"No." I clutch tight to him, as if I can make him believe the truth simply by holding tight to him. "God, Dallas, no. You can't believe that."
"I don't," he assures me. "Not anymore." I feel the rise and fall of his chest as he gathers himself. And then, very gently, he tilts my chin up so that I am looking right at him. "But you do."
"What? No, I don't." I'm shocked he could even think such a thing. I know that what the Woman did to him was torture, even if he hasn't told me all of it yet. And there is no way in hell that I would ever believe he wanted it just because she got him hard, made him come. "I don't believe that at all."
"And yet you thought I wanted Fiona."
It actually takes me a moment to figure out what he means, but the moment I do, the only thing I can say is, "Oh."
I'm mortified. I'm ecstatic. And I'm desperately relieved.
I'm also pretty damn confused. "But if you don't want her, then why did you invite her into your bed when you knew I was coming?"
"Our bed," he corrects. "And I didn't."
I raise my brows. After all, the woman is right across the hall, naked between his sheets.
He chuckles and drags fingers through his hair. "Jesus, Jane--do you really think that I set this up? That I want to share you?"
"But you said--" I frown, because just a few minutes ago he'd lashed back at me, reminding me that I'd promised to go anywhere with him.
"Well, you pissed me off," he admits, then drags me to him and kisses me hard. "I want you, you little idiot. I don't want her. And I'm not going to say it again--I didn't invite her."
I believe him, but I don't answer for few seconds anyway, simply because I want to savor the truth of his words.
Still, I can't deny the oddity of the situation, and so I ask the most obvious question I can think of. "If you didn't invite her, then why is she naked in your bed?"
"I really wish I knew." He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his phone, and I watch, baffled, as he sends a quick text.
I flash a lopsided smile. "Are you texting to ask her?"
"Funny, but no. I have a few ideas. And we have about five minutes until I tell you what they are." He steps back and leans casually against the desk, then slowly looks me up and down, my senses firing beneath the weight of that heavy, heated gaze.
When he finally meets my eyes, his are dark with passion, and this time I'm certain that the reason his cock is straining against his jeans is because he wants me. "Five minutes," he repeats. "I wonder what we can do in five minutes. Unless you're still mad at me?"
"I'm getting less mad," I admit, taking a single step toward him.
"You should trust me."
I take another step. "I do."
"Recent events would suggest otherwise."
I stop walking, leaving me about one long stride away from him.
"I guess I was a bad girl," I say, then reach back and slide my hands down over my rear. "Maybe I should be punished." I draw my hands back up, lifting the skirt as I do, exposing my bare ass--but not to him. I'm facing him. So all Dallas has is imagination, and if the expression on his face is any indication, he's using it.
"Maybe you ought to bend me over your knee." I take a step closer so that the front of my skirt brushes his knees. "Maybe you should spank me, slide your finger inside me, and see if I like it when you punish me."
I hold his gaze as I take one hand and slide it between my legs. I sigh with pleasure, and it is most definitely not an act. I'm hot and slick and I want him desperately. And when I pull my hand free, I lift my finger to his lips. "Yeah," I say. "I think I like it."
I ease my finger into his mouth, and he sucks so hard I feel the thrum of it all the way down to my now throbbing pussy. He pulls me closer, his hands squeezing my ass as his mouth teases my finger, and right then all I want to do is scream for him to move that finger to my clit and please, please make me come.
Instead, I jump at the sharp rap at the door.
He yanks his hands away, then brushes my skirt down into place.
Five minutes my ass, I think, and I'm feeling pretty damn cheated when the door opens and Liam steps in.