“You know what you’re supposed to do? You’re supposed to take the fucking hint, Daley. Not interested.”
It made him crazy. She was lying. He’d seen the way she softened. “You’re pissed off and I understand that, but not a one of those men would take care of you the way I will.”
Her eyes rolled. “Of course. None of them could possibly be interested in me. Guess what? I wasn’t looking for passion out of this. I was trying to find a man to be my date. I wasn’t trying to find a lover.”
She was so naïve. “You can’t invite a man to stay in a hotel with you and expect him to keep his hands to himself.”
“Why not? Are you all animals? Do you run around raping any woman you want?”
“Of course not, but every fucking Dom at Sanctum would attempt to seduce you and I don’t want that. I want to be the one who seduces you. I want to be the one who sees if you can purr.” That was about as honest as he could get. “Bridget, tell me you feel this chemistry for another guy and I’ll go talk to him myself. I’ll make sure he can go with you.”
A calculated risk. She’d already proven she could lie when she wanted to. If she did, he would have to go with it.
But her body was already coming close to his as though they were magnetized. She could spout bile all she liked, but her body responded to his. “I’m not looking for chemistry. I simply want a nice guy to help me out.”
“I’ll help you. You want someone to play your fiancé and all parents love me. I’ll be your successful, supportive fake future husband. I’ll let you dress me and I’ll charm those nasty cousins of yours until they all want what you have.”
The cutest look flashed across her face. She was even lovely when she was annoyed with him. “You know about my cousins?”
The whole while he was backing her up, leading her to the wall so she wouldn’t have anywhere else to go. “I eavesdropped. That should tell you how pathetic I am about you.”
“Or what a freaky stalker you are.” Her back was against the wall and there was no way to miss the hitch in her breath.
“You are pessimistic, sweetheart. Why can’t you see it as quirky and charming? I swear I’ve never stalked anyone before. You’re my first.” Maybe she would see that as adorable.
She shook her head. “Try it on another girl. I’m not buying it.”
So frustrating. “Let me kiss you. One kiss and if you don’t want me as much as I want you, I’ll walk away. But you won’t find anyone as perfect as me for this job of yours. I can give you my full attention, baby. I can make it my goal in life to ensure that everyone thinks you’re the luckiest girl on earth by the end of that wedding, and you know what else?”
Her hands had gone to his waist. She’d already made the decision. He knew he would get his one shot with her. Excitement built in his gut and his dick was already hard as a rock.
“What else, Daley?”
“I’ll be your Dom. I’ll show you what it means. Any questions you have, I’ll answer. We’ll sign a short-term contract and by the end, you’ll know for sure if you want to find a permanent Dom. Hell, I’ll help you find one if that’s what you want.”
Something passed over her face, almost a sadness, but he couldn’t be sure because she was so good at hiding it. Her chin came up stubbornly. “All right then. Kiss me.”
Suddenly he wished he’d talked her back into his condo, wished he’d been able to sit and eat with her. He wanted more time and he wasn’t even sure why. Up to this point, all he’d required was her body, but now he realized she was more than a glorious set of tits and a heart-shaped ass.
She was a mystery.
He leaned over because he wasn’t going to get more time. He had roughly two minutes to tempt her into something that likely wouldn’t be good for her. He was a bastard and he knew it and he still couldn’t stop his head from dropping. His lips pressed against hers and warmth poured through him. He let his hands find her waist. He wasn’t going to go straight for her ass. He hadn’t earned it.
Gently he molded his lips against hers, savoring the sensation. He could fucking eat her up. She was wearing some kind of lip balm, something sweet. Whatever it was, he couldn’t get enough of it. He ate at her mouth, softly running his lips over hers and giving her the barest hint of his tongue. He didn’t want to scare her with what his every instinct told him to do. He wouldn’t have dreamed of it, but there was a caveman deep inside him, and cavedick wanted to drag her back to his bed and make sure she couldn’t leave it come morning.
He wasn’t that guy. He was civilized, educated. He didn’t get addicted to anything. Anything. He wasn’t about to get addicted to a sweet brat who would make him crazy. Peace. He needed peace and he wouldn’t get it from her.
Not that he wanted peace in that moment. He wanted inside her. Every cell in his body was singing like it never had before. She stirred him.
Bridget sighed and softened against him and he stopped thinking. Only one thing mattered and that was the feel of her in his arms, the way she moaned into his mouth. Her jaw dropped slightly and he was inside, his tongue playing against hers. So soft. Everything about her was so damn soft.
He dragged her hard against his body, no longer worried about frightening her. She needed to know what he could offer. He could give her the dominance she craved. His cock pressed to her belly and rubbed against her like a cat seeking affection. Her hands clutched at him as she gave as good as she got.
Pure fire threatened to take over. He didn’t need a bed. He could fuck her right here in the hallway. He could drop his jeans and he wouldn’t care who watched.
Before he reached for her breasts, she put a hand between them.
“Stop.” Her voice was husky, out of breath.
Fuck. He took a step back because he wasn’t sure he would be capable of following her very clear order. His damn hands were shaking. “All right.”
She took a long breath and seemed to compose herself. “I’ll admit, physically it seems like we’re compatible.”
“We’re explosive, Bridget.” He’d never had that reaction to another woman. He wasn’t sure he liked it, but he couldn’t seem to stop.
“That doesn’t mean this is good for either of us. I don’t like being manipulated, Daley.”