Taking What's His (Shillings Agency 4)

He tensed. “You’re something.”

She made a small little sound that he couldn’t read. “I was just a one-night stand. Stop trying to give it a different name, or make it into some huge thing it’s not. Just let it go.”

“But I can’t, because you weren’t.” He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. “I wanted…I wanted…more from you. Another few nights, maybe. For the first time, ever, I wanted more. And now I can’t have it.”

Blinking up at him, she tilted her head to the side. She looked so fucking cute when she did that. But when she bit down on her lip in the throes of passion?

Hot as fucking hell.

“I want more, too,” she admitted.

Every instinct screamed to take her again. After all, she’d just given him the green light. But he didn’t fucking move. “We can’t.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because you’re off limits.” He swallowed hard. “And because you’re his little sister.”

She rolled her eyes. “Steven probably doesn’t even care about that. Don’t get me wrong. He hates the men I date, so he’d hate you, too. But it wouldn’t be any different from anyone else I’ve ever brought home.”

“Oh, but he does care.” He skimmed his thumb over her lower lip, soothing the spot where she’d bitten. “You want to know what he said to me earlier?”

She nodded once, her breath coming fast.

“He said to remember you were his little sister…” He dropped his touch from her, stepping back to safety, pushing his glasses into place. Or, relative safety, anyway. “…And to keep my hands and dirty as fuck thoughts to myself. So, I will.”

“He didn’t.”

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he rocked back on his heels. “Oh, but he did.”

And I don’t blame him one little bit.

“God.” She blushed. “That’s so…so…”

“Barbaric?” he supplied. “Old fashioned?”

“Yes!” She pointed at him. “Exactly.”

“Yeah, well, it is what it is. And I have to respect his wishes.”

“Why?” she asked. She slid her hands up his shoulders, slowly and torturously bringing his body to life. “If you want more, and I want more…why not take it?”

He sucked in a deep breath and held it. This was the danger zone. She’d said she wanted more, and damn it, so did he. But not with her.

Not with Steven there, watching them.

But even knowing she was forbidden, that she didn’t need a fucked up man like him in her life, he wouldn’t have the strength to stay away if he knew she wanted him too.

So he did t

he only thing he could think of to save her from himself. He called out his inner asshole, and had him step up to the plate, bat in hand. “You misunderstood me. I don’t want more from you at all. I came to my senses after you left.”

She froze. “But you said you want—”

“No, I said I wanted more.” Closing his hands over hers, he removed them from his shoulders. It was a hell of a lot harder than it should have been. Smirking, he shrugged as if he didn’t give a damn about her or anyone. It was a cloak he wore all too well, but tonight it felt wrong. “Past tense. I don’t need the trouble sleeping with you again would bring. No offense.”

Annnnd home run.

Her cheeks suffused with color, and she took a step back. “Oh. Right.”