One Bossy Proposal: Enemies to Lovers Romance

With my fingers laced through hers, I help her to her feet, leaving her panties on the ground. We move back into my place, and I start heading to the kitchen for the glass of water I’m sure she needs.

Dakota stops, though, centering her weight against my side.

“You’re going the wrong way,” she says.

“I am?”

She nods, gives me a heavy look, and walks in the opposite direction that leads to my room.

“Straight to the point today, huh?”

“Don’t get too excited. It’s been a month, and I need you. Not just that, I mean, I haven’t slept well alone since—yeah.” She doesn’t finish the sentence. The words hang in the air between us.

“Me either,” I admit, pulling her to me, winding my arms around her waist.

“I’m going to sleep like a kitten tonight,” she says, butting her head gently against my chest.

“Wish I could say the same.”

“Why not?” She looks up at me, startled.

“Like you said, it’s been a month. That means I’ll be too busy watching you, woman. My eyes are starved to see you in my bed, where you belong,” I tell her.

Her face screws up with laughter, but her body is tense.

She’s home. She’s drenched. She’s waiting.

She’s finally mine, but she’s not the same.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

“Liar. What is it?” I urge.

She gives a tiny shrug. “I just keep thinking what if you freak out again? Or what if—”

I silence her with my lips, an aggressive kiss of denial that makes her limp in my arms.

“Dakota Poe, listen. There’s no chance I’m strong enough to lose you again.”

“But you almost were once...”

“Before, I had no clue what it was to live without you. Or how perfectly you fit in every corner of my life.”

“I do?”

I chuckle. “Wyatt threatened to kick my ass for spending so much time at the hospital instead of with you. Ma tore me a new asshole in her bless your heart way. I’m pretty sure if this doesn’t work out, I’m getting disowned by everyone.”

She laughs. “Your mom loves you way too much for that.”

“There. Now you know how I feel about you.”

She smiles softly. “So, this is real.” Her words are a statement and a revelation.

I kiss her again to drive it home.

“Nothing’s ever been this real, and I’m looking forward to every moment of it. Now, if we’re done flapping our mouths, I’m pretty sure another part of my anatomy wants to be heard...”

She nods as I pick her up, throwing her over my shoulder.

“Do you remember the first time you carried me to your room?” she leans up, purring in my ear.

“How could I forget? It was almost this intense.”

“What do you mean almost? I was about to combust before we even made it to bed.”

I grin, gobsmacked at what comes out of her mouth.

“Dakota, you own my soul. I love you.”

Her nails graze down my back.

“I love you, too,” she whispers.

Once we’re through the door, I kick it shut behind us and lay her on my bed. “One key difference from the first time and today,” I tell her, staring down in wonder.

“Yeah?”

I stroke her hair, letting my fingers fall through platinum silk as I say, “That was mostly physical but this—this is with my entire heart.”

She takes my hand and urges me down, kissing my knuckles. “You’ve owned mine for a while.”

“How long?” I demand.

“I don’t know. At least since the first time we made love—”

“Definitely one of the best days of my life.” I smile at the memory.

“And the others?”

I press my lips to her forehead. “This is one more. I got my girl back.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” she whispers.

“Bull. You finished just fine that day, as I recall. Your nails sank into my back and your body clenched around me. This time, you’ll finish harder,” I promise, nipping at her shoulder.

She covers her face with both hands and laughs.

Little minx.

I grab her, pulling one hand away, and bring it to my lips, kissing her knuckles. Slowly but steadily, I uncurl her fingers and kiss them one by one.

She moves her hand away, quivering. Wrapping her arms around me, she drops her face to mine.

The kiss that comes is one long concert of harsh breaths and wicked desires.

Dakota trembles when my fingers brush her skin, too greedy to control.

I yank her dress over her head. She’s left in a lace bra and nothing else, her panties still on the balcony.

My face moves down the bed to her tits. I take one nipple through the fabric, dangerously impatient.

Sucking, biting, teasing, I do what I promised.

I bring her home.

Two minutes in, she’s a gasping mess, barely able to unhook her bra. When she finally frees those perfect mounds, her nipples pucker under my tongue.

I think she might come on the spot.

Before that happens, I roll her on her back, tearing off my clothes piece by piece. I climb over her with a hunger, taking her tits in my hands and pushing those nipples between my fingers as I stare down at the feast before me.