“The real thing is better than every fantasy I’ve ever had about you,” he damn near growled.
But with a teasing sparkle aimed in his direction, I gave him a little nudge backward, allowing me space to stand. At the sametime, confusion flashed across his expression before it quickly transitioned into something darker.
“Too bad for you then because I’ve got a vibrator that I can guarantee gets me off better than you ever could.”
Jameson’s fingers circled my wrist as he hurriedly raised to his full height, walking me backward until my back pressed against the only exit that could grant me refuge.
“You want to play with fire, Ari? Because my need to tame it is what gets me off, so you’ll need to up your game if you think this little stunt will deter me.”
My breath hitched when his hands gripped my hips and squeezed. If my panties weren’t already wet with desire for this man a minute ago, they sure as hell now just disintegrated. However, I will die on the hill before I ever admit to anyone, Jameson included, how his dominating stature eviscerated all my rational thoughts.
“I won’t be another name in your little black book of conquests.”
“This act I put on, pretending to be a playboy . . . it’s all a facade. For far too long, I’ve let you believe what you wanted because, if I’m being honest, you hurt my pride a long time ago. I still, to this day, have zero clue why you suddenly stopped talking to me. Why do you hate me so damn much? I know I was young, stupid, and naive, but I cared about you; you were the first—fuck, you’re the only girl I’ve ever wanted, and despite your feelings, I’ve never once stopped caring about you. So bait me all you want, sweetheart, because I’ll take you any way I can have you. All this back and forth between us, it’s the best fucking kind of foreplay there is.”
The air was thick with palpable tension as embers ignited, leaving us at an impasse where we stood inches apart. The warmth of our breaths intertwined, and each heartbeat drew us closer to the breaking point.
His hands affectionately cupped the sides of my face as his eyes gleamed with desire, daring me to meet him halfway before his restraint snapped. “Fuck it.”
Our lips met in a passionate collision of anger and longing. The searing, territory-marking kiss stole my breath, made me dizzy, and left me unexpectedly yearning for more when he pulled back and pinned me with an unwavering gaze.
“Tell me you feel this connection between us and that I’m not alone here,” he implored, his voice tinged with hope that hung faintly on the edge of his words.
He wasn’t. I wanted to confirm his suspicion, yet my fears surpassed my ability to let my guard down, especially since I didn’t trust him not to shatter my heart.
“Stop looking at me like I’m yours.” It pained me to say.
“I can’t because that would be a lie.”
Chapter Four
Jameson
Iwas lying in my bunk at the station, lost in thought as I stared into space.The events from McQuade’s had continued to weigh heavily on my mind, and I needed silence to replay everything.
While I’d done my fair share of bone-headed things in my day, chasing off Arizona’s blind date might be my lowest point to date. There was no denying I’d been in a foul mood since our conversation at work, where I inadvertently learned she was going on a date. Though I knew I had no right to be upset, the behavior that followed was undeniably unhinged—even by my standards.
I was keyed up and desperately needed to take the edge off. My initial plan had been to spend the evening lifting weights in my home gym. However, just as I pulled into my driveway, Jaxon sent me a text telling me to get my sorry ass to McQuade’s to celebrate Lakelyn accepting Boden’s proposal.
I showered, threw on some nice clothes, and left my sour mood at home, or so I thought.
When I saw Arizona walk into the bar, at first, I was surprised, hoping she had canceled her date in favor of celebrating our mutual friends.
Just thinking back to how she looked—fuck—she was beyond gorgeous with her vibrant red hair, reminiscent of autumn leaves, hanging loosely over her shoulders, a sinful little black dress, and black heeled boots that accentuated her long, toned legs. I recalled my feet carrying me in her direction to where she was talking with Boden’s sister, Brooke, then when she turned around too quickly and crashed into me, I knew I was done for.
Her soft, feminine floral perfume surrounded me as her undeniable beauty stole my breath.
Every woman paled in comparison to Arizona.
Normally, I’d consider myself an easygoing guy, but I wasn’t in my right mind. I was blinded by jealousy. However, as I held her in my arms, nothing had ever felt more perfectly aligned.
Desperation then clouded my judgment when Brooke abruptly interrupted my thoughts, telling me to let Ari go because she had a date. The flicker of disappointment I caught in Ari’s eyes before she hurried off to the bathroom had me devising a plan before I could talk myself out of it.
I knew it was wrong, and yet that didn’t stop me from telling the guy she planned to meet that she’d had a change of heart and asked me to deliver the message. It was as simple as that. I mean, what self-respecting guy would believe another man’s word without a second thought? If I were in his position, I would have seen myself as a jealous guy attempting to intimidate him and stuck around to hear directly from the source that she wasn’t interested. Instead, the guy just up and left without a backward glance, and I, for one, was thankful as fuck and welcomed her wrath that I knew would ensue.
Little did I know just how edged my little firecracker would get.
The image of looking up at Ari from my knees wasn’t one I’d ever forget. It was still seared in my brain, making me want to seek her out, but I knew she needed space, and talking whileat work wasn’t an option since there were eyes and ears around every corner.
