Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Explain why you think I should have never kissed you?”
I frown, trying to figure out what he’s talking about. It takes me a minute to realize what I said before he went crazy. I shake my head. “Because it has changed things. You’ve made me nervous about being around your parents. I don’t want them to get the wrong idea about us.”
“Wrong idea?” he prompts, his voice tight and very controlled.
I scrunch up my face and rub my temple, trying to figure out how I keep setting him off. I don’t have a doubt in my mind that he’s angry about my reply. I’m feeling like I need to walk on eggshells around him. “Exactly. I mean, we’re just—”
“Just what?”
“We’re—”
“I’d be very careful with how you respond here, Thea.”
“The way you keep interrupting me, I’m not sure I’ll bother responding. You seem to know everything already,” I snap.
“I love it when you get pissed. So much fire inside of you, Gorgeous. I love that I’m going to be the man to own it.”
“You’re being a little overconfident, aren’t you?”
“Not in the least. Now, back to our discussion.”
“I don’t remember what we were talking about,” I lie.
“Then let me refresh your memory,” he hums, his voice dropping down an octave. He sounds way too sexy for my peace of mind. “I was telling you, I’m going to be doing a lot more than kissing you. It may seem soon to you, but I don’t give a damn. I’ve had a small taste of you, and I want more.”
“What about what I want, Dom?” I huff, feeling exasperated.
“You want me.”
“I—”
“Go ahead, sweetheart, deny it. I want you to. You do, and I’ll have to prove you’re lying. I can’t tell you how much I want to do exactly that.”
“Maybe I do want you, but it’s just hormones. It’s not like you and I have fallen deeply in love. We barely know one another. It has just been a while for me and you…”
“What about me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re just trying to prove you can move on from Gabby. You can’t deny that both of us have been through the ringer lately.”
“So, that’s what you think is going on with us? I’m licking my wounds and getting over Gabby by trying to be with you?”
Shit. How do I answer that?
Chapter 23
Dom
“So, that’s what you think is going on with us? I’m licking my wounds and getting over Gabby by trying to be with you?” I ask, frustrated as fuck.
“Well, aren’t you?” she gripes, as if it is all just a foregone conclusion.
“Damn, sweetheart, I never knew you were blind.”
“What?”
I put pressure on her hips while pushing up against her. I grind her sweet pussy against the unyielding outline of my cock. I’m so fucking hard that it is a wonder that I don’t rip out of my jeans. I know she can feel me—I would have known it even if a moan hadn’t escaped her lips.
“I’m thinking about only you when we’re together, Thea.”
“Dom—”
“Are you telling me you’re thinking of your asshole ex or of Raze when we’re spending time together?”
“I don’t think—”
“Just tell me and don’t lie. I want the truth from you. I want honesty between us always. I’ve had enough lies to fill my gut for a fucking lifetime. Do you think of other men when you’re with me?”
“What would you do if I said yes?” she whispers, her gaze avoiding my eyes.
Reluctantly, I move my hand from her hip and caress the side of her neck, applying enough pressure so that she finally focuses her attention on me. “If you tell me that and it’s the truth, I’ll accept it. I won’t like it, but I’ll stop pushing for more. We’ll just be family.”
“And if I said no?”
“Are you saying no?”
Her teeth come down on her lower lip, worrying it as she looks at me. I know she’s weighing over her options. Honestly, she doesn’t have a choice. I know she wants me. I can’t allow her to run from me—no matter what I just told her. I won’t stop fighting for her to see what I already do. The two of us are going to be together. After Gabby, I never thought I'd want another woman. I sure as hell didn’t expect something as explosive as Thea and I. Shit, what I’m feeling for her is more than the emotions I had for Gabby that I thought was love.
Well, that’s not exactly true. Early on, what I felt for Gabby was strong and true. Over time, it began to fade, but I felt like that was partly my fault. I kept us hidden. Now that I know I was being played through most of our relationship, my guilt for that has lessened. Thea wouldn’t ask me to keep anything private. She would drag my ass in front of whoever might cause us problems and confront things head on. She would do exactly what I had been wanting to do all along. I allowed Gabby to use the worry I had over T—the worry I’ve always had—and amplify it. I let her play me. I know I did. I’m not blameless. I should have had the balls to confront the situation. Christ, there’s a part of me beginning to realize that I let it go on as long as I did because I was already questioning my relationship with Gabby.