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“Save it,” I said, whipping around. I was unprepared for the close-up view of him again. I really hadn’t appreciated how good-looking he was, but if I started focusing on that, I’d lose sight of what was most important, and he’d gain the upper hand. “Does anyone actually buy your brand of bullshit?” I was cut off from saying anything further when he shoved a fistful of cake in my mouth.
Drew laughed as I spluttered, gently pressing his palm against my unbruised cheek, imprinting it with cake and icing. He held his hand in front of my face as I glared at him, struggling to regain my composure. “Lick it. You know you don’t want to waste any of this.”
It was a dare.Jackass. I smiled sweetly and stuck out my tongue. His eyes darkened.Now I’ve got you where I want you. I inched toward his palm, but instead of licking, I bit hard.
Drew hissed, grabbing my hip with his free hand, yanking me into him. “Tigress.” His dirty hand threaded through my hair, which was swept back into a ponytail. “Tell me who the fucker was that took a swing at you. How bad of shape did you leave him in?” He looked proud of me, and more than that, he didn’t see me as some helpless waif who couldn’t take care of herself.
“Unfortunately, he’s in one piece.”
“I’ll have to change that.”
“I hit him where it hurts, so no need.”
His eyes searched mine, hawk-like. I’d already said too much, but damn it, when was the last time someone was ready to take up for me? “I bet you did, Sonya.”
I flinched, his use of my name catching me off guard, but he had called me sugar earlier, and I kept some of my promises.
I prepared to make my move. So what if he’d surprised me in a good way? He still deserved a swift kick in the nuts. But again, he was too quick, catching my leg under my thigh.
“Now, now. I thought we were past that,sugar.”
“Somebody needs to do it.”
“I’ve been hit by a hundred-mile-an-hour pitch. Believe me, nobody needs to do it again.” I frowned. “It happened, and it hurt like a motherfucker.”
“Does it still . . .”Was that survivable?
“Work properly?” His lips were a whisper away from mine. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I don’t give a damn,” I huffed.
“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have asked.” He was everything a woman shouldn’t want, rolled into one bastard of a ridiculously handsome man. Even when he spoke, it was temptation.
“I’m sorry that ball didn’t knock you in the skull,” I said in disgust, trying to move away. It was difficult on one foot.
His cheek almost brushed mine as his lips found my ear. “Keep playing hard to get, Tigress. No one does it quite like you.” He bit my earlobe, winked, and left me standing alone in the kitchen. A straight-line wind, that was what he was. Impossible to see coming and knocking his target flat on its ass.
“Sonya! Something’s burning,” Trish said, rushing back in and thrusting Ella at me so I had no choice but to take her. I held her at arm’s length; this was the first time I’d ever had a baby in my arms. “What happened?” She pulled the cake from the oven and dropped the pan on the counter, giving me an odd look.
“Honestly, I have no idea.”
Chapter Fifteen
Drew
The woman was a magnet.Sometimes we repelled, but most of the time, I was drawn to her even though I knew better. She was bad news. The kind of woman who used men like me to get what she wanted and then spit them out. I knew it, and that still hadn’t stopped me from showing up at Paths of Purpose for the sole purpose of seeing her.
It had been a miserable few days, my mother taking a dive for the worse before making a slight rebound this afternoon. I hadn’t left the care facility since Easton had taken me there. Once she’d gotten a little better, I’d needed to take a break. Not from my mother, but the whole damn situation. Her condition alone made it stressful. Add in the hostility from my family, and it was tense, to say the least. I’d done nothing to dispel the awkwardness.
The harder I shoved Easton away, the further I pushed away the forgiveness he was all too willing to give. He’d been almost eager to, but that diminished with every day that went by. I’d felt isolated from my family for so long, even when surrounded by them, and I was in self-destruct mode. Had been for a long time. There was nearly nothing left of me.
The few minutes I’d spent with the vixen had me in better spirits. I probably should wear a cup over my dick whenever I was around her, given how that knee of hers was determined to connect with my crotch. I’d get her there sooner or later, but the more she denied me, the sweeter the conquest. What I hadn’t decided was how long I’d keep her in my bed. Repeat performances were rare.
Sonya had me by the balls, but I didn’t mind. I was tempted to cut off everything else that had a grip on me like the fucking pipeline that was a sinkhole for money and the new company I’d taken on when I had no interest in it whatsoever. Maybe I could sell it back to my brother. I’d destroyed Carter Energy. That was all I’d wanted. They could take SPE and do whatever they wanted with it. With the damn oil market in the tank, it was a sinkhole for money too, one I’d ignored for nearly a week.
My mother was my priority right now. I shouldn’t have left her at all, shouldn’t have come to see Sonya, but I’d needed a second away to breathe. Now that I’d had it, I felt ready to go back to support her. The facility was within walking distance of Paths of Purpose, which was a good thing, considering I had zero cash. Fresh air on the way over had been good, even if it was colder than hell out. The journey back wasn’t so pleasant. With every step I took, another weight was added to my shoulders. I was tempted to turn around, but Mama needed me. Or maybe I needed her.
Easton was in the upstairs lobby when I arrived, no doubt to play referee for me and Dad.
