She pops up to dump the towels into the dryer. “Sorry. I just thought I’d help.” She closes the dryer door and sets the machine. When she turns around to look at me, I see that I’ve upset her.
“Goodnight,” she murmurs, but I can’t let her leave thinking that I’m upset.
Hard as hell and hornier than I’ve ever been, but I never upset with her. I reach out and grab her wrist, dragging her to me. “I’m sorry I’m a dick.”
I snake my hand around her jaw, my thumb rubbing across her chin.
“I’ve been messing up your world, so I get it.” She softly attempts to pull away, but the fight really isn’t in her. I hold her close, looking down into her soft, light eyes.
“You’re making it hard, but it’s insanely fucking better. Goodnight, beautiful.” I brush my lips across hers, gently before letting her go and walking away to my room.
“Fuck,” I muttered to myself, taking off my clothes and heading to bed. I need a cold shower, but I don’t even have towels to dry off. Luckily I’m home for the day, but that doesn’t help the damn hard cock. Closing my eyes, I attempt to go to sleep, but it’s only eight. Shit. I slip on some joggers and head into the living room to watch a movie. This is going to be a long night.
Chapter 4
Mary
I don’t have any idea how I made it through the night. I heard him leave his room shortly after I got in bed, but I never heard him come back. I wonder if he left the house or slept on the sofa, but I’d been too afraid to look. Damn it. I don’t know how I’m going to get to work, and I’m afraid to even see him. The man is so gorgeous and sweet. He has to be over six three at the very least with broad shoulders to match. I nearly keeled over, seeing him with sleeves rolled up, cooking. Everything from his thick almost-black hair down to his sexy thighs made me melt.
I’ve found men attractive before. I even tried dating when I first got to college, but I couldn’t let myself go all the way. It’s not like I intentionally saved myself or anything, I just never found someone worthy, even temporarily, to give my virginity. Hell, so far every Steele Rider I’ve encountered was handsome. How that ratio is possible, I don’t know, but then again, I’ve only met like four of them so far. Now, Beast, on the other hand, is sure as hell looking like hands down the winner, but that’s just the lusty way he looks at me. “It’s just pure lust,” I remind myself.
A knock at the door startles me. “Mary, would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, please. I’ll be there in one minute.” God, I swear I don’t know how I’m going to manage if he kisses me again. Better yet, how will I manage if he doesn’t? Damn that kiss. How could I forget something so perfect—panty-melting, soul claiming kiss. This is all confusing. For the first time since the incident, I completely forgot about the threat to me.
Finally, I get myself under control and step out of the room. Beast isn’t in the hallway which gives me a brief moment to steel my emotions. When I reach the living room, he’s on the phone with someone so I move toward the kitchen to let him talk while I grab my coffee, but I turn to leave and steal a glance at his ass.
“No, I need you to get this trial over with. I’m not a fucking babysitter, Spencer.” I gasp, doing my best to maintain my control because I want to cry. That’s what he thinks of me. I understand, and now I’m going to do my best to keep my distance. I can’t just go anywhere, but at least I can avoid him. Maybe I can get some books from Crystal like she offered. I walk into the kitchen and lean against the counter, trying to think of my next move.
He comes into the kitchen a little tenser than earlier. “I’m going to drop you off at Panhandles,” he grumbles, moving past me to pull out two coffee mugs. I’d been so lost in his painful words that I forgot all about the coffee.
“You don’t have to do that.” Apparently, I’m already a burden to him, so I need to just get on with making the break.
“Actually, I have to do it because you don’t have a car and it’s not safe for you to go by yourself.” He’s more irritated by the second.
“Sorry, I can ask Boomer if there’s a small apartment in town near the bar.” It would be easier if I could stay somewhere closer to the bar and away from Beast.