He must’ve read it on my face anyway. “Did I not make that clear last night when I said this sweet pussy and your pleasure are mine?”
I’d assumed it was just insanely hot dirty talk that I refused to read too much into, so no. It hadn’t been clear.
He pieced that together, too. “I didn’t. Lemme rectify that right fuckin’ now then, hellcat. This wasn’t ahook-up. I told you how I like to be in control. I’ve shown you. And you gave me you anyway. If you think I’d walk away now, you’re outta your damn mind.”
I’d been prepared for him to bluntly remind me that he wasn’t interested in settling down. I hadn’t even considered that he would bluntly claim me, instead.
If I had considered it, though, that was pretty much how I would’ve seen it going. He wasn’t asking how I felt or what I wanted. He told me how it was, and that was it.
I knew that if I disagreed or felt otherwise, I could speak up and he would listen, of course.
But I didn’t, so I happily kept my mouth shut.
Or I would’ve if he wasn’t holding it open.
He slid his thumb out as he moved his hand down to cuff my throat and keep it tilted up. “None of this is fake anymore. For as long as it’s good between us, you’re in my life. You’re in my bed. Any questions?”
I shook my head, too stunned to think of any response.
“Good. That mean I can finally talk without you interrupting?”
“I thought we just did that.”
“No. This conversation was about laying it all out since you seemed to have it twisted in your head.”
My eyes narrowed, and I tried to step back. His hold tightened, and I let out a soft moan that counteracted what I was going for. I ignored my involuntary noise and focused on the rest. “I didn’t have it twisted. I was going by your own words.”
“That was before. You’re different.” He squeezed his fingers again. “Thisis different.” His smirk was wicked and evil and so damn sexy. I didn’t trust it. “Looking forward to showing you that, too.”
The last part sounded all nice and sweet, but I didn’t trust it, either.
That didn’t mean I also wasn’t looking forward to it.
“Got to talk about your job, hellcat.”
“You can’t fire me,” I joked. “My boyfriend owns the place.”
I didn’t even have the chance to regret my words or send the situation from bad to worse by overexplaining that I’d meant it in the fake-arrangement way—which was the truth.
Rhys grinned down at me. “Only the second time you’ve called me that. Like it a fuckuva lot more now that it’s real.”
Holy shit, when he changes course, he doesn’t veer a little. He takes Rainbow Road up to the stratosphere.
His smile softened. “That just saved you from a red ass. You’re still gonna pay for thinking this was only a hookup, leaving my bed during the night, and the rest of your tab. But it can wait becausethatdeserves a reward.”
He stooped suddenly to grip my ass and lift me. My arms and legs automatically wrapped around him just as his mouth crashed down on mine.
He’d kissed me before. Standing on my porch at night. In his office. Randomly, even when the situation didn’t call for it. With the tension that simmered between us, I’d thought those brief glimpses of genuine desire were him losing control for a second before reining it back in.
I’d been wrong.
Those kisses, even the wildest ones, were him in control. Holding back. Showing restraint. I knew that without a doubt because it was gone.
His kiss was brutal as he plunged his tongue in, dominating the kiss. Dominating me. He tightened his hold on me seconds before my back hit the mattress as he followed me down.
He tried to push away from me, but my arms and legs squeezed reflexively.
“Christ, you kill me,” he groaned, tearing his mouth away. “Can’t taste your sweet pussy if you don’t let me go.”
