Letting go, I brushed past her and ignored the way she gasped when my arm touched her chest. I grabbed the white box with an apple on it from the drawer and laid it on the counter.
“I don’t need a phone.”
I ground my jaw. I hadn’t meant to buy her a phone, but I’d been walking past the store on Sunday and maybe felt bad for how rude I’d been and bought one for her. However, she’d shut down my plans and apology by ignoring me when I knocked on her door, inciting my irritation again. Just like she was doing now.
“Yes, you do,” I grumbled. “I need to be able to get a hold of you for work.”
She barked a laugh. “No thanks. I don’t need you to reach me and give any orders more than you do. In fact…” She sucked in a frustrated breath and I prepared for her sassy retort. Instead, her shoulders sagged and her voice got quiet. “Me staying here is a mistake. We obviously can’t get along and this is just a waste of time.” She didn’t wait for a response, just tried to walk past me again.
I grabbed her wrist again and held her back, growling the least logical thing in that moment. “You’ll stay if you want your money. I bought you.”
“You’re not my keeper.” Her quiet voice was gone and her eyes burned with fire.
“No, I’m the man saving you from your shitty future. You’re being an ungrateful shit about it.”
“I didn’t ask to be saved,” she yelled.
It hammered against my throbbing skull and was like gasoline on a fire. My temper spiked, but I didn’t yell back. No, I backed her up into the counter and cornered her, using my size to intimidate her. “No?” I asked. “Did you want me to let some predator come take you? Did you want to be pinned to a bed as he shoved his dick in you and laughed at your tears?” I inched closer and lowered my voice. “Then when you think it’s finally over because he’d taken every hole you have, he drugs you. Only for you to wake up on some cot in a trailer so man after man can pay twenty bucks to stick their dick wherever they want.”
“Stop,” she whispered, her wide eyes glowing like silver in the dim light.
But I wasn’t done. I took the final step to press myself against her, barely holding back the groan at feeling her soft body accept my hard edges. She watched my hand move to push her hair back. “Or maybe you changed your mind when you saw me. Maybe you liked what you saw and hoped I’d strip you naked and make love to your tight, virgin pussy.”
I leaned down, brushing my nose along her cheek, breathing in the lemon and vanilla scent clinging to her skin, and whispered in her ear. “The truth is, Princess, I won’t be any softer. I’ll take what you offer and love every cry you let free. The only difference is that I’ll make you like it and beg for more.”
By the time I’d finished my speech, my cock was hard and my body urged me to rub against her until I came.
“You’re an arrogant prick with a hero complex.”
She tried to sound hard, but the breathy words ruined it and she couldn’t hide the fact that she hadn’t pulled away when I stroked her skin. Clenching my hands on the counter, I fought for control. The alcohol and her nearness made me warm and hard. Thankfully, there was still a rational part of my brain that told me to back the fuck up—a part of my brain that told me she wasn’t completely wrong.
I listened to the small sliver of reason and stepped back, ending the night before it spiraled too far out of my control.
“Take the phone,” I ordered, walking away. I stopped before heading up the stairs. “And you’re not leaving. I may be an asshole, but at least you’re safe here. So, suck it up and don’t make me chase you down.”
When I reached my bedroom, I shed my clothes on the way to my bed and collapsed on top of the covers.
“God,” I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. I’d fucked up tonight. Over and over again. And to make matters worse, my dick was standing straight up from my body, fully erect from being pressed against Alexandra. She’d been so soft, her curves and her skin. My length jerked when I remembered how good it felt to have her grinding on me, sucking on my tongue. I remembered her whimpers.
The strength that had me walking away in the kitchen broke down behind closed doors. I’d give in tonight, and tomorrow I’d be strong again, putting more distance between us.