Page 18 of Make Me Want You

Iwas sick of the cold shoulder and the waiting game. This wasn’t what I did. I knew Sutton was a flight risk – she proved it with no explanation the other week – but she needed to know that I was relentless. A little wobble because she was scared of any level of commitment to me, wasn’t going to set me running in the opposite direction. I’d spent the time engrossed in my work. I thought at least that would keep me on the straight and narrow; but when Asher picked up a massive error before I sent it to a joint client this week, I knew I had to stop. I had to get my priorities straight before everything I cared about crumbled. The thing is, when I seriously thought about it, I’d sell it all – be penniless – and still be happy if I had her.

That thought should have scared me shitless, but instead it filled me with something else completely: comfort. She felt like my home. My family. Shit. How had things gone from me wanting to take everything she had to make her my all instead?

That’s when Asher admitted that Sutton was moving today. The element of surprise. I showed up and I wasn’t about to be turned away, until Sutton knew how I felt.

I sat on the sofa and waited for her to return, knowing we needed to clear the air, when her phone started to ring. When I glanced at the screen, my blood curdled in anger and my jaw ticked. I should’ve waited but instinct took over and I answered.

“Grey, what a surprise? Does your wife know you’re calling my girlfriend?” I snapped, as Sutton walked back into the room, her hands on her hips and a scowl spread across her face. I couldn’t help myself as I stared directly at her and didn’t let him get a word in. “I’m warning you now, leave Sutton alone. She’s mine. I won’t be so nice the next time I have to tell you.”

I slammed the phone down and looked up at her.

“I think you should leave, Tate,” she snapped, as she marched towards the door and opened it. I got up and walked towards her before I placed my palm on the wood and shut it. I circled my hands around her waist and caged her against the door frame as her back arched. “Why, because I answered your phone? Or because I told your prick of an ex to fuck off?”

“Because you violated my trust, Tate,” she screamed as she pushed on my shoulders. “I need to trust you and you just thought that it was acceptable to warn someone away. Are you fucking jealous or something?”

“Sutton, I’m fucking wild with jealousy,” I admitted as I gripped her tighter. “You need to realise that yes, I may have been an idiot in the beginning with my intentions, but now it’s different. I want you.” I rubbed my thumb across her bottom lip as she reached forward and yanked my hand away.

“How can you be jealous, Tate?” She froze and rewound a second as the second part of what I said registered. “What intentions?” She ducked under my arm and out of my grasp like I’d burnt her. “Tell me, Tate. Now!”

“When you first arrived here, I wanted to destroy you, take Wilkinson Holdings Corporation and make it mine,” I started, as she leant over and grabbed her thighs, taking huge breaths. I reached forward to rub her back, but she shifted her body away and froze me to the spot with her glare. “That was until I met you.”

“Why? You thought you’d get a company and me as the fucking prize,” she seethed, and I knew I deserved that backlash as she stood up to meet my gaze. “Am I just a game to you?”

I knew she’d be livid with my revelation, but I went with my instinct. Eventually, Sutton would have found out what my initial intentions had been, and I didn’t want anything between us as we started our relationship. I wanted to be an open book; honest and truthful, and if that was a risk then I’d thrown myself right at the shark. Sutton needed to understand my original reasons had changed, but she was the reason for that. My business ideas and development didn’t hold anything against the way I felt for her.

“Sutton, I deserve every word of anger that comes from you. I do, I know I shouldn’t say it but fuck it, it makes me even crazier for you.” I winked at her as she rolled her eyes back at me and huffed. “I can’t help it.” I held my hands up in mock surrender. “You drive me to the extremes, but I need you to know it all. I don’t want there to be a reason for you not to trust me.”

“I drive you to the extremes. I drive you?” she screamed as her chest rose heavily and she angrily screamed in my face. “Tate, you talk about trust but look at what you’ve done tonight. It’s like you’re seeing how far I’ll go before I snap. I’m not that type of woman – not after Grey.”

She dropped her head down and I growled as I lifted it up.

“Sutton Wilkinson, that piece of shit did a right number on you. I’ll keep saying this until you believe me; I’m my own man. You need to start seeing what I see in you.” I cupped my hand around her neck and kissed down the column of her neck before I pulled back. “You’re strong, you’re powerful, you’re damn well sexy and Sutton, whether you want to believe it or not, I’m yours and you’re mine and when you can see that… I’ll be waiting.”

“Tate.”

“No, Sutton. You need time to process everything and make some decisions,” I admitted, after I took a breath and headed to the door and opened it. “I may want you. I may need you. I may fucking crave you like my next breath, Sutton Wilkinson, but I know when I need to let you breathe.”

I walked out of the apartment, shut the door, and saw Asher standing at his door with his arms crossed, obviously aware of our heated debate. His scowled expression landed straight on me, and his sigh was long and noticeable.

“Just look after her,” I replied, my shoulders slumped, and I felt defeated. “I’ve told her everything. I’ve been honest, and if Sutton can’t understand my reasoning, then,” I muttered as I fought back the choked sensation, “I don’t know how else to get through.”

“Tate,” Asher said as he squeezed my shoulder, “give her time.”

“I’m trying to. I really am, but your sister has got me so wrapped up in knots I’m losing my mind,” I admitted as I headed past him and out of the apartment building.

If she cast me out after my admittance, then what could I do? She needed time to process then I’d come back even stronger. I knew at least Asher was with her, even though I hated the fact he was stuck in such a precarious position. I wouldn’t like to be the support for my little sister’s heart, while my good friend was attempting to win it. How does he manage it? All I knew was I wasn’t close to giving up on this battle. If anything, I’d just started.

My first thought had been to drink; The Muse Club. I could try to let myself get wasted and enjoy the night, but I wasn’t in the mood. I think my temper may have snapped if a woman, other than Sutton, had approached me and that wouldn’t be good for business. I could have gone back to Hillside Investment but after my cock-up earlier, I didn’t trust my mindset not to make a bigger error.

So, it looked like it would be my apartment. My place. I couldn’t actually remember the last time I’d chosen to spend time at home for anything other than sleeping. I pulled up outside the block of apartments, headed up to my floor and straight to my building.

“Tate, it’s nice to see you,” the voice said as I looked across the stairwell. My feet froze at the man leaving the apartment. Grey. “You and Sutton, okay?” He smirked.

Fucker.How long had he been living here? I wasn’t about to dig myself further into a hole and start to converse with him about our relationship, but I couldn’t resist a quick retort. Everything now made sense. The way Sutton freaked out when we pulled up at my apartment block. The call from Grey. If he’d lived here all this time and I hadn’t seen him, he knew Sutton wouldn’t have come here.

He knew we were lying aboutus.

“Sorry, I’ve got to go. Give Hallie our regards.” I smirked back before I unlocked my door and entered, shut the door, and looked up at the ceiling.

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