“The fuck it is.” He reached out, grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. “You can dance without fucking the pole, Gre—” He stopped himself and took a deep, shuddering breath. “Lilah.”
“And I’m sure you can do your job and keep your dick in your pants,Jay, but I doubt you do.” She jerked her arm out of his grasp and sauntered to the counter, throwing back her whiskey.
“Is this about Ronnie?”
She placed the glass back on the counter with forced gentleness. “There is nothis.I have a job to do, so I did it.”
“So, you brought that guy back to your room tonight as part of the job?” He finally lost the small amount of control he had on his anger and slammed the side of his fist into the wall beside her. “Did you fuck him? I swear to God, if you fucked him.”
“What if I did?” She pushed her face closer to his, bringing the scent of whiskey with her. “What if I fucked him right in this room and enjoyed every goddamn minute of it?”
He clenched his fists against the wave of nausea the thought of her with anyone else caused. “Did you?” His voice dripped ice, a complete contradiction to the fury that burned within him.
“I guess you’ll never know.” She turned to move past him.
He reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her toward him. “Did. You. Fuck. Him?” he bit out.
“I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“Like hell you don’t.” His grip on her arm tightened and her eyes grew wide. Fear flashed across her face, a reminder of how she’d looked at him the day his mother died, the day he’d thought he could turn her away and save her from the inferno between them.
“Answer me or I’ll find out for myself.” He no longer had control of the green-eyed beast tearing its way through his chest.
“Find out for yourself?” The momentary flash of fear vanished, replaced by cold, raw defiance.
He pushed her to the couch where she landed on her back, before she tried to scramble up. He came over her, pressing her back into the leather, his body on top of hers, his mouth on her lips, his hands searching under her shirt. She bucked against him even as she returned his kiss. His hand surrounded her breast and squeezed, pulling a moan from her throat. He yanked her shirt open, buttons scattering over the couch and floor before the sound of ripping lace rent the air as he tore her bra away, and his mouth descended upon her nipple. She arched her body, forcing him to take more of her into his mouth as she clawed at his shirt, as desperate as him to feel skin under her hands.
He couldn’t explain his reaction, why he couldn’t control himself, why he couldn’t stop himself from taking her. His only clear thought was she belonged to him. If he found her wet from a night with someone else, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. He pushed his hand into her pants. Anger and jealousy slapped at him when he found her naked underneath. He plunged his fingers into her, and she tightened around him as her nails dug into his back and her body arched.
She cried out, moaning words he couldn’t make out, and her body shuddered underneath his. He dragged her pants down her hips and over her ass.
“Now.” She tore the button of his slacks open and shoved them down his body. “All of you, inside me. Now.”
He pushed into her, stilling for a moment as her warmth surrounded him.
“Oh God.” Her chest fell as she exhaled.
He sank deeper into her body, as she slipped deeper into his soul. Fisting his hand in her short wig he drove into her, searching her face for the parts of Gretchen he loved most. “Did you?” Even with the contacts, he could see the dazed pleasure in her eyes. “Tell me.”
She shook her head, lifting her hips to meet each of his thrusts.
“Say it,” he demanded desperately. “Gretchen, please.”
“No. Just you.” Her head fell back. “God, there’s only you.”
Her muscles tightened around him as she surrendered to her orgasm, even as she refused to surrender to him. He took her mouth again, suddenly afraid of what he might confess if he continued to watch her come undone as she pulled him over the edge into his own release.
Afterward she lay beneath him, content as a cat curled in his arms, but he didn’t rest. His stomach rolled with disgust. How could she lay against him? How could she stand to touch him after the way he’d treated her?
He’d always known he didn’t deserve her, but he’d sworn he wouldn’t hurt her, and tonight he’d broken that promise. He loved her, he knew he did, until he physically ached when he was without her. So, why had he been so rough? Why had he treated her like any of the other women he’d screwed over the years, when he’d never been able to deny, even to himself, she was different?
He pulled away, ignoring how her body moved with him and the slight moan of disappointment that passed her swollen lips.
~ ~ ~
“Where are you going?” Gretchen sat up, watching Finn put his clothes back to rights. She had to remember that despite the pleasure he could bring her body, he could, and likely would, destroy her heart.
Instead of answering, he buckled his belt and turned to her. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Will you be here tomorrow?”