Her stomach was twisting in knots at the harsh way he was staring at her. Her hand went to her belly, wanting them to stop the constant arguments.
“You don’t think you’re pretty?” Stump looked at her as if she was even crazier than he had given her credit for. “You don’t think I’m attracted to you? Lady, are you out of your fucking mind?”
15
The words that had sprung from her lips cut him like a knife. How could a woman who looked like her not realize she was pretty? She had male clients. Surely one those fuckers had hit on her? He could tell from her expression that they hadn’t.
Stump had to grip the handrail to stop himself from jerking the zany woman into his arms. His dick was so hard from carrying her that each step had been torture for him. He had only gone two steps after picking her up to realize he was fighting a losing battle with himself.
He had been fighting his attraction to her since he first saw Zoey in Penni’s office. She stood out from the women; her sultry, lustrous lashes shielding eyes of spectacular beauty. It wasn’t the hazel color of them that had him battling with himself. It was as if he were staring into the window of Zoey’s soul, witnessing such incredible beauty that you wanted to reach through the window, catch the vision behind it, and never let it go.
He had seen how Ice and Jackal changed after their marriages, and he was smart enough to know that Zoey would have the same effect on him… if he let her.
Ice and Jackal were still just as coldblooded and ruthless, where the club was concerned, except the brothers were no longer numero uno. Penni and Grace filled those slot’s now. That wasn’t going to happen to him. No woman was going to change him; Hannibal and the brothers would always come first with him.
“Fuck.”
“I asked you, please don’t—”
Stump raised a hand, stopping her reprimand. “Give me a second.”
“Give you a second? For what?”
Her innocent expression told him that she didn’t have a clue what effect she had on him. No woman in this day and age could be as innocent as her expression implied. Was she playing him? Or was she really this naïve?
Something deep inside of him was telling him that she was the latter.
Making sure he didn’t startle her into hurting her knee, he lifted her and turned her until her back was to the wall. “I don’t want to scare the hell out of you by showing you exactly how much I am attracted to you.” Stump reached out, using his knuckles to close her gaping mouth while making sure he didn’t touch any other part of her body. “So, don’t freak out when I tell you that I’m attracted to you. That every time you look at me, I feel as if my dick is going to come out of my jeans.”
Instead of being scared, Zoey seemed intrigued.
“Really?”
“For real.” Stump pressed his forehead against hers. “I’m trying really hard, and I mean, really fucking hard.” Stump pressed his dick to the vee between her legs, showing her exactly how attracted he was to her. Then he waited for her reaction, expecting her to slap his face.
Her little tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip. “I didn’t know.”
“I see that. Now you do.” Stump lowered his lips, brushing his mouth lightly over hers and feeling her lips tremble.
“Am I interrupting?”
Both Zoey and Stump jumped at the sound of Penni’s amused voice coming from the landing below as she continued up the steps to where they were standing against the wall.
Zoey pushed him back then moved around him to wait for Penni as she reached the landing.
“Of course not. Stump was just helping me up the stairs.”
He saw Zoey wince when she tried to move back too quickly to make room for Penni in the small area. “Careful. I wouldn’t want you to hurt your knee.”
His lips twitched when color flooded her cheeks.
“I’m glad Stump was here to help you up the steps.” Penni gave them both searching glances. “The owner said the elevator should be running again before noon.”
The memory of Zoey nearly plunging down the elevator shaft and how that soft body could have been maimed from a calculated plan to destroy her had him realizing he was beginning to care about Zoey.
“Jackal contact the owner?” Stump opened the door of the stairway, following them into the hallway.
Penni nodded as both women unlocked their corresponding office doors. “The elevator was slated for inspection this morning, which is why all the caution signs were posted last night after the building was closed. Someone deliberately removed the caution sign from the floor of the garage where Zoey parks.”
Penni looked at her friend in concern. “Zoey, I think it’s time to consider involving the police. I know you don’t really believe that anyone is targeting you, but this morning, if Stump hadn’t been there….” Penni shuddered. “The owner is going to make a report that someone tampered with the signs. If you don’t contact them that you think it was deliberate to hurt you, I will.”