Caged (Mastered 4)

“No. But I get damn sick of protein shakes.”

She drizzled a mix of salsa and ranch dressing over her salad greens.

“Do you always eat like that?” Deacon asked.

“I do now. Once upon a time I would’ve ordered two chimichangas covered in cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. I would’ve knocked back two alcoholic drinks, and I’d have finished the meal with a sopapilla sundae.” She sipped her water. “I make better choices now.”

Deacon gestured to his plate with his fork. “I hear ya. Maddox had me drop ten pounds. It’s tough to cut weight.”

“I used to fluctuate ten pounds in a week. You look amazing at any weight.”

He scowled.

Note to self: not so much with the compliments.

They ate in silence for a while.

Then she said, “Since Maddox discouraged you from pursuing me before, will you tell him about us being together now?”

“He already knows.” Deacon scooped rice into his mouth.

“What do you mean he already knows? Did you text him from the bathroom or something?”

“No. I talked to him on Sunday.”

Molly set down her fork. “Before you talked to me?”

“Yep.”

“You were so sure that I’d throw myself into your arms and let bygones be bygones that you told your trainer we were—happening?”

Then it hit her. Isn’t that what you did? Deacon blows in, acting sweet, sexy, and sorry, and immediately you’re on board with starting a relationship with him?

She needed to get out of here and look for her brain and her backbone. “Excuse me.”

Before she blinked, Deacon was on her side of the booth, blocking her in. “You don’t get to run off when you’re pissed at me. You’ll stay and fight.”

“Even if I want to scream in your face?”

“Even then. So let fly, babe. I promise I can take it.”

“You are so cocky! Did it ever occur to you that I might’ve accepted your apology, then shut the door in your face so I could move on from whatever fucked-up thing this has been in the past or what it might become?”

He shook his head.

She wanted to smack him for his presumption. She wanted to cry because he’d been dead-on in making that assumption about her. Was she that easy to read? Was she that . . . desperate-looking?

Deacon gripped her jaw, forcing her to look at him.

“Let go.”

“Am I hurting you?”

“I can’t move with the choke hold you’ve got me in.”

“That’s the point.”

Her gaze moved all around the table as she avoided his eyes.

“Molly,” he said sharply. “Am. I. Hurting. You?”

“No.”

“Listen to me. Look at me.” He leaned closer. “Even if you would’ve slammed the door in my face tonight, I would’ve come back tomorrow. And every day after that until you let me in. I didn’t give Maddox a date when we’d be together. I just knew I’d do whatever it took to make sure it happened. Whatever. It. Took. Understand?”

That soothed the sting a bit. “Yes.”

“Good.” He pressed his lips to hers and dropped his hand. “I’m relentless in getting what I want. And I want you. I’ve wanted you for a long damn time.” His eyes gleamed. “And you’re wrong about something else.”

“What’s that?”

“That men don’t have fantasies about you. You never noticed how hard my dick was in class whenever you reached up to adjust the chains on the heavy bag?”

“Ah, no.” She paused. “Why?”

“I imagined chaining your wrists above your head and keeping your back against the heavy bag as a cushion for how hard I wanted to pound into you.”

Molly clenched her thighs together.

Deacon placed a soft kiss on the corner of her jaw. “My woman likes dirty talk.”

“Uh. Yeah.” She traced the thick vein on the inside of his arm. “Thank you. I get the you’re so sweet a lot.”

“When I look at you, sweet ain’t the first word that comes to mind.”

“What word comes to mind?” Please don’t say full-figured or curvy—both euphemisms for fat.

His low-pitched snarl startled her. “Whatever popped into your head just now, get it out. I never wanna see that look on your beautiful face again—understand?”

Deacon really thought she was beautiful?

“Did you hear me?”

She managed a half shrug. “Easier said than done when it’s been ingrained in me for years.”

“By who?” he demanded.