“The cabinet to the right of the sink.” My voice sounds frail and I hate that he can hear exactly what he’s doing to me but it’s like he pulls me in and holds me hostage. A part of me is screaming to run away from this but the fire in his eyes is too beautiful, too intriguing to look away. Even with the certainty I’ll get burned.
When he finally turns toward the kitchen to retrieve the glasses, I suck in a breath and press the back of my fingers to my cheek to cool down before walking over to the island and sinking onto the barstool. Turning back, he sets a wine glass on the counter and pours a generous amount for me before popping the top off a beer.
“Trying to get me drunk?” I ask, arching a brow and he grins.
“It couldn’t hurt.”
I snort out a laugh as he slides the glass over and I grab it, taking a sip.
“Nice place,” he murmurs, his gaze drifting over to the living room before coming back to me and my lip curls in disgust as I glance over at my ostentatious living room.
“I guess.”
He scoffs and arches a brow. “What? Not good enough for you, Princess?”
“Princess?” I spit back at him, standing from my barstool so I can throw his ass out of my house. He doesn’t know anything about me and I will not sit here and listen to him make fun of me for an apartment I don’t even like.
His eyes widen and he holds his hands up. “Whoa. I didn’t mean anything by it, I swear.”
The sincere look on his face convinces me and I sit back down, taking a long sip of my wine.
“I’m sorry. The apartment is a touchy subject for me.”
“And why’s that?”
My mouth pops open and I almost tell him everything about my Mother and her… “habits” before I stop myself. This thing with him, whatever it is, has gotten out of control and I need to rein it back in. The problem is that throwing him out of my house and never seeing him again sounds just as unpleasant as trying to have an actual relationship with him. I take a sip of my wine, savoring the flavor before turning to him.
“I have to say, I wouldn’t have pegged you for a wine guy.”
“I don’t know much but my stepdad, Jerry, taught me a few things and I kind of wanted to impress this woman who seems intent on avoiding me.”
My cheeks burn and I stare into my glass, my mind at war over everything he says.
“Stepdad?” I ask, curious about who he is underneath all this cockiness and humor.
He nods. “Yep.”
“What happened to your dad?”
“No idea. I’ve never met him.”
“Oh. Sorry.” My mind blanks and I don’t know what else to say to him. His comment seems personal and personal is dangerous. God, what am I thinking asking him a question like that?
“What are you sorry for?”
I shrug, barely able to meet his eyes without imagining his lips against mine. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You’re not prying. Ask me anything you want to. I figure once you get to know me a little, you won’t be able to resist me.”
Despite the warning bells ringing in my head, I smile. “Someone’s awfully full of themselves.”
“Or confident.”
I shrug, looking away from him because his gaze calls out to me, urging me to lean into him. “Sounds like the same thing.”
“Yeah, but one makes me a douche and the other makes me endearing.”
I choke on my wine as a laugh bubbles out of me and he grins, grabbing the towel laying next to the sink and offering it to me. I dab my chin before setting it down in front of me and looking up at him.
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem. I like your laugh.”
I turn away from him to hide my blush. When was the last time a guy paid enough attention to even notice my laugh? When was the last time I cared?
“You know, I may not know anything about wine, but I have other talents,” he prompts and I turn back to him, brow arched.
“Such as?”
“I can bake.”
The laugh bubbles out of me before I can stop it and I shake my head. “No, you cannot.”
“Yes, I can.” He laughs and I take a sip of my wine, studying him. Who is this guy?
“Did an ex teach you?”
“Nope. I spent a lot of time with Logan and his grandparents. His grandma was the one that taught us.”
“I’m sorry,” I reply, shaking my head. “I just can’t see it.”
He sets his beer down and looks around the kitchen. “Where’s your pantry? I’ll prove it to you.”
“Over there.” I point across the kitchen. “But the only thing you’ll find in there is popcorn and my secret candy stash.”
The beer bottle scrapes across the counter as he picks it back up. “Guess I’ll have to bring over ingredients next time and wow you with my prowess in the kitchen.”
“Prowess, huh?” I mutter, laughing and he nods.
“Don’t pretend like it doesn’t turn you on,” he teases. My heart stutters in my chest as I’m torn in half by indecision. Drawing air into my lungs, I square my shoulders and meet his gaze. Someone needs to get control of this situation before things spiral out of control and I wind up hurt.
“If we’re going to do this, I have rules,” I blurt out, but he takes it in stride, nodding as he takes a sip of beer.
“Okay. Let’s hear ‘em.”
“First off, this thing between us is casual. It will never be anything more than just sex and this can’t go any further if that’s a problem for you.”
His jaw ticks and he nods. “Anything else?”
“I don’t care if you’re sleeping with anyone else, but I absolutely will not be your side piece so if you’ve got a wife or a girlfriend, you need to leave now.”
He sets his beer down on the counter and slowly stalks over, the sound of his boots on the floor amplifying my heart rate. Standing in front of my stool, he spins it so I’m facing him as the air is yanked from my lungs. “Is that all?” he whispers.
“Yes.” My voice is rough and a little needy, something he picks up on immediately as his eyes flash with triumph as he brushes his thumb over my cheek.
“Okay, then I have a rule of my own.”
Oh, shit.
No one has ever flipped the script on me like this or ever challenged me like he does. In this moment, I should back away from him instead of leaning into his touch and it drives me crazy.
“What is it?”
He smiles. “If we’re sleeping together, you don’t sleep with anyone else.”
Shaking my head, I pull back. “That sounds an awful lot like a relationship.”
His only response is to pull me up off of my stool and press my back against the island as he claims my lips in a kiss that will forever be seared in my mind. One arm wraps around the small of my back as the hand on my cheek dives into my hair, controlling the kiss and intensifying my need. A moan slips out of my mouth as he flicks his tongue against the seam of my lips, demanding access. I have no power, giving him everything he wants without even a hint of a fight.
When he finally pulls away, I’m gasping for air and he presses a couple more quick kisses against my lips. “Say yes,” he whispers and goose bumps race along my flesh.