“Because it took this long to meet you.”
Again, too good to be fucking true. “There’s no way I’m the hottest woman you’ve been with.”
“Yes way.”
“Now you’re full of shit?—”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I already said you’re my type to a fucking T.” He wrote out a T in the air in front of himself then pointed at me. “Yes, there’ve been models and women on OnlyFans and all that, but you’re the cream of the crop.”
I gave a slight shake of my head. “You could have anyone you want.”
“Oh, I know.” That arrogant grin moved over his lips. “But I want you.”
Ever since I’d laid eyes on this man, my life had turned into a whirlwind of passion and desire and joy so intense it made me black out sometimes. There were certain memories I simply couldn’t recall, like my mind couldn’t handle their intensity. “You know how they say if something is too good to be true, it probably isn’t true? I worry about that with you.”
He sat forward, his elbows on the table as he ate what was left on his plate. “That’s not the case. I think you just see all my good qualities because you’re the only person who can see them. But if you asked someone else, they would say I’m an egotistical, violent, psychotic maniac who will ruin your fucking life. All about context.” He continued to eat, as if what he’d just said wasn’t some kind of warning. “If you asked a woman I’ve been with how I treated her, some of them would probably say I’m a jerk who ghosted them after we sealed the deal—which is completely true. But to be fair, I warned them that would happen. And if you asked my regulars, they would tell you I’m too aggressive in bed but I tip really well.”
“And if you asked my father?”
He’d just taken his final bite and put it into his mouth when I asked the question. He chewed, staring at me,seeming deep in thought as he considered it. “That’s a good one.” His eyes strayed away momentarily before they eventually came back. “He would probably tell you to stay away from me.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s seen that egotistical, violent, psycho, manic side of me firsthand.” He cocked his head slightly as he looked at me. “Just a few hours ago.”
“What happened?”
“Leo didn’t tell you?”
“Everyone went straight to bed.”
He gave a slow nod. “I’d rather you hear their version instead of mine.” He set his plate aside and took a drink of wine before he sat slightly forward, arms on the table, looking at me with that same intense stare he seemed to always wear around me. “So you were worried about me?” There was a ghost of a smile on his lips like he got off on the thought of me freaking out for four straight hours.
“Yes.”
“Tell me about it.”
I gave a slight shake of my head.
“Come on, baby.”
“I felt like I was having a panic attack.”
“Yeah?” His smile widened.
“I know bad things happen, even under the best circumstances.”
“Not with me.”
“You know, you pull off the arrogance most of the time, but in this context, it’s not cute at all. Complicity is the biggest cause of failure in any industry. You don’t study for that test because you think you’re so smart, so you fail it. You don’t double-check your gun to make sure it’s loaded, then you end up in a gun fight with no bullets. I need you to take your life very seriously, Wolfe.”
The smile stayed, and he showed no sign of dropping it. “Why is that, baby?”
I gave an irritated sigh.
“Why is that?” He lost the smile, his voice lower.
My eyes dropped.
