Her unexpected honesty touched him.
“Please go inside me. I need you to fuck me.”
He unstrapped her wrists. “No.”
She leaned up on her elbows. “Don’t you want me?”
Fuck, yes. Again, he kissed her. “Always, but tonight was for you. Do you feel better?”
She smiled up at him. A guy could get lost in all that beauty, but it was the happiness in her eyes that alleviated some of his own frustration. “Yes, but it wasn’t enough and it sure as hell did nothing for you.”
“Now, that’s where you’re wrong.” He waggled his brows. “I’ve always loved doing to you what no other man could.”
“So cocky.” She sat up and he admired her breasts. She had phenomenal tits and his throbbing cock agreed. “I get that wewerekink partners and that weareworking together, but c’mon. Why the hell not?”
He loved her feisty side. Fucking craved it. No way in hell would he bare his soul and confess the truth. Kink with her was never just that. He once had it bad for her…and he still did.
“You want to snuggle?” he asked.
The knot between her eyebrows returned. “Snuggle? Aftercare for me was a drink at the bar. What the hell is up with you?”
Unable to resist, he kissed her again. “That was a gift, for you.” He pushed out of bed. “Get dressed. We have an early flight home.”
Rising out of bed, she slinked close, then caressed his shoulders. “Quid pro quo. Let me take care of you. You love my blowjobs.”
“Like nothing else.” He cupped her chin. “But, not tonight.”
She dressed in a chilly silence. He sensed she was offended, but on this, he was not budging. In the rented convertible, the cool night air flowed around them as he drove toward the condo. She refused to look at him. When he squeezed her hand, her expression softened.
“I thought tonight would be a good thing,” he said.
She looked over at him. “It was…until I let my emotions take over. I mistook erotica for intimacy.”
“This…us…our situation is—” He pulled into a parking space. “Complicated.”I have very real feelings for you.
They entered a waiting elevator and the strained silence traveled upstairs to the penthouse. Upon entering the condo, she said, “Thank you for tonight. I wish you had let me be there for you, too.” She walked down the hallway, entered her bedroom, and shut the door.
Sin poured himself a drink and stood on the balcony. The rhythmic lapping of the waves did nothing to soothe his mounting frustration. He could have had sex with Evan. Could have accepted that blowjob and then fucked the hell out of her. Screwing an eager partner was his forte.
He sipped the bourbon and stared into the dark waters. In the distance, cruise ships dotted the ocean with splashes of bright, white light. When the bourbon was long gone, he retreated inside and opened his laptop. He’d made a mistake, but he wouldn’t approach her now. She was behind a closed bedroom door, and off limits.
There was nothing worse than someone who didn’t respect a closed bedroom door.
11
The Hookup
Evangeline hated that she’d reacted poorly, but she hated sleeping without him even more. She spent the majority of the night wishing he were by her side, beneath her, and then smothering her with his hard, sculpted body. She vowed that the next time she had the opportunity to take care of his needs, she would.
In the early morning, she plodded toward the kitchen to find him sleeping on the sofa. He woke with a start and grabbed his Glock from beneath the pillow.
There’s a whole lot more going on with Sinclair Develin than he’s letting on.
“I’m sorry about last night,” she said. “I interpreted your answer as rejection.”
“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have refused you.”
Despite their apologies, they said very little on the flight back to D.C. but she wasn’t deterred. If anything, she was more determined than ever to never let that happen again. Fuck his control issues. That man was wound as tightly as she was. She could see it in the lines etched around his eyes and in the lack of sleep he got.
