by Joya Ryan
But I can’t…
So he’d bury the notion and the feeling. And he’d stand there, unmoving, simply watching with a vengeance.
Except she kept talking to the asshole. No, not talking, openly flirting. But those emerald eyes stayed on Sebastian. Brushing her hair back, she ran two fingers along her collarbone.
He clenched his teeth.
She smiled and nodded at the cowboy. He left, heading to the bar, likely getting her a drink. Penny continued her trek toward Bass.
“Penelope,” he said when she reached him.
“Why are you sulking over here?”
“Not sulking.” He took a drink and looked her over. Whatever she saw in his gaze made her lick her lips, spurring new fantasies about what he wanted to do with that mouth of hers. “You’re making new friends I see.” He gestured toward the bar where asshole cowboy was.
“Oh, that’s Rob. He seems nice enough. Getting me a drink.”
“I’m sure he is.”
She frowned. “Is there a problem? You seem grouchy. Huck warned me you were in a mood.”
Oh, he was in a mood all right. She brushed her hand along her collarbone again, and Bass had no choice but to watch and wish to hell it was him touching that sweet skin.
“I’m trying to figure out why the hell you’re dressed like that.”
“You don’t like it?” she said, her sarcasm evident in her tone. She glanced down at herself, knowing damn well he liked her outfit. Every man in there did. “What would you dress me in then?”
“That’s not my decision to make.”
“What if it were?”
Whatever she knew about him, she was using it right then. She knew his love of control and how to tempt him with it. He’d dress her all right. In nothing but those heels and restraints on her wrists. He stayed silent, too afraid he might reveal his true thoughts.
“Nothing to say?” she asked. Again, he stayed quiet. “Other than you not liking my outfit, right?”
“Correct.”
“I would expect better lying from an attorney.”
He kept his eyes on her. If that’s how she wanted to do this, he was game. He could play. And he could win. Like he had every other time she’d come at him with attitude.
“Are you trying to get a rise out of me?”
“No,” she said, taking his drink from his hand and swallowing it in one gulp. “I’m trying to get you to admit the truth.”
“And what truth is that?”
She ran her fingertip along the empty glass he held. “That you want me.”
“You think so?”
She nodded. “I saw the way you looked at me.” She leaned in. “The way you’ve been looking at me.”
He took a deep breath. So she was challenging him. This was a game. Like it had been when they played Sardines. She’d call him out, and he’d shut her down.
“You think I want you, darlin’?”
The smile she unleashed was so devilishly sexy he was certain he’d imagined it.
She placed her hands on her hips and looked him dead in the eye. “I know you do.”
Damn, confidence was a good look on her. Made him think for a moment she might be able to handle the hedonist he was deep down.
“Even if you were right, what would your brother say about that?”
“Ryder has nothing to do with this.”
“There is no this.”
She bit her bottom lip. It was more of an insecure gesture than the licking, but it still made his dick hard just watching her teeth nibble the plump flesh.
“S-so, you don’t want me?”
Bass stood there, knowing he should say something. It was one thing to scare her off, but he couldn’t outright lie to her. Did he want her? Hell yes. But he couldn’t say that, either, so he stayed silent.
Something flickered over her face faster than the strobe lights. Her auburn brows furrowed with a look of pissed-off intent.
“Well, that’s fine,” she said. “But I’m going to tell you what I want.”
And the brazen was back in Miss Diamond. He couldn’t help but indulge. “Please enlighten me.”
She lifted her chin. “I want to fuck.”
If he’d been drinking, he would have choked. Before he could say anything, she went on.
“And not just anyone. I wanted to fuck you. But since you’re obviously too busy hiding in a corner, I’ll be on my way to find someone else who will give me what I want.”
“You mean like cowboy Rob who’s waiting to get you a martini and feed you lines about how pretty your smile is?”
On cue, she smiled, and it was more than pretty. It was fucking mesmerizing.
“Yes.” She turned. To leave him. To go to another man. Only this time, he knew what she was looking for. And that set his internal fire to nuclear.
“Penelope!” he yelled over the music, loud enough that her shoulders tensed in shock, but she spun back to face him. There was so much he wanted to do, to say, but he stuck with the truth, no matter how much it sucked. “It would never work.”
She leaned so close that her lips skimmed his earlobe, and tremors raced down his spine.
“No one would have to know.” There was a nervous tremble in her voice.
“That’s the least of my worries, darlin’. You have no idea what I’m capable of. What I’d do to an innocent thing like you.” He sneered the words, because a sick part of him wanted to do every damn thing to her. Everything her lush little body would allow him to do. And when she realized the kind of man he was, she’d run.
“You could show me?” she said. Again, there was a breathy note in her tone. He didn’t go for vanilla girls, but that was the problem. Nothing about Penny struck him as vanilla. Inexperienced, sure. But there was a fire in her that brought out his dark, dominant side. And he wanted to give in to her request so damn bad.
“I’m tired of being innocent.” She raised her chin and finished with, “It’s you who has no idea what I’m capable of.” Her green glare hit him hard, and she strutted that perfect ass away from him and toward the cowboy who, yep, held a martini and waited near the bar for her.
God damn it!
He went to take a drink of his whiskey, only to be hit with an empty glass and the lingering scent of strawberry lip gloss.
She was playing with fire. Fire that he’d had under control until he watched the cowboy cup her hip.
Nope. Not just nope, but hell-fucking-nope was another man touching her.
Whatever prized control he had was flying out the window. He set his glass down on a nearby table and stormed over to her. He didn’t say anything, didn’t acknowledge her shocked expression when he took the drink from her hand and gave it to Asshole Cowboy.
The guy was about to protest, but Bass didn’t give a shit. He grabbed Penny’s hand and tugged her toward the dance floor.
“I’ll be right back,” she called to the cowboy, and Bass just tugged harder, weaving through the mass of gyrating people.
“No you won’t,” he yelled over the thumping music, glancing back at her.
“Where are you taking me?” she said, but he ignored her.
He continued to maneuver through people until he got to the other end of the club. There was a small nook in the corner where shadows encased them, and he pulled her around, then pressed her back against the wall, wedging her into the corner.
He placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her in with his body. He looked down at her, so close their noses brushed.
“You think I sulk in corners?” he said. “You want to tease me on purpose? Flaunt yourself like a treat I can’t have, then tell me you’re capable of handling me?” He shook his head, and her bright green eyes sparkled with anticipation. “I’m set to show you what it is I do to a woman like you in dark corners.”
Her lips parted, and she rose to kiss him, but he jerked back. “Oh no, darlin’. You don’t run this show. I do.”
He pressed his hips agains
t hers and cupped her throat in his palm. There was only one way to end this. He’d give her a glimpse of the man he was, and it’d be enough to make her run away. He’d never hurt her. He’d never hurt any woman, but he was a rough man. And she was the epitome of softness.
With one hand still on her neck, he reached between their bodies and slid his fingers up her inner thigh until they disappeared beneath her skirt.
“What are you doing?” she breathed. Her gaze darted around the club, checking to see if anyone noticed them. But Bass didn’t need to look to know the shadows concealed them.
“You don’t know?” he said. This would be the moment she’d break. She’d see his darkness, and she’d shove him off and run away.
He reached the lace of her panties and stifled a groan. They were wet. His plan of getting her to leave him was shot to hell, because only one thing mattered in that moment.
“Who made you wet?” he growled.
She frowned. “What?”
He moved her panties aside and ran two fingers along her damp slit. “You’re wet,” he said again. “I want to know who caused this.”
And the answer better be him. Because if she said that other asshole’s name, he was likely to go beat the hell out of the prick.
“You did.” She kept her eyes on his but subtly shifted her hips, as if begging him to deepen the contact. “Every time I see you I get…”
She glanced away, and he would have none of it. With his palm still cupping her throat, he used his thumb to flick her jaw, making her face him once more.
“You get what?”
“Turned on.” Her eyes were so penetrating, like she could see right to his damn soul. “The way you look at me, the way you talk to me…all of it makes me hot.”
“What about the way you talk?” he said, sliding his fingers along her sweet spot until she gasped. “You said you wanted to fuck?”
He teased her entrance, pushing only the tip of his finger inside.
“I said I wanted to fuck you.” Her eyes were squeezed shut, her hands flat against the wall behind her. He’d trapped her, and she was submitting. It was so perfect. Like her instinct was to give in to him. And his was to dominate…and cherish.
“Pretty mouth like that shouldn’t say such nasty words.” He bit her bottom lip. “Especially when you may get more than you bargained for.”
“I want it, Bass. I want you.” When he didn’t move, her eyes snapped opened and seared him with another challenging glare. “Stop thinking of me like some fragile doll and—”
He thrust his finger deep and she gasped.
“Is this what you wanted?” He retreated but then returned with two fingers, plunging home again. Feeling her wet heat grip him after he’d spent so many nights imagining this moment was like a dream come to life. “You’re so tight. You can barely handle two fingers.” He kept them there, buried inside, and stirred deep until she was scratching at the wall behind her. “And yet you say you’re not fragile.”
“I’m not!” she moaned between clenched teeth.
“Well, I’m not gentle.” He thrust again, and her sheath clenched around him with the release he was denying her.
Jesus she was responsive. She was already on the brink of coming, and he’d not even done half the things he wanted.
“I like control.” He thrust again. “A challenge.”
She nodded.
“Look at you, trembling against the wall with my hand up your skirt in public.”
Her breasts were ready to spill over the top from her heavy panting, but her brassy attitude remained. “Looks like I’m not so innocent after all.”
“Oh? Is this something you do? Maybe with that fucking cowboy? Would it be him right now instead of me?” He surged his fingers as far as he could and flicked them, rubbing the sensitive spot inside.
Her eyes widened with surprise. She wanted to come. He could see it. Felt it in how she tensed around him. But he denied her. For her game. For her tricks. For his own fucking hate of wanting her so much.
“No…only you. I only want you.”
“Why?” he snapped.
“B-because I trust you.” Her words were so raw and honest, they hit him like a boot to the gut.
She trusted him.
The exact thing he needed when it came to his sexual lifestyle, and yet the last thing he wanted to hear from her. Because she was the one woman who should be running from him, the one woman he shouldn’t want as badly as he did.
He withdrew his hand and stepped back. Her eyes were glossy as they searched his face. He had to get a grip. He had to get out of there. Had to get her out of there.
“I’m taking you back to Diamond,” he said. “Now.”
Chapter Two
After a quick good-bye, Penny was in the front seat of Sebastian’s SUV as he sped down the highway, heading toward their sleepy home town. Thank God their friends were drunk enough not to notice the heat in her cheeks or the crackling energy between her and Sebastian.
He’d been calm, like nothing had happened only seconds ago. He’d told Colt he was taking her home and, being the responsible attorney, made sure everyone had a plan for their own safe way home. All of them were staying in a nearby hotel until tomorrow. Which left her in the front seat, alone with the painfully sexy attorney.
“Are you going to say something?” she asked.
He glanced at her. It had taken all the courage she’d had tonight to pursue him the way she had. But when she’d caught a glimpse of the man he kept hidden, seen all his intensity unleashed, she’d morphed into a woman who would give him anything—everything—he asked for.
“You didn’t act like I expected.”
She frowned. “You were touching me in public. How did you think I’d respond?”
He just stared at the dark road ahead. “Differently,” was all he said.
He looked mad. Had she somehow upset him? No…she’d seen that look before. He wore it every time she got the better of him.
“You thought I’d push you away, didn’t you?” she whispered.
His heavy breath was all the answer she needed. He had formed a plan to get rid of her, and instead, he’d only made himself all the more irresistible.
He might give in to her yet. She just had to push a little harder. Enough to access the man he kept on a tight chain. The man she’d gotten a taste of only minutes ago at the club.
“You’re going to ignore me now? Not say a word?” she asked, crossing her arms, looking out the front window at the spring night. “You had plenty to say earlier. Like how tight and hot I was—”
“That mouth of yours is going to be a problem.”
“Oh, you do speak! The problem is, you say things like that and don’t follow through.”
He took another deep breath, as if holding on to his control by a thread. Heat and strength radiated from him.
She’d spent enough time with him to know how he worked. He was in process mode. Trying to think of what step to take next. Maybe how to put her back in the friend zone. No way she’d let that happen. She’d come too far. Wanted him too much, and she was now convinced he wanted her back.
“While you’re busy being mute over there, why don’t I tell you what I think?” She turned in her seat, resting her left elbow on the headrest. “You obviously have certain preferences when it comes to sex.”
He scoffed. “You have no idea, darlin’. You’re trying to sign up for something you can’t handle.”
“And yet you’re the one who walked away, not me.” She smiled at him, and she was delighted to see a spark in his eyes. Time to ram the challenge home. “Maybe you’re the one who can’t handle it.”
A low growl came from his chest, the intensity in him threatening to explode. Let it. She wanted to see if this intensity carried over to the bedroom. He kept warning her, but how bad could he be?
Whatever he thought, she was determined to make one thing clear: “I’m not weak,” she said.
“I know.
”
“Then why can’t we…”
“I don’t do relationships. Much less with my best friend’s little sister.”
“Ah yes, the notorious two week rule.”
He frowned. “How do you know about that?”
She studied her nails. “I’ve heard things. As you’ve pointed out, Ryder is my older brother, and you two have talked. Besides, it’s obvious. No one has ever seen you with a woman longer than a few appearances here and there.”
“Then you know that this rule is unwavering. Two weeks is it. But you’re not a short-term kind of woman.”
She was tired of being told who she was and wasn’t. And she was tired of him dodging her. “But you had no problem shoving your hand up my skirt.”
He clenched the steering wheel. “You say things that goad me on purpose.”
“Good! Stop pretending to be something you’re not, and stop thinking that I can’t handle your truth. I can. Actually,” she pointed at him, “why don’t you tell me what it is you think I can’t handle? Then I’ll stop defending myself, and you can get over this idea that I’m some weakling.”
“I wouldn’t just fuck you. I’d fuck you hard, in any way I wanted, any time I wanted. I’d tie you up, make you beg, make you scream, and I’d take pleasure every time you did either.” He voice was low and thick and made her skin sting with excitement. “I’d spank your ass, punish that mouth of yours by sinking my cock deep in your throat. And then, when you’re exhausted, panting, aching from the pleasure and certain you can’t take anymore…” His dark eyes snapped to hers. “I’d do it all over again.”
Her mind raced, throwing mental pictures of all the wicked things he’d painted. It was overwhelming and exciting. What he was describing sounded more like the big leagues than the minors she was currently stuck in, but she was ready to be traded up.
Put me in coach, I’m ready to play.
“Now look who’s speechless,” he said with a sly grin, as if thinking he’d just won and scared her off.
“Sorry, I was just imagining all those things you’d described and thinking which one we’d do first.”
That caught him off guard, his dark brows slicing down when he glanced away, obviously wondering if he’d heard her right.
