Throb

“You aren’t going home tonight.”

“But …”

Cooper stops in place. He takes my face into his hands and speaks. “I won one night. I get the full night.”

“I don’t have any clothes.”

“You won’t be needing them.” He opens the door to his car and leads me in.

“But what about my toothbrush?” I grasp at something. I know it was my decision, but I need a minute to think about the consequences of what I’ve just done.

“You can use mine.”

“But …”

He interrupts me. “Buckle up.”

I pull the seatbelt on and the engine roars to life. I give it one last college try. “I need …”

Cooper cuts me off. Again. “I’m not giving you a chance to change your mind.”

“How do you know I’ll change my mind?”

“Because you already are.”

“I’m n …” I trail off.

He removes his hand from the gear shifter and turns to me. “Look at me.”

“Bossy,” I say under my breath, but he hears it.

“You haven’t even begun to see bossy yet. Tonight I’m going to tell you to do things, and you’re going to do them. When I tell you to open wider, or take my cock deeper, you’re going to listen. You know why? Because since the moment we met, all I’ve wanted to do is make you feel good. Hell, I don’t even need to get off physically. Because I’m going to get off watching you every minute. So, yeah, I’m going to be bossy. Now let’s put the rest of this behind us. Do you want to be with me tonight?”

After that prelude, I nod my head fast. I’m no fool. Who wouldn’t?

The short drive is enough to make me flip-flop twenty times. I’ve never wanted to be with another man more than I want to be with Cooper right now. But I’m being selfish—risking losing—a prize my family needs. With each elimination ceremony, my odds increase. I’m fooling myself by thinking tonight won’t tilt the odds in the other direction. I could get caught. How will I look into the eyes of another man after giving another piece of myself to Cooper tonight? I know this is a bad idea. But then I look over at Cooper and my resolve weakens.

One night … it’s just one night. I can do this. We can do this.

Arriving at his sleek high-rise, Cooper nods to the doorman and whisks me past. His hand at the small of my back, he quickly steers me inside a waiting elevator.

I stare up at the numbers slowly lighting as the elevator painstakingly climbs the floors. Cooper stands quietly behind me, close but not touching—although I can still feel him. Panic sets in as the floors move to double-digit numbers. What the hell am I doing? I take a deep breath and speak low. “This isn’t going to work, you know?”

He’s quiet for a moment before he answers. “Why not?” His hand snakes around my hip, gripping it tightly.

“Because you’re not the type of man who gives in easily.”

He grips my hip tighter. “I’m not giving in.”

The elevator slides to an abrupt stop and the doors slide open. An older couple smiles pleasantly and begins to step toward the car. Cooper says brusquely, “We’re going up.”

“That’s okay. We’ll take the ride up.”

“If you don’t mind, could you wait for the next one?” He pushes the button to the top floor, even though it’s already lit.

“That was rude,” I say as the doors slide closed on the confused couple.

Cooper turns me, searching my face. He ignores my comment, still completely focused on our conversation before the elevator dinged. “Is that what you think I’m doing? Giving in?”

In the dim, confined space, the green in his eyes look almost grey. The intensity of his stare scares me a little, but sucks me in at the same time. “You want more than one night, but you agreed to tonight only.”

“That’s not giving in, Kate.”

“It’s not?” I’m almost afraid to ask.

He shakes his head slowly. A sinister smile quirks at his sexy lips. His know-it-all attitude pisses me off, yet turns me on. But it’s the pisses-me-off part that flows from my mouth. “You asked me out. I said no. We agreed to one night. Isn’t that giving in?”

“No.”

I take an exaggerated, frustrated breath and roll my eyes. “Okay then. Enlighten me. What do you call it?”

His eyes darken and his face lowers to align with mine. “This isn’t giving in. This is staking my claim. I’ll send you back to him tomorrow if that’s what you want. But you won’t be able to sit without thinking of me for a week. Every time your sexy ass touches down, you’ll be reminded of what it feels like with me buried deep inside you. Your bones will ache from the relentless pounding I plan to deliver.”

Despite my irritation at how full of himself he is, my mouth drops open and body buzzes at the visual he’s planted in my head. Cocky arrogance or not, the man has a way of setting my body on fire.

“I’d rather not send you back tomorrow. But get one thing straight right now, Kate. I’m not giving in. I’m meeting you halfway. And you can be damn straight agreeing to one night won’t stop me from trying to take the rest of what you don’t give tonight.”

The elevator car glides to a stop, reaching the top floor. The ease of his manners is so starkly different from the seduction of his voice. “Shall we?” The doors slide open and he leisurely extends his arm to the looming double doors marked Penthouse. I get the feeling that I’m about to step through the wardrobe. And the lion is right behind me.