Page 10 of Five

“Kiss me,” I say it again. If he’s gonna get what he wants, well, then I’m gonna get what I want too.

“You give in first.”

I smile. This is so typically Five. “No. I’m the boss of me, Mr. Aston. Me. That’s the very first lesson my mommy taught me way back in pre-school. I call the shots.”

“Princess,” he whispers into my ear. It makes everything vibrate. It makes my whole body shiver. “I love you more than I can ever say. I want nothing more than to give you everything you want, including that kiss. But before I do, I need your word. I need to know you’re gonna let me handle this. I need assurances that you’re not gonna go home, grab one of those guns your mom keeps in her closet, and come back blazin’. So just give in, OK? Just give in to me, and tell me what I need to hear.”

“Kiss me,” I say again. “If you don’t give me what I want, I’m gonna”—my hand reaches down to the hard bulge hiding in his pants—“force it out of you.”

I can feel him smile into my neck. We’re different people now. I mean, we’ve always been these people. I’m just like my mom. Hot-tempered blonde bombshell, ready to explode. And he’s just like his dad. Control freak with a side of sexy. But this is who we are. Headstrong, and bossy, and competitive.

“You want a kiss?”

“Mmmhmm,” I say, closing my eyes as I picture it. God, I’ve dreamed of this moment for ages. “I really need one, Five.”

His mouth touches my earlobe. Lips caress the soft skin of my neck. “Like this?” he asks.

“Yes,” I practically moan. “Just… like… that.”

“Do you want more, Princess?” he asks, his voice low now. Growly. Filled with so much promise.

“More, please,” I say, in my sweetest princess voice.

“Then promise me, baby. Just say those two words. ‘I promise.’ And as soon as you do that, I’ll give you everything you want. OK?”

“Five,” I moan. “Just—”

His hands come up suddenly. He cups my face, stares into my eyes with the most sincere expression I’ve ever seen on him. And underneath that sincerity, I see… fear. “Promise me.”

“Five,” I say, unable to stop staring back. This is everything. Everything I’ve always dreamed of. Five pressing me up against a wall. Me, the only thing on his mind. Except I’m not the only thing on his mind, am I? No. Those creeps from the past are back. That’s why he’s here. And even though I’d normally not give in so easy, I know this is not a game. So I say, “I promise. Now stop talking, you stupid genius, and kiss me already.”

He smiles. Leans in. I close my eyes, ready for it. Finally gonna get what I want.

But then he moves his mouth to my ear and nibbles on my lobe. “Good girl,” he coos. “But I’m not sure I believe you, Princess. I can feel those wheels turning inside your head. They’re grinding hard.” He presses his hard cock against my hip when he says that last part. “So I’m gonna hold off on that kiss until I get back tonight. And if you’ve been good, and if you’ve held up your end of the—”

“What?” I say, pushing him back. “You will do no such thing, Five Aston! I want a fucking kiss and I want one right now! I’ve waited six years for this, and denying me is practically emotional abuse. Now stop fucking around and kiss me, goddammit!”

“Who’s the boss of you, Rory?”

I huff out some air. “Me.”

He smiles. It’s a big, genuine, I’m-gonna-teach-you-who’s-boss smile. “Wrong answer.”

“You!” I say. “Fine, it’s you. Is that what you want? Me to give in? OK. I give. Now kiss me.” I’m practically begging now, but I don’t care. I need this kiss.

He backs away two steps.

“I’m warning you, Five Aston. You had better kiss me right the fuck now.”

“Or what?” he says, backing off two more steps. “Or you’ll fall out of love with me? You’ll go back to the boring boyfriend at Princeton?”

“I’ll do it,” I say, as defiantly as I can. But he doesn’t believe me. Hell, I don’t believe me. I am in love with this hot, weird, genius of a man and he knows that. I’ve been in love with him since kindergarten. There’s no other man for me. Not at Princeton. Not anywhere in this world.

There is only Five.

“You won’t do it. But you will behave while I’m gone. And tomorrow I’ll give you everything you want.” He reaches for my hand, picks it up, and brings it to his lips. The gentle kiss across the back of my fingers isn’t how I pictured this moment ending, but I melt.

I melt into a giant puddle of love-struck goo as he lets me go, turns his back, and walks away.