“Then why are you holding back?”
“Because I want you so badly,” he told her, the heat in his eyes burning her. “And once I touch you I don’t know if I can resist taking control. This is your show, sugar.”
She stood up, hands on her hips. “No, it isn’t.” She paced back and forth.
“Laken?” he questioned.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
“Can’t do what?”
“I want…I want…” before she could spit it out, his beeper went off. Cursing, he grabbed it off his belt.
“Shit, I’m sorry, sugar. I’m on call. I have to go.”
Laken gaped at him. “You’re kidding me.”
He stood, reaching for his shirt. “Believe me, I wish I were.” He pulled his shirt on roughly, then reached out and cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry, sugar, more than you can know.”
“Are you coming back?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know how long this will take. You’d better go on to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With a brush of his lips against hers, he left with an absentminded order to lock her door behind him.
In a fit of temper, Laken kicked the sofa leg. Pain raced up her leg and she cried out. Was the universe out to get her? She’d finally built up the courage to take what she wanted and he up and left!
Damn, damn, damn.
***
Duncan pulled away from the Jeffrey house with a sigh. Old Mrs Jeffrey was certain that someone was peeping in on her, so he’d dutifully searched around outside, unable to find anything. Why Mrs Jeffrey thought anyone would want to watch her undressing, he didn’t know, but she was worried and it was his job to put her at ease.
It was now close to midnight. Too late to return to Laken.
Damn it. Just when she’d finally made a move. He had thought it was never going to happen. Cold showers were becoming too common an occurrence.
Well, another one wasn’t going to kill him, he thought as he turned his truck towards his house.
***
Sighing heavily, Laken pulled her car up in front of Lila’s house. Turning off the engine, she leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. Laken thought she was doomed to never have a good night’s sleep again. If it wasn’t nightmares keeping her awake then it was sexual frustration.
She couldn’t believe that Duncan had left her hungry last night. Sure, she knew he had a job to do and sometimes that job would call him away at inconvenient times. But for God’s sake, she had just worked up the courage to take things to the next step and he had practically raced off.
She’d lain awake most of the night, unable to find any sort of peace. Then this morning she’d woken up to another bunch of flowers from Ricky. That asshole just would not leave her alone.
When would he get the message that even if hell froze over there was no way she would ever go back to him.
A soft knock on her window had her gasping, her eyes flying open. Trace Richards looked back at her apologetically.
“Sorry, darlin’,” he told her. “Wanted to check that you were okay.”
He opened the door while Laken fumbled with her seat belt, and pulled it off her.
“You okay, kid?” he asked her. There was something about Trace that made you want to confide in him. He was quieter than his brothers, where Gavin was forceful and Colin was full of fun, Trace had a soothing effect.
“I’m fine,” she told him with a small smile as he helped her out the car. She had used the last bit of her savings to buy this car and although it was rusty it gave her a much needed sense of independence.
Trace gave her a look that told her he didn’t believe a word of what she said.