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“Fine, fine. I just want you to be happy, Ru. You know that right?”
I watch Jesse—who’s doing a good job of masking her own discontent, but I can see it leaking through the concerned expression marring her face. “Yeah, I know, babe. He just wasn’t the one for me.”
I glance away, picking up the next canvas to hang. It’s a picture I captured of the mess of iguanas sunbathing on the rocks. The ocean mist is rising behind them as waves crash, creating a subtle halo effect. It’s stunning and emotive.
We spend an hour getting things together, making sure the correct photos are hung above the description plaques. I pull out the cordless vacuum stick and tell the girls they can go home. This is all that I’ve got left, and there’s no reason for them to stay around.
“Goodnight, love you guys,” I call after them as they slip out the alley exit.
Their responses are muffled by the vacuum and closing of the metal door, but I know they love me too. It’s one thing I can always count on in this world. I’ll forever be grateful to Scarlett for introducing me to these babes back in freshman year of high school.
Propping the vacuum against the wall, I grab my AirPods from my backpack and pop one in my ear. Lewis Capaldi’s Before You Go comes on and I sway, belting out the lyrics as I run the vacuum over the dirty floor. A tingle flares against my skin, raising the baby hairs on my neck. The air permeates with a velvety patchouli scent and my lungs seize. Am I this lovesick or whatever that I’m actually smelling his cologne? “Seriously, Rumor, you need help,” I grumble to myself.
“Do you need a hand with that?” a deep, gravelly voice asks.
I freeze. My muscles lock up, and my heart stops beating only to return with a harsh pound, forcing whooshing blood through my ears. “How are you here right now? H-How did you find me? No. No, you shouldn’t be here,” I say breathily, closing my eyes when he presses his front to my back and wraps his arms around me.
“It's funny you think I wouldn't be able to find you, little doe. You're mine, and that tether you feel tugging at your heart when I'm not around, it's connected to my own. A guiding beacon that will always lead me to you. I’ll leave, if that’s what you truly want, but I don’t think it is. I can feel your body reacting to me, can you feel mine doing the same for you?”
His touch is a feather-light caress. He drags his fingertips up and down my forearms, and I bite down on my bottom lip as hard as I can to stave off the groan building inside me. I jerk out of his hold and spin around to face him. Fuck a duck. How the fuck has he gotten sexier in the last three months? That shouldn’t be possible.
He hands me a slip of paper and says, “I would’ve called when I got back into town a few days ago. I wanted to, but what is a phone call when I could see you in person? That is more valuable than words spoken over a line.”
I swallow loudly, backing away. “No. I can’t do this. I gave you the chance and you never took it. I’m not a toy you can use and toss away, returning whenever it’s convenient.”
“That’s a bit unfair don’t you think? I believe we used each other, and very very well. I didn’t toss you away. I—.” He pulls in a deep breath, rubbing a tattooed hand down his face. The blue agave plant tattoo looks fresh, brighter than it did last time.
“My father needed me to stay longer than I’d planned. I had my own issues to deal with before I could think of calling you, and if I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure I ever would call you.”
I give him the look he deserves, and I swear he flinches, but it’s so quick I might be wrong.
“You are as frustrating as you are alluring. You rile me up and set me off in more ways than one. We only spent a single night together and I was hooked. That is not something that I’m used to. The clawing need to bathe in your sunlight while I drag you down to the depths of my depravity, all so I can ravish you, is maddening.”
I lick my lips salaciously and give him a proper once over. He’s dressed casually in a pair of fitted denim jeans with a black henley that’s stretched tightly over his broad chest and biceps, perfectly tailored to his narrow waist. The sleeves of his shirt are pushed up to his elbows revealing a smattering of tattoos covering his exposed skin. My fingers itch to trace the intricate ink patterns, but more than that, I really want to grab my camera from the bag and snap a few dozen photos of this stupidly handsome giant. I won’t, but fuck I want to.
“Are you done eye fucking me?” he asks with a smirk.
“Not in the slightest. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again so I’m committing every inch of you to memory for my spank bank.” I groan inwardly. That was a dumb thing to say. He’s going to think I want him to stay, and I don’t. He had his chance and now he’s reaping the consequences of his actions.
My brows pinch as he pulls out his phone, typing something into it. A nanosecond later my phone rings in my pocket. I fish it out and see it’s a local number, but one I don’t know. I glance between his phone and mine and realize it’s him. He’s calling me.
I nibble on my bottom lip, debating the best course of action, before quickly hitting decline. “Damn telemarketers, calling all hours of the day.”
A growl emanates from his chest, bouncing off the walls around us, and it’s my turn to smirk at the tattooed giant. Only, he’s not deterred. “You’re going to have to try harder than that,” he says and snatches my body to him, kissing me silly. It’s not slow, but nothing with him is. We explore every crevice of each other’s mouths like it’s the first time we’ve done this. The kiss is a claiming, that’s clear by the dominance he exudes. It’s also a bit like coming home, and yet, somehow I know we’re embarking on something wholly new and uncharted.
When he drags his mouth from mine, we’re both breathing rapidly. “I thought you had a no touching without permission rule?” I question, bringing my fingers up to soothe my tingling lips.
“I’ve owned your body since the moment you delayed the flight and sat next to me. Tell me you’ve seen someone else since you got back and I’ll tell you it’s a lie. I can see it in your gaze, you’re hooked on me as much as I am on you.”
Well fuck. But still, he doesn’t get off that easy. “That may be true, but you also dropped off the face of the planet for three months and let me believe you weren’t interested. How am I supposed to trust you now?”
“Listen to your body, it trusts me. It knows I won’t do anything to hurt you again, not unless you beg for it. Your brain and heart will catch up. Give us a chance. I don’t do relationships, but I want to try for you—for us.”
I swallow down the lump of unidentifiable emotions balled in my throat. His words are everything I want to hear, but still, something whispers inside my brain to push him. Test his resolve. “And how would you do this, Mr. Grumpy Pants? I’m not saying yes, just curious about the terms.”
He spins me in a circle and presses my back to his front, brushing the curls away from my neck. “Call me Dante, or sir when I demand it. And I’d start with this,” he whispers, rubbing my shoulders with the perfect pressure to erase some of the tension. His lips find my neck and he peppers hot, open-mouth kisses along my throat. I angle my head to the side, giving him better access to have his way.
“That’s a fantastic start. What else you got?” I sass in a sad attempt to hide how turned on I am.
