Seven #2
“No, I did not.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” I let out a breath. “So, these other guys…did you—”
“I fucked them and forgot them, J. End of story.”
“Really. Simple as that?”
“Simple as that.”
“Did you use protection?”
“No, J, I just fuck around without a condom,” he snapped irritably, shooting me a look like I was an idiot.
“Sorry. It was just a question.”
“A stupid one,” he qualified, still scowling.
“Okay, now I know.”
“Like I would ever do that with some stranger.”
I smiled down at the table because he was so indignant.
“I didn’t spend the night with any of them.”
I couldn’t have said anything if I’d tried.
“And you?”
I took a breath. “What?”
“Don’t be an idiot, answer the goddamn question.”
I took a deep breath. “After you left, I basically pined for a year, and then, when I was sure you weren’t coming back, I—”
“You knew I was—”
“I’m sorry, am I answering a question or not?”
Sharp exhale. “G’head.”
“Well, once I gave up on you, I was a little messed up. I slept with a lot of guys.”
He nodded. “And then what?”
“Then for a while there was Aaron.”
“Uh-huh. Who else?”
“No one worth mentioning.”
His eyes were dark. Clearly, he didn’t like my number of conquests. “Where did you meet Aaron Sutter?”
“Why do you care?”
“Just answer the question.”
“When I was working at Barrington. Dylan and I did some work for his company.”
“What does he do?”
I shook my head. “You know who he is and what he does.”
He glanced away from me.
“Don’t you?”
“Yeah I know.”
“I knew you did.”
“Huh. And so what?”
“You know the story. He wanted me to move in, wanted me to travel with him, just go places with him and be around.”
“He wanted to be your sugar daddy.”
“No.” I shook my head. “He wanted me to be his partner.”
“But?”
“But it was too soon. I wasn’t ready.”
“It was nine months in, J. When were you gonna be ready?”
“His question exactly.” I smiled lazily, pushing my half-eaten piece of apple pie away from me before I jolted in realization.
“The hell was that?”
“Nine months? How did you know I was with Aaron Sutter for nine months?”
He didn’t answer.
“Sam Kage.”
“Maybe I checked,” he muttered.
“And?”
“That’s all. You saw me that time on the street, I might’ve seen you a few times as well.”
“We were both scared.”
He nodded. “Tell me more about him.”
“Why?”
“I want to hear why it didn’t work.”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
I did, and Sam knew me too well to not get it out of me. “He wanted me to be a certain way, and I didn’t feel like changing just to please him.”
“Nobody can change anybody else; it’s not possible.”
We were in complete agreement on that one point.
“Was he good in bed?”
I groaned. “How is that your business?”
“Was he?”
“Yes.” I answered far too quickly.
His grin was instant and evil as he stared at me with heavy-lidded eyes. “You lie. He didn’t do it for you at all.”
“You have no idea what you’re even—”
“The hell I don’t.” He almost cackled, leaning forward, pointing at me. “I bet he was one of those gentle, considerate guys, huh, J. The kind who asks what he can do first. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“Aaron was—”
“Lousy in bed,” he crowed, getting up only to take a seat beside me in the booth.
“Go back over there,” I grumbled, pushing on his chest, trying to get him to move.
His thigh was pressed to mine, and he leaned against me, his warm breath on the side of my neck, his lips hovering over my skin.
“He was the sensitive type, huh, J?”
“Yes,” I snapped at him, trying to scoot over. “And a lot of guys get off on that.”
“I’m sure that’s true,” he said, letting his voice drop to almost a whisper as he slid his hand down over my groin. He cupped me through my dress pants, and I sucked in a breath. “But you don’t, baby. You like it when I hold you down and do whatever the hell I want.”
“I like it when you’re gentle,” I corrected him, even as I pushed up into his hand and tipped my head so he could reach my neck.
“You like it gentle after, but first you like to be manhandled and wrestled down onto the bed. Being thrown up against walls, pinned there, done hard—you crave that, and I know, ’cause I’m the one who gets off on doing that to you.
Any guy who ain’t strong enough to physically force you to do what he wants doesn’t stand a chance of being in your bed for long. ”
“No, I—”
“You need a guy that can overpower you, J, plain and simple.”
“You think you know me so well.”
He kissed up the side of my neck to behind my ear. When I shivered, he laughed at me. “I do know you, and Aaron Sutter can kiss my ass. I’m the only one that can give you what you need. Tell me I’m wrong.”
I kept quiet.
“See?” he said, biting the side of my neck before he kissed it hard. “There’s only me for you.”
I wanted to climb into his lap, but we were in the middle of a restaurant. “Take me home.”
“Okay,” he said, his voice husky and deep. “Tell me first… Can I keep you?”
“I already said yes.” I smiled at him as he pulled his wallet from the breast pocket of his leather jacket and took out two twenties.
I watched him get up and stand beside the table.
He looked really good, and I had told him so when he met me at the bar in the restaurant hours ago.
In his black jeans and boots, white T-shirt under a dark brown cashmere sweater, and leather jacket, he was stunning.
You saw how big he was; tall, with his broad shoulders, lean hips, and long legs.
The sweater was tight, clinging to all the defined muscles in his arms and chest.
“Hey.”
My eyes moved from the bulging biceps back to his face. “What?”
“Focus, willya?”
“I am.”
“I need you to say stuff.”
“Like what?”
“I need you to say that even though it’s fast, it’s okay. Say you’re gonna stick around,” he said, his gaze locked on mine. “Say you’ll wear a ring if I get you one.”
I licked my lips and noticed how his attention was drawn there, to my mouth. The man definitely had it bad for me. “Sam, you—”
“Please, J.” He cleared his throat, his voice dropping lower. “It’s making me sick thinkin’ about you having doubts about us.”
I sighed deeply, standing up beside him. “I don’t have any doubts.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I’ll expect you to be around until you aren’t anymore.”