Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 164838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
“You don’t own me! I can do whatever I damn well want!”
My heart pounded as I gave in to the possession, the obsession. “Try me and see what happens.”
“Okay, fine. Let’s see what happens. Tell you what, I’ll go out right now and find a guy to do what you refuse to do, and you can damn well watch.”
“Last warning.” My voice resembled tar and gravel. “I’m not in the mood to fight with you.”
“Well, I am. I’ve been in the mood ever since you first touched me!”
“I need you to go inside. Right now.”
“More demands, huh? Alright, two can play at that game.” Stepping toward me, she hissed, “What I need is for you to come here and kiss me.”
My cock almost crawled out of my black slacks.
I shook and shattered and clung to the last shreds of my self-control. “I don’t come on command.”
“You sure about that? Pretty sure you came last time.”
“Careful—”
“No, you be careful.” Her smile was nasty. “Just go away, alright? Your threats won’t work because I know they’re empty.”
I went fatally still. “You don’t think I’ll punish you for putting your life in danger?”
Stop right now.
This wasn’t safe.
The doctor in me screamed to end this. This fight careened toward one conclusion. A conclusion that would scramble all her healing and leave me as the guy who hurt her.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Actually, I think you’re repressed and afraid and would rather walk away than let yourself go.”
“I let go, and this won’t end well.”
She sniffed with arrogance. “For you, probably. But for me, I’ll get what I’ve been begging for all along.”
It was my turn to quake and burn and yearn.
My thoughts turned black. If I gave in, this wouldn’t be nurturing and nice. I wouldn’t be able to give her sweet and soft. Fucking her when I was this angry would be like a physiotherapist allowing his patient rehabbing from a broken leg to enter a marathon.
It’ll break her all over again.
“Go inside, Lori. Lock the door.”
She smiled with a terrible little grin. “Nope. You know what? I’m going to do exactly what I said and find a man who’s willing to follow through on his threats.” Spinning away, she flounced toward the back door. “See ya.”
My teeth cracked I clenched so hard.
What the fuck are we doing?
This didn’t even make sense.
“You dare approach another guy, and I call in all my debts.”
She turned back to face me slowly. “What’s that supposed to mean? Debts? What debts?”
I tried to stop words from forming.
I did my best to be better.
I failed.
My boot-encased feet thudded toward her as the politeness and professionalism I’d clung to all my life cracked piece by piece. “Did you honestly think I’ve been keeping you safe all this time for free?” I cocked my head. “That I’ve invested so many hours into making sure you were whole again just so another man could have you?”
Fuck, what are you doing?
Her eyes bugged, desire pooling like blue addiction. “W-What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that you are mine. If you want a man—an undeserving man who might hurt you, use you, and disrespect you—then I suppose that man will have to be me.”
She gulped and backpedalled toward the door.
I waited to see fear. To see panic. All I saw was her chest heaving and lips glistening and her surrendering to everything that I’d promised.
I hunted her. Slowly. “Where are you going? Suddenly afraid?”
She scrambled for words. “O-Of course not. I’m not afraid of you.”
“Good. Then come here and prove I’m the only man permitted to touch you.”
Her nose stuck up. “I’m not yours, you jerk. I’m my own person. I’m—”
“You might think that, but you’re not. You’re mine, Sailor Rose. And you owe me for every night you made me hard watching you through the window. You owe me for every morning you made me fall in love with you watching you in the garden. You owe me for every smile and touch and moment. You’ve driven me insane. You’ve turned me into someone I don’t even recognise. And I’m done. You want to see me snap? Congratu-fucking-lations. You’re about to get your wish.”
“H-How do you know my full name?”
Black spots in my eyes.
Faintness over my thoughts.
Fuck, I just slipped. I should apologise. I needed to get a grip on myself and stop being this asshole.
But…I’d given in.
There was no going back.
“You know what?” I bared my teeth. “I’m done with this.” Stepping into her, I grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her over my shoulder. Spanking her ass, I stalked toward the back door and sidestepped the orange kitten chasing us.
“Put me down!” She pummeled my back. “X, what the hell?”
I couldn’t talk.
I literally couldn’t string two words together.
I was too afraid, too annoyed, too worked up. I shook my head and spanked her again. Not hard but not gentle either.