She backs away from me with a suspicious frown. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Jack Weyland.”
Her face clouds with hurt and disappointment. “Is that why you have Rafael driving me around? So you can spy on me?”
“I didn’t need to spy on you. You kissed him in front of my club. I didn’t need Rafael to tell me about that.”
“You could have asked me what happened instead of jumping to conclusions.”
“Oh, really,” I snort dismissively. That’s rich, coming from her.
“Yes, really.” She glares at me. “For your information, he kissed me. I neither wanted it nor invited it, and you know what? I don’t like to share what’s mine either, so the next time you decide to enjoy Ava Sinclair’s company, you can keep that in mind.”
With those words, she stalks away, heading to the bedroom. I follow her, because I’m not done.
“I thought we had this conversation about Ava.”
She whirls to face me. “I thought we had the conversation about Jack! Why were you with her yesterday? Why didn’t you tell me you used to sleep with her when I saw that picture of you two?”
“I’ve never asked you for an inventory of everyone you ever slept with,” I reply evenly. “Do you think I should punctuate everything I say about her with a statement about how, a long time ago, we used to fuck?”
“Maybe it would have been fair for you to give me that information seeing as everywhere I look, the two of you are being photographed together.” She stares at me, her eyes burning with hurt. “Was it also a business meeting yesterday?” She laughs. “Did you decide to save time by concluding your business over dinner?”
“You’re one to talk,” I toss back. “I’m supposed to endure an inquisition whenever you see and totally misconstrue a picture. Meanwhile, it’s perfectly okay for you to spend as much time as you like with your precious Jack.”
She makes a sound of disbelief. “My precious Jack?” Her eyes close, and she sighs. “You know what? I have no idea why we’re arguing. We both know why we’re still together, so we might as well forget the things we can’t agree about and you know, maybe fuck… That’s obviously the only area where we work well together.”
She heads for the bathroom, but I stop her. “You’re right,” I growl, pulling her to me. “Maybe we should do just that.”
She pulls her arm from my grip. “Just as long as you know I’m not Ava.”
I laugh bitterly. “And you know I’m not Jack.”
“God!” She stamps her foot. “How can you be so—”
“So what?” I interrupt, furious beyond reason. “So jealous? But you know exactly how that feels, don’t you?” I’m crazy with a need to possess all of her, and it’s killing me. I want to beg her to forgive me, to accept all of me, to forget anyone else but me, but I keep seeing that kiss in my head. I crush her body to mine and slide one hand between her legs. “This is mine,” I tell her. “You are mine, and your body knows it.”
At my touch, her breath hitches. “Landon…” she says, and it comes out like a moan.
“It’s what you want, isn’t it?” I continue. “It’s the only reason you ever agreed to be with me.” I carry her over to the bed and lay her on her back, her legs spread. “You like how it feels when my cock is deep inside you.” I kneel between her legs and undo my pants. “That’s what you want.”
At first, she looks as if she’ll argue, but her eyes meet mine and fill with a stubborn challenge.
“Yes,” she sneers. “It’s what I want.”
Why does it hurt so much?
It’s just sex, Landon.
Well she can have it. All of it. As long as she wants.
It’s over very fast. It’s pleasure and punishment for the both of us. She comes with a moan just as I climax. I pull out of her and lie beside her on the bed, ashamed and desperate.
I can sense her sadness like a solid wall between us. I watch her rise from the bed and, contrite, I take her hand, urging her back to sit beside me.
“I should have told you about Ava,” I say gently. It’s not enough. Even I know that whatever I say cannot mend the situation between us, not right now at least. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it mattered. I was wrong.”
She responds with a shrug. “It’s okay.”