Bass stood there, knowing he should say something. It was one thing to scare her off, but he couldn’t outright lie to her. Did he want her? Hell yes. But he couldn’t say that, either, so he stayed silent.
Something flickered over her face faster than the strobe lights. Her auburn brows furrowed with a look of pissed-off intent.
“Well, that’s fine,” she said. “But I’m going to tell you what I want.”
And the brazen was back in Miss Diamond. He couldn’t help but indulge. “Please enlighten me.”
She lifted her chin. “I want to fuck.”
If he’d been drinking, he would have choked. Before he could say anything, she went on.
“And not just anyone. I wanted to fuck you. But since you’re obviously too busy hiding in a corner, I’ll be on my way to find someone else who will give me what I want.”
“You mean like cowboy Rob who’s waiting to get you a martini and feed you lines about how pretty your smile is?”
On cue, she smiled, and it was more than pretty. It was fucking mesmerizing.
“Yes.” She turned. To leave him. To go to another man. Only this time, he knew what she was looking for. And that set his internal fire to nuclear.
“Penelope!” he yelled over the music, loud enough that her shoulders tensed in shock, but she spun back to face him. There was so much he wanted to do, to say, but he stuck with the truth, no matter how much it sucked. “It would never work.”
She leaned so close that her lips skimmed his earlobe, and tremors raced down his spine.
“No one would have to know.” There was a nervous tremble in her voice.
“That’s the least of my worries, darlin’. You have no idea what I’m capable of. What I’d do to an innocent thing like you.” He sneered the words, because a sick part of him wanted to do every damn thing to her. Everything her lush little body would allow him to do. And when she realized the kind of man he was, she’d run.
“You could show me?” she said. Again, there was a breathy note in her tone. He didn’t go for vanilla girls, but that was the problem. Nothing about Penny struck him as vanilla. Inexperienced, sure. But there was a fire in her that brought out his dark, dominant side. And he wanted to give in to her request so damn bad.
“I’m tired of being innocent.” She raised her chin and finished with, “It’s you who has no idea what I’m capable of.” Her green glare hit him hard, and she strutted that perfect ass away from him and toward the cowboy who, yep, held a martini and waited near the bar for her.
God damn it!
He went to take a drink of his whiskey, only to be hit with an empty glass and the lingering scent of strawberry lip gloss.
She was playing with fire. Fire that he’d had under control until he watched the cowboy cup her hip.
Nope. Not just nope, but hell-fucking-nope was another man touching her.
Whatever prized control he had was flying out the window. He set his glass down on a nearby table and stormed over to her. He didn’t say anything, didn’t acknowledge her shocked expression when he took the drink from her hand and gave it to Asshole Cowboy.
The guy was about to protest, but Bass didn’t give a shit. He grabbed Penny’s hand and tugged her toward the dance floor.
“I’ll be right back,” she called to the cowboy, and Bass just tugged harder, weaving through the mass of gyrating people.
“No you won’t,” he yelled over the thumping music, glancing back at her.
“Where are you taking me?” she said, but he ignored her.
He continued to maneuver through people until he got to the other end of the club. There was a small nook in the corner where shadows encased them, and he pulled her around, then pressed her back against the wall, wedging her into the corner.
He placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her in with his body. He looked down at her, so close their noses brushed.
“You think I sulk in corners?” he said. “You want to tease me on purpose? Flaunt yourself like a treat I can’t have, then tell me you’re capable of handling me?” He shook his head, and her bright green eyes sparkled with anticipation. “I’m set to show you what it is I do to a woman like you in dark corners.”
Her lips parted, and she rose to kiss him, but he jerked back. “Oh no, darlin’. You don’t run this show. I do.”
He pressed his hips agains