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She purses her lips, shaking her head at me. “Though I’m sure that attitude isn’t helping the situation any.”
I grin in response.
Jackson scowls at me but when he addresses Aria, his expression softens, the tension he showed me now gone. “He’s doing this to get to me, Aria. I will not allow him to use you.”
It’s clear Jackson cares for her. I know him. There’s not lust in his eyes when he looks at Aria, but a protective brotherly type of affection. Perhaps that’s why he wants me to stay away from her. I can only guess he thinks I will hurt her. I wouldn’t even doubt that he has been feeding those lies into her mind when she originally showed interest in me, but my wanting to hurt her is so far from the truth. I want to give this special woman everything I have. Then I want to give her even more. And by the time this weekend is over, she’ll know that she’s mine.
I keep the thought to myself, not wanting to antagonize Jackson with Aria here, when she says, “No one will be using me for anything, let’s just get that clear, all right?” She draws in a deep breath, and like I’ve seen her do many times, she spectacularly owns the moment. “We are supporting the hospital tonight. So what is going to happen here is we’re going to behave like grown-ups and know that this is only a weekend date, not a marriage proposal.”
Jackson’s lips part, and Aria says firmer, “I am a grown woman who can make her own decisions. I will—and can—handle myself, thank you very much.” His lips part again. I smile. She narrows her eyes at the both of us. “Now, Jackson, go sit back down at your table.” She turns to me and adds, “You can really stop enjoying this so much.”
“Oh, but Iamenjoying this,” I tell her seriously. Watching her handle Jackson, a cutthroat corporate lawyer, has always been the reason I’ve been attracted to her, aside from her sensuality and beauty. This woman is fierce. And I fucking love it.
Jackson scowls at me then says to Aria, “Be careful. He will hurt you, only so it hurts me.”
I see the way those words affect her. Her shoulders tense and brows pull together. It’s clear she believes what Jackson tells her. I hate him as much for that as for how much of an asshole he is.
“Just go,” she says softly, glancing around at the crowd. “We have an audience. I’ll be fine. I can take of myself. Promise.”
Jackson draws in a deep breath before addressing me. “You hurt her, and I’ll fucking make you bleed.”
I snort. “You could try.”
Without another word, he’s striding away, back to his table. It’s a threat that I’d love for him to follow through on. One hit and I would flatten him in a second. I’d hit Jackson once. The day I found him with Sophia. After that day, I swore I’d never waste energy hating him like I had that day. But one hit, and I’d allow that anger for him I had buried away to return with a vengeance.
“You shouldn’t have done this.”
I turn toward Aria’s soft voice, finding her piercing eyes on me. “Shouldn’t have done what?”
“You’re creating unnecessary tension in an already tense situation,” she states.
She’s missing the point but I plan to correct her.
I finish my scotch and move in closer, watching the way her eyes darken with lust. She wants me, I’ve always known that. “You’ve given me no other choice but to go about it this way.”
She holds my stare. “I will never pick you over Jackson.”
I ignore what she’s said, staying on task. I’ve heard that same thing from her time and time again. “I don’t want you to pick me.” At least not yet. One step at a time. “I want to fuck you,” I tell her bluntly, mesmerized by the way her eyes heat, cheeks flush with long denied lust. I know her answer before I ask it but I ask anyway, “Will you refuse me what I want this weekend?”
Her eyes search mine, voice grows raspy. “You know I won’t.”
I smile slowly, showing her that I’m liking my prize already. “And that, Aria, is exactly why I did this.” I shift to the side slightly and press my erection against her thigh, showing her how much I want her. Her lips part, an invitation for me to kiss her, when I add, “I’m going to fuck you soft and slow, and then I’m going to fuck you hard and fast, punishing you for how long you’ve made me wait for you.”
“And then?” she whispers.
I bring my mouth close to her ear and promise, “I’m going to fuck you again.”
CHAPTER2
Aria
The following afternoon,the ringing of my doorbell has me dropping the book I’d been reading and rushing from the couch in the living room of my overpriced six hundred and forty square foot condo in central Los Angeles. I’m annoyed, and determined to find out who dares interrupt my lazy Sunday. It’s the one day out of the week that I give myself nothing to do but relax, makeup free, spending most of my day soaking up the sun by the condo’s pool.
When I reach the door, I whisk it open and find a delivery man wearing a bike helmet and jean shorts. “Aria Finley?” he asks.
“Yes, that’s me,” I reply.
“I’ve got a delivery here for you from Liam Maxwell.” He offers me a clipboard and he points to the signature line. “Just sign here.”
