Biting my lip, determined not to say anything or do anything that would enable or disable him from making a decision, I groaned too when his other hand moved to my hip, dropping down to shape the line where groin met thigh.
He brushed against the gauze bandage, muttering, "When I saw you bleeding, I nearly fucking lost it."
"You bandaged me up?"
His eyes met mine. "You think I’d let another man, even one of my brothers, touch you?"
His words, so possessive and sure, triggered a discordant reaction inside me. I loved that he sounded so insanely covetous. But I wanted to scream at him because he was the one who’d pushed me into other men’s arms by disappearing the way he had.
He had no right to be all jealous now, and yet, tell that to my ovaries. Ovaries that really wanted him to claim what he was stating was his.
"Do you know how long I’ve dreamed about seeing you naked?"
Because I was both pissed off and horny, the truth wasn’t far from hand, so I rasped, "You were the one who walked away."
Which was both the truth and bullshit. In his defense, there hadn’t been that much to walk away from. Not really. We’d met three times. Two of which had been all business, and that evening supper hadn’t exactly been a date, but it had beenonemeal together.
It just felt like a lot more because the chemistry between us seemed ancient.
Nothing this powerful was nascent. It was forged in that big soup the universe came from. Big talk but that was the power of the connection between us.
I’d spent thirty-four years on this planet and, not once, had I experienced even an eighth of this response to another human being.
His mouth tightened. "My world isn’t something I’d wish on anyone."
"Your world is one I’ve studied for years."
"Then you should be smart enough to recognize that you should have backed the hell away from it."
"I did, didn’t I?" I murmured. "I went to TVGM like a good little girl."
His jaw tensed. "You knew I set that up for you?"
I dipped my chin. "Of course. The leap was too sharp for it to be anything other than nepotism. My father’s name helped, but it wouldn’t have done anything if I hadn’t been wedged into the position."
His mouth firmed. "I’d do it again."
"I know you would," I retorted. "I didn’t say I resented it, did I? I just said that I did as I was told."
"Obedience never did sit well with you."
"Like you know me enough to recognize that," I snapped.
"I know enough. I’ve fucking watched you every goddamn morning, Savannah. Jacked off in the shower after watching you talk about that year’s biggest fucking pumpkin, and tried not to wish you weren’t on morning television so you could wear a short skirt so I could fantasize about tugging it higher and bending you over that desk so that I could fuck you until the only news you were interested in was how many orgasms a woman can have during one screw."
I pressed a hand to his chest and pushed. "You’re the one who walked away," I repeated. "Not a single call, Aidan. Not a single text. I wasn’t going to beg for your attention."
"I almost wished you did but I know that’s not in your nature."
"Damn right it isn’t." I gritted my teeth. "I’m telling you now, Aidan O’Donnelly, if you keep on touching instead of looking, I’m not going to let you walk away next time."
He stiffened up at that, tension invading his limbs. "Savannah—"
"Don’t even think about trying to bullshit me." For as much as I’d thought my head was foggy, at that moment, I’d never thought clearer. "I’m telling you now. If you don’t move your hands away, if you carry on with what you’re doing, I will snap a ball and chain so tightly around your fucking ankle you’ll wonder if it’s going to cut off the circulation to your foot."
His lips twisted. "So brave for so early in the morning."
"Not brave, just pissed off with you hovering. Who knew the heir to the Five Points wouldn’t be able to make a decision about a little woman?" I jeered.