“Well, damn me to hell, they work both ways. Fitting punishment. I deserve it.” Benedict says, looking me up and down and then closing his eyes as I walk out of his really obnoxiously-lovely guest room into his equally obnoxiously-wonderful penthouse apartment.
It’s not cold or bland, not pretentious or sleek. It’s bright white, warm, inviting. Fun. Colorful. Him.
And I’m annoyed by that.
And oh—I’m in gray sweats. I’m wearing a matching cropped sweatshirt and joggers set we got at Ameri-Mart of all places.
Now he can’t look away from the inch of my midriff that’s exposed. I am just frazzled enough, angry enough to respond.
“Oh, jeez, come on. Seriously? You always overdo it. Every time.”
“Over do?” He frowns as I pass him where he stands at the edge of the living area, making no effort to hide how his gaze moves from my waist to my ass.
“Yes. So over the top with the possessive husband shtick back there which was just…it…I can’t even talk aboutthatright now. And I get it, okay, you think I’m attractive but I’ve also seen the supermodel types that you date. We scrolled through them! Pierced nipples, the gymnast, the ballerina. You don’t have to put on a show to make me feel better—”
“The hell?” He mutters, grabbing my forearm and pulling me around facing him. There he goes again…commanding, angry. I get a whiff of his spicy cologne and close my eyes.
Don’t think about it, don’t think about it.
“Janelle,” he says, stepping into me, so forcefully so my eyes pop open. I have to lift my chin to match his glare with my own. We’re so close I can feel the heat of him through his undershirt, which he’s wearing with jeans. And barefoot.Nope. Don’t think about it.I take a deep breath as he goes on.
“You think you’re like anyone else? You think I find you attractive?Attractive?”I start to open my mouth but he goes on, leaning even closer. “I find you unbearable. Painful. Brutal.”
“Okay, well—”
“Your gorgeous,etherealface that I can’t kiss? Those ghostly eyes that won’t hold mine for longer than a second? A body made for all my best, worst,filthiestdreams that my hands can’t touch? Then what, that wanker Theo can? He gets to hug you? After he let something so precious fall through his clumsy fingers. Fingers that are not all that talented by the way—”
“Benedict,” I say, trying to stop him.
“Honestly I knew, Iknewyou’d have to have helped him. There’s no way he would’ve made it anywhere without you, clearly.”
“Ben!”
“No, let me finish. Sohecan touch you,Ican’t, when you’re right there, looking like that, and that’s not even the half of it, wife, the half! Everything you say surprises me. You were supposed to be reserved and predictable and you’re mean and surprising and hilarious and so unfairly sexy, I mean, damn it, Janie, I think asking you to marry me may have been the biggest mistake of my life!”
I can’t breathe.
I…
He’s panting.
The vein in his head is throbbing.
Don’t, Janie. Don’t do it…
His hands are clenched into tight fists and he’s towering over me, looking like a pissed Greek god and searching my eyes like they hold every answer he’s ever searched for and well…
Screw it.
I launch myself at him, full koala mode, smashing my mouth to his. And he is ready, catching me immediately. As he secures his grip around my thighs he moans. I moan back and he snaps, opening my mouth with his tongue and taking, taking, taking.
I vaguely feel my back hit a wall and hear a thump.
Wow.
This is not a kiss. This is a statement.
I…
