Indulgent Pleasures

But it didn’t matter what she did, she could never please them. Especially this one.

They always eventually left her. And she never understood why.

“You’re going to love it, sweetheart. Your nipples will be on fire by the time I’m done with you.” He leaned across the center console and kissed her, his hard lips brutal and unforgiving.

r />

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she said in a sing-song voice but he didn’t get it, it flew right over his head. He was too enraptured at studying the photographs he’d taken one more time, his gaze fixed on the little screen on the back of the large, black digital camera, his mouth tilted upwards in a too-pleased smile.

He’d just gotten everything he wanted while she sat there feeling alone. And so very, very empty.

When would someone give her the things she wanted?

As soon as she got off her ass and went after them.

Chapter Thirty

“I want you to move in with me.”

Stephanie let the spoon she held fall from her fingers, the metal clattering against the granite kitchen counter. The sound rang loudly in the sudden quiet of the kitchen. “Are you serious?”

Justin nodded, taking another drink from his coffee cup. They were eating breakfast at his house the Sunday after their trip to New York. He’d invited her to stay the entire weekend and of course, she’d agreed.

She rarely wanted to spend time away from him, though she had to since she was working and still had her apartment.

“What do you say? Do you want to? What do you think?” He watched her, his eyes alight with hope, his brows raised expectantly.

“But I—I work. I have my job and it’ll take me a while to get downtown in the morning. Plus I have my apartment with my roommate. We’re locked in a lease for another five months.”

“Tell that witch to find another roommate then. She can do it. Help her out. Hell, I’ll help her out.” He laughed since he’d heard a story or two about how awful her roommate could be. “And you can quit your job, you know.”

“Excuse me, did I hear you correctly?” She angled her head and cocked an ear in his direction but his expression didn’t change. He looked one hundred percent serious.

He actually wanted her to quit her job?

“You don’t need to work, Stephanie, not if you’re with me. You move into my house and I’ll take care of you and make sure you have everything you need.”

“But I don’t want to take your money. I have bills to pay, credit card debt. Things you shouldn’t have to take care of.” She couldn’t imagine being some sort of kept woman.

But that’s exactly what Justin was suggesting. Talk about old-fashioned. She couldn’t believe he even made the offer.

“I’ll pay off your credit cards. They can’t be that bad, can they?” Smiling, he reached across the counter to take her hand but she wouldn’t let him.

“Listen, I didn’t ask for a hand out. I don’t want to take your money. I’m not here for that or your fame or whatever else. I’m with you because I want to be with you. Not because I want to live off your payroll.”

“Stephanie.” He forced her to take his hand and he interlaced his fingers with hers, squeezing tight. “I don’t want to give you a handout. I want to take care of you because I’m in love with you. If we continue the way we’re headed well, something more serious is bound to happen and I won’t want you to work at that time anyway. So why not accept it today and we can start our life off truly together?”

Oh, he made it sound so easy and it was easy. For him.

For her, not so much.

“You’re just...you’re moving so fast, Justin. I have a life you know. I just can’t ditch it all to be with you.”

He appeared truly hurt and she instantly felt contrite for saying it. “You’re right, I understand. I need to back off and give you some time.”

“No, don’t back off, please.” She clutched his hand, leaning in close so she could kiss him. He let her though his expression was still pained. “You just need to realize that not everyone has the resources you do to live. I need to make plans, take my time and figure out what’s going to happen next.”

Justin drew in a deep breath and shook his head. “I want you to know that I never act like this. You can ask any of my friends, former teammates, coaches, my poor dead grandmother, anyone who knows me. They’d tell you I’m as cool as a cucumber and I let nothing ruffle me. With the exception of you.” He paused and glanced down at their still connected hands before he continued.