“Because you won’t let me back in.”
Double standards. I was getting more annoyed by the second. My instincts told me to bring Cash up again. Fuck withhisemotions for once. “Well, maybe there’s no space now, what with Cash and all.” I knew it was wrong to bait him, but I needed another reaction. Now that we were alone, I could bask in that feeling of him being a possessive jerk. In front of the others, not so much.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means stop being an asshole, I can’t handle you today.”
“I don’t think you’ll ever be able to handle me, baby girl,” Nix said like a smug fucker, and I wanted to rake my nails down his face.
“Good job, I have a backup then,” I rasped.
A mixture of emotions flickered over his features. He knew what I was doing, but clearly wanted me to spell it out. So, I did.
“Cash asked me out on a date, despite your threats. And I may take him up on that offer. Maybe dating would make me feel more normal.”
“He’s too old for you and too experienced.”
“Good. I’ve finally met someone who isn’t a total pussy when it comes to the big badass Sawyer Brothers.”
“You could do better than Cash, Harper. And what type of name is Cash anyway?”
I smirked again. “What, and Phoenix is the coolest name on the planet, I suppose?”
He almost doubled in size, like that thing peacocks did when they wanted to show off. “Phoenix is a strong name and stands for something. Cash is something you slot between the butt cheeks of a fucking stripper.”
“And you’d know that from experience, I imagine?”
“Who gives a shit?” he growled, banging his hand against the side of his dresser.
I stepped forward, wanting to needle him more about Cash. “Look, I don’t see what your problem is with Cash? Isn’t he your gym bestie?”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m a grown man, Harper. I don’t have abestie. Ryan doesn’t measure up to me, and I mean that in respect of all departments.”
Here we go, men and their dick measuring.
His cocksure expression grew as I shot him a disgusted eye roll, and his stance became predatory as he said. “He’s not the man who could make you come so hard your kneecaps shatter.”
I felt his dirty comment shudder through my sex, but managed to snort. “Really. How come Courtney’s are still intact then?”
“I’m not fucking her!”
“How dumb do you think I am?” I snapped.
“Considering how you listened to Cash’s smooth bullshit, pretty dumb.”
And that was it, we were getting nowhere, and I needed to go to sleep or burst into tears in front of him. Maybe the writing just wasn’t on the wall for us. There was clearly no quick fix to this fucked up scenario. The atmosphere between us was like a vicious circle that I couldn’t escape from.
“Whatever. Look, I’ve had enough of this. You think you can pick me up and put me down whenever it suits you, but it doesn’t work like that. I can’t be dealing with any more mixed signals. Whatever this was is over.”
Turning on my bare heel, I stomped towards the door. I knew it was make-or-break time; if Phoenix let me leave, I knew that would be it.
“You’re such a little hypocrite.” My heart surged; I could hear he was closing the space between us. As my hand curled around the door handle, I felt his breath against my neck. “Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you,” Phoenix husked in a rough voice, grabbing my upper arm and spinning me back towards him.
He was furious; his large body could easily overpower mine. If I hadn’t been so angry myself, I would have had the sense to be worried. Not of physical harm, as I knew he’d never hurt me that way. It was that riot of emotions and the searing level of incensed passion that crackled between us that was scary. The fact that we were both on the verge of losing control was rife. That sense of relief that he appeared to be fighting for me underpinnedeverything.
“You’re not talking, you’re yelling like a madman,” I screamed back, struggling. “And let go of my arm.”
“Make me,” Nix snarled into my face, tugging me firmly up against his body, his forehead touching mine. We were nose to nose as I wiggled to free myself. Irrespective of his response, which was just as I had hoped. I still wanted to slap his face, scratch him with my nails for making things so hard between us.
