I blink back at him, my eyes narrowing into slits. “No chance in hell of that happening,” I snap back. Is he kidding me! For one thing, I don’t do love, and for the second, why the hell would he think it would be with him? He’s mean and bossy and… and just so damn annoying. “Why did you try to get me to leave if you wanted me to stay all along?” I ask, confusion still swirling through me.
His forehead creases as he takes me in, then, as if deciding something, he takes a step back from me, releasing my hands. “I had to see the truth. If staying was what you really wanted.”
I have nothing to say in response to that. It wasn’t what I expected him to say at all, but it makes sense.
I gape back at him, wanting to tell him where to go, wanting to lock myself in my room alone for the foreseeable future. But as much as I want that, I also what to know more about all of them. Jagger just shocked the shit out of me and I think even himself. Why? What is he getting out of this? And are the three of them really okay with mehaving some sort of sexual relationship with all of them? “One more question, and I need you to answer me honestly.”
“You’re pushing your luck, flower.” His eyebrow rises in warning, but his slight smile tells me he’s willing to listen.
“Why did you book me into Ricky’s clinic?”
“Condom split.”
Ha, I was right. “Why didn’t you just tell me so I could have taken care of it myself?”
“You’re my responsibility. Besides, I didn’t want to freak you out. I’m clean. I was tested, so my only concern was knocking you up. You really should have been on birth control already.”
“Valentine wouldn’t allow it; he wanted children, heirs to take over the empire. Just another way I disappointed him on the regular. He couldn’t work out why I wasn’t pregnant after so long. He blamed me, because he could never have been the one shooting blanks. You’re right. I probably should have thought about it already, but the truth is I started to believe the problem was me and maybe I could never have children.”
Jagger’s body goes rigid, his face contorting with a look of utter disgust. “That piece of shit is lucky he’s already dead.”
I roll my eyes. “What, or you would have killed him in my honor? Come on, Jagger.”
His hand moves to cup both sides of my face, his dark eyes locking on to mine. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, flower. If I had known you back when you were with him, I would have personally made sure he died an agonizing death, drawn out with deliciously savage tools meant for inflicting pain while keeping him lucid enough that he felt every slice into his flesh as payback for every fucking time he harmed you.”
Something in his words sends a shiver down my spine because I believe him. It sounds like he’s thought about this a lot. More than he should have. But I have to admit, it’s nice to have someone on my side, even if he sounds like a psycho when I think he was just trying to tell me I’m safe with him.
He grins at me. “Now can we put this shit behind us and watch a movie? Apparently, it’s your choice.”
Chapter 23
Touch Me (I Want Your Body)
WhenIcameoutof my room with Jagger, Cruz was sitting on the sofa with his feet up on the coffee table. He watched me with interest as I walked into the kitchen where Asher was sorting dessert but didn’t make an attempt to move or join us. Jagger keeps walking, disappearing into his room, leaving me and Asher alone, with the sweet scent of vanilla ice cream and whiskey in the air.
“What are you making?” I ask, not sure I understand the line-up of ingredients.
“Whiskey Affogato, it’s a Stryker family specialty.” Asher grinscharmingly.
“No whiskey for me,” I say quickly, knowing the last thing I need is to be inebriated around these guys when things are already so complicated. My head is foggy enough from that kiss alone.
He looks puzzled. “Try it, just this once for me. I swear you won’t be disappointed.” His smile is so damn charismatic he almost sways me. Almost.
“Last time I drank whiskey with a Stryker, I ended up in a world of pain,” I admit.
His lips twist up at the sides, and I know he likes that idea. “What did you and my sister get up to in Italy? Sounds entertaining.”
“Sloane’s a bad influence.” I laugh, remembering the night I met her. “But yeah, it was fun at the time.” Until Valentine lost his shit, anyway.
“So, you let loose with my sister, but you won’t even have one little shot over your dessert with me?” He grins all sexy-like, in a way I know would normally have girls doing whatever he asked of them.
“Stop trying to be cute.”
He drops the ice cream scoop in the tub and turns back toward me. Licking ice cream from his finger, his eyes lock with mine, and all I can imagine is him on his knees in front of me tasting my pussy for the first time. My cheeks heat instantly. “You think I’m cute?” He takes a step closer to me.
“No.” I shake my head, suddenly sucked into his vortex in a way that makes me regret my words.
He closes the gap, and I take a shaky step backward, pressing my back into the counter because there is nowhere else to go. “I’m not cute, princess.” His arms flex as he leans into the counter, caging me in. “Charming maybe, sexy definitely, but never cute.” His lips twist up at the sides.
