Every Little Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 2)

There were no more words between us as Vaughn walked me back to the inn.

“Do a walk-through with me?” I unlocked the front door as I spoke.

If he was surprised that I, Bailey Hartwell, needed a man to be at my side while I checked the inn was safe, he didn’t say anything.

Instead we walked through the rooms, making sure it was all clear, leaving the empty wine bottle, glasses, and soaked dish towel in the kitchen, before I led him to my office.

It was still a mess from earlier.

“Do you want me to help you clean it up?” Vaughn frowned down at the spot where Stu had pinned me down.

“No. I’ll get it tomorrow.” I walked out, hoping he’d follow, and he did, a flicker of wariness crossing his expression when he realized we were standing outside a bedroom. “I sleep here when I work too late.”

I read the moment he was going to walk away.

“I know you want me.” Typical me to simply put it out there.

I just never thought I’d put it out there with Vaughn.

He cursed under his breath and moved to leave, but I stepped into him and placed my hands on his strong chest, pressed my legs against his.

He gripped my biceps as if to push me away, but as soon as he touched me, he froze, undecided.

My heart hammered against my chest at the feel of him against me, at the smell of his expensive cologne, at the thought of waking up with my sheets smelling of that expensive cologne. My nipples tightened beneath my sweater and I wished I were still wearing my camisole so he could see my body’s blatant reaction to his proximity.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

His grip on me loosened, and I feared that self-control of his was about to rear its ugly head. “Then I’ll stay with you but we don’t have to have sex.”

“What did I just say about pulling that stick out of your ass?” I teased, pressing closer to him, enjoying the hard tension in his body. “I’m so tired of always being in control, Vaughn. I look after myself. I look after my inn. I look after this town. With Tom I looked after him in every way. I took control in our lives and in our bed. For once I don’t want to.” I reached up on my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his. The touch caused a rush of tingles between my legs and I gasped.

I felt him tremble.

Satisfaction roared through me. “Take me into my room, Vaughn. Take control so I don’t have to. I want you to. I want you to lay me down on that bed and take what you want. You want to, right?” I looked deep into his hard eyes and shivered at the heat I found in them. “I bet you’ve thought about it. Fucking the hostile Princess of the Boardwalk into submission.”

His eyes flared and his fingers bit into my arms.

I had a feeling I’d just hit the target dead-on.

“You have no idea.” His mouth slammed down on mine, his kiss hard, punishing, almost painful.

Controlling.

And for once, just as I promised, I was okay with that.

No one had ever kissed me like Vaughn, like he’d die if he didn’t.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, my fingers curling into his leather jacket as I tried to match him hungry kiss for hungry kiss. His tongue swept against mine and I groaned as lust shot through my breasts and belly. Vaughn’s hands had moved from my arms to tangle in my hair and as he kissed me I found myself being pushed through the bedroom door.

I heard it click shut behind us and then I was shoved onto the bed.

I bounced, startled out of the kiss.

Vaughn towered over me, his whole body rigid, his features hard, his eyes hot.

Angry.

And I knew that there was a part of him that was still on the cusp of walking away from me. Why? To protect himself?