the same high.”Rude…
“Are you saying he doesn’t want me?”
“Are you saying youwanthim to want you?” She scoffed, dramatic eye roll and all. “Jesus Christ, D. You’re confusing as shit, do you know that? I could swear that no more than an hour ago you were going off about how much you despised the man, and now you’re offended that hemightnot be interested at all?” My sister’s sardonic laughter filled the empty lobby and rang through my ears. “Just what the hell is going on with you? What’s with the spiral?”
“I don’t—nothing.”Fuck. “I’m not offended, and nothing is going on. I-I don’t know why I said that the way I did.”Oh, who was I kidding? Of course, I knew.Because deep fucking down there was a tinyfragment of my libido that was attempting to drag its way out of the pit of chastity hell just to fuck him again.
“Then what’s the problem? If you want that piece of smokin’ hot cowboy caviar, then go get him instead of pushing him away because he had the balls to open a studio across from yours. That’s what this is about, right? The competition?” It wasn’t just the threat he posed that bothered me. It was the fact that I was still thinking about Rhylan in a way I shouldn’t—the undeniable hunger to be over—and under—him permanently. “Why are you tearing yourself apart over something so petty?”
I took a slow, deep breath, collecting myself to better articulate the reasoning for my reluctance to pursue someone I otherwise obviously should.
“If I run to Rhylan now, then he wins...”God, even his name was fucking hot to say out loud.
“Wins what? A fucking cookie? A free pass to your pussy for the night? Don’t even get me started on the fact that you already know his damnname.” Tiffany threw her arms in the air for dramatic effect, annoyance on full display. “Going to him doesn’t make you the loser in whatever imaginary rivalry you’ve cooked up in your head.Claim him, D. You grab that cowboy—Rhylan—by the fucking balls and show him that you’re the one in control.Youmake the first move, own his fine ass.” There was so much passion and drive in her tone. “Giving in to your sexual desire isn’t giving in tohim,so set your bullheaded dignity aside for once in your life and just fucking go for it.”
My little sister, being the voice of reason, while my thoughts spiraled, and a stubborn part of myself stayed reluctant to bend, for fear of breaking altogether.
Intimacy often found a way to complicate even the simplest of things.
“Oh god, your silence is fucking killing me right now. I can practically hear your thoughts bleeding out from inside your head…” Tiffany slapped her hand on the counter, startling me as her eyes seared into mine like a witch being burned at the stake. “Alright, repeat after me; you are a strong, independent bad bitch, who doesn’t need a man—no matter how goddamn hot—to validate herormake her happy.”
“Weren’t you just—”
