“No, but I don’t have to listen to you. The reverse isn’t true, considering I’m the one here trying to keep us alive.”
“Then you go. They’re after you. No one wants me anymore.”
I spin and drop the suitcase with a dull thud. “You think no one has an interest in you. The only cousin of Valentina Doubeck. I promise you, everyone and their brother would love to get their hands on you so they can ransom you.” I let my gaze drop to the swell of her breasts, straining the T-shirt. “Or maybe they will just keep you as a toy, a pretty pet for traveling or something.”
She shoves at me, and I’m so surprised I stumble over the suitcase. At the same time, I reach out and grab her by the hips, sending us both off-balance. Once I regain my feet, I’m pressed against her, her curvy body pinned between mine and the wall.
“This is why you don’t push people,” I warn. It’s more of a joke, but tears are shining in her eyes.
“What is it?” I wait for her to answer, but all she does is look away, her body rigid in my hold. As if she’s giving up, giving in, and letting me do what I’ve been dreaming about for months. And I fucking hate it.
I snap my finger in her face and drag her chin forward so I can meet her eyes. “What’s wrong? How many times do we have to go over this? I’m not going to hurt you.”
She sniffles. “You act like you’re going to hurt me. You say you’re going to hurt me. How should I know what you will do or won’t?”
A burn builds in my chest until I’m pressed into her, meeting her eyes. “You think I’d hurt you, is that it?”
Her eyes are still glimmering, but the hard set of her jaw tells me she doesn’t really believe that.
I spin her around and press her face into the cold wall, my hand on the back of her head, my body against the lush curves of her ass. “If I wanted to hurt you, then I’d be in this position. It’s so much easier to control someone.”
She flails her arms out against the wall, trying to get free, but I press in harder, waiting until she stops moving. When she drops her arms, I ease up, but only enough so that I can lean down and look at her face. “What do you see, with me holding you like this? What makes you so crazy you can’t help but fight?”
“Fuck you,” she whispers.
I’ll take it over dead silence and dead eyes any day. “Fuck me is probably not the best thing to say right now, not in this position.”
“Let me go, now,” she says, her voice soft and barbed. Each word sharp enough to cut. Too bad I like her a little violent, a little dangerous, and even a little deadly.
“Are you going to get dressed and pack your shit?” I ask, not altogether sure I want to release her yet, even if she agrees. She feels so good against me, so many curves, and tall for a woman, her head reaching just under my chin. The perfect height to bend over something.
She stays silent, and I can’t help but admire her determination. If only she weren’t exercising it against me.
“Well then, I guess we’ll have to stay here until the men with guns surround us and drag us out of here.” I dip my head and drag a long inhale of her sweet scent. Damn, she always smells so good. Even sweaty, I can’t help but want a taste. I wonder what her sweet pussy will taste like when she’s nice and ready for me.
That thought blasts through me, enough that I realize I’m two seconds from grinding into her. I can’t do that yet. She’s not ready for that, not in this position. At least not until she gives me a little more of that fight I love.
“I’ll step back slowly, and you head to bed and grab your clothes.”
Her voice is calmer now, louder, easy for me to catch. “And if I don’t.”
I shift my hips just the tiniest bit, and it’s enough to send her flailing all over again. “Don’t. Don’t do it, please.”
I grab her chin and tilt her head back enough to look into both her eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you I won’t hurt you? This is me getting your attention. Now get your shit, and let’s go.”
Another glare, but I step away from her, proud of myself for resisting, at least this time. If we keep this song and dance up, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to.
She shoves at my chest, but I’m ready for it and don’t move. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Why do you keep doing that to me? Forcing me into positions you know I hate. You know that makes my skin crawl.”
I give her a long look until she starts to calm down. “Maybe it’s because I hate seeing that haunted look in your eye. I especially hate when you act like you don’t care when I touch you.”
I take a step forward, but she retreats until her back touches the wall. But I don’t cage her in this time. “I’m tired of seeing that look on your face, Rose, and I’m going to help you get rid of it.”
She smirks. “How, by fucking my brains out with your magical dick?”
I catch her chin, tilting it up so I can look at her even though it’s probably uncomfortable. Then surprising us both, I lean down and brush my lips across hers gently. A feather-soft caress, there and gone. “No, but when I’m done with you, I promise you will think my dick is magical for real.”
She narrows her eyes. “Is that a threat?”