Rose Shannon wrapped her arms around me and she kissed me back, a small moan escaping her mouth as I invaded it with my tongue. I was going to take what I wanted. I was tired of playing around. Tired of this game that we were both engaged in. No one was winning, and I was frustrated as hell.
The rock hard cock pressing against her dress and up against her thigh was proof of it. She had me all kinds of twisted and I wasn’t going to let it stand. Not tonight.
“You done giving me what for?” I asked as I pulled away, her lips still parted, her eyes still shut. “Because I want to take you back to my place and show you exactly what I have in mind for the rest of the night.”
“Back to your place?” she asked as she hesitated.
“What, did you think we were just going to end this here?” I asked as I snatched the keys out of the valet’s hand.
“Damn,” he said low in appreciation. I almost laughed. Damn was right, kid.
I had everything I wanted, and I was going to make sure that this night didn’t end the wrong way.
“I didn’t realize you’d bought the place,” I said as he pulled into the driveway of the little house on the corner of Third Street and Route Three-Twenty-Two. It was the cutest storybook house in the entire town, one that I’d told him I adored a lifetime ago.
It felt like a lifetime.
It was where I dreamt everything was wonderful, and everything was easy. I’d imagined a small garden in the back and a little patio for entertaining.
But those were the days when I thought I might want to live in Laurel. Where I thought I might end up like everyone else who’d ever grown up here. Stuck in the small town with nowhere to go.
Denver changed all of that. School changed all of that. I didn’t have a storybook fairytale waiting for me. Except for the big bad beast I was running from.
He wasn’t the kind who would turn into a prince either.
“I bought it as soon as it came on the market. You made it seem so ideal, and it is close to the office,” he said as he opened the door and walked around his car to open mine.
“You didn’t want something more flashy?” I asked as I looked it over. It was modest by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still so cute.
“I don’t need anything expensive like that, Rose. I never did. I like to have pretty things though.” It was then that he grabbed me and pulled me into his arms, “you are about as pretty as they get.”
He threaded his fingers through my hair and looked into my eyes, his own filled with lust.
Damn, this man was sexy as hell. And he had me right where he wanted me. There was nothing I could do to stop it.
I knew what was coming next but to say I was prepared for it would’ve been a lie. I clung to him as he kissed me and opened the door to his home.
I wish I could say I saw the inside, but as soon as he scooped me up and pulled me up the stairs I was in the bedroom and I’d forgotten anything except his face. And the strong arms wrapped around me.
“You aren’t getting away from me again, Rose. Not tonight,” his voice was barely above a whisper, all the gravel in it sending tingles down my spine. He was so handsome, so charming. I couldn’t fight him off forever.
I didn’t want to.
He wound me up like a toy. He could use me any way he wanted to. I wasn’t going to protest. Not this. Not him.
I pulled Wyatt’s suit jacket off and kissed his neck, sinking my teeth into him, just a little bit, just barely. Enough to make him moan. I dug my nails into his back and that’s when he grabbed me, chuckling.
“Oh, you want to play it rough, do you Rose?” he asked.
Wyatt wasn’t the kind of man who backed away from a situation. No, he took it and he escalated it, which was exactly what I wanted him to do.
He wasn’t gentle as he grabbed my arm and threw me into the hallway, pinning me against the closest wall. I loved the way he made me feel when he pinned me down. I didn’t want to get away, but I couldn’t even if I tried. He was on me in an instant, his mouth grinding against mine, the feel of him against me. He was hard as hell and I couldn’t help but notice that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him.
He wasn’t the one pretending. I was. But I couldn’t keep up the illusion. Not with him so close to me, his lips on mine. Not with his body calling my body’s bluff.
I had a losing hand, and no amount of bravado would turn that around.
“I like to play to win,” I admitted as I kissed him again.
I was so bold. This was the version of me that I missed. The one I’d left in Denver with my heart. I wanted to say it was the alcohol talking, but I’d barely had any. Just a white wine with that amazing dessert.