“It’s time we stop this carousel you have us on, Harper,” I growl.
“I don’t have us on anything. I told you straight out we could be friends but that’s all we will ever be.”
“Babe, you’re full of shit. You want me as much as I want you.”
“You’re dreaming.”
“Don’t make me prove you wrong, baby. We both know I can.”
“You’re so full of yourself. I told you I’m not one of your club girls. You’ve made that mistake before. We shared one night of drunken sex. You told me yourself that’s all you thought it was and you were right. It’s over and now, we move on.”
“So, you’re saying it wouldn’t bother you if I went out with another woman tonight and fucked her brains out?”
I watch her face closely as she digests my words. Beau physically blanches. The color leaches from her face and she looks like I’ve mortally wounded her. It was only visible for a minute before she covered it up—but it was there. I saw it. I just have to figure out how in the fuck to get her to admit it.
“Not in the least,” she says. I know she’s trying to act like this isn’t killing her. It doesn’t come off like that. Her words are stilted. You can hear the pain in them. I know I hurt her. Beau’s afraid I’m going to hurt her again. I don’t know how to guide her past the pain, but I realize that I need to do it soon.
“You don’t think I should be pissed some other guy has been making moves on you?”
“You need to accept it. I’m meeting him tonight with the boys for dinner. It’s just a casual date between friends. That’s all. That’s all we’ve had and all we’ll ever have.”
Anger courses through me at her words—even if I suspect Beau doesn’t believe what she’s saying. Before I can talk myself out of it, I grab her at the back of her neck and pull her into me. Her hands come up and press against my chest, but I ignore it. I take her mouth with a violence that I wouldn’t normally use on her. I plunder her mouth, forcefully drinking from her, demanding with my body that she acknowledge what is between us. Beau holds her body tight, and I don’t like that at all. I bite into her lip. She cries out and I disengage to look into her eyes.
“You can deny it if you want to. The truth is I’m a fire in your blood just like you are in mine. I need you, Beau. I want to possess you, claim you and be the man who lays in bed with you every night, knowing I’ll be the first face you see the next morning.”
“That’s crazy,” she argues, almost looking panicked.
“Maybe it is. It’s still true. I want everything from you. I want you to curl around me every single fucking night and know that I’m one hundred percent yours. I’m not just looking to get you back into my bed, Beau. I want you tostayin it.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“That’s bullshit, too. It may have only been a week, but you can’t say we haven’t gotten close. This pull between us is strong and I don’t want to fight it.”
“But I agreed to go out with Drew tonight!” she cries, and oh yeah, that panic is getting more and more apparent. She’s scared to death, and it fucks with me that I’m the one that made her afraid to trust me.
“Who the fuck is Drew?”
“Apex!”
“I’ll fucking kill him,” I growl turning away from her, because I am instantly seeing red. That motherfucker knew I’ve been working hard to get her to let her guard down. He knows that I’ve been spending time with her constantly. If he thinks I’m going to let him move in onmywoman, he can think about it again—while he’s in the hospital breathing through a fucking straw!
“No!” she yells and wraps her arms around one of mine, tugging to try to keep me from leaving the room. “Hunter, stop!”
I turn to look at her. “Do you have feelings for him?”
She blinks. “For, who?”
“For Apex,” I snap. What the hell does she mean for who?
“Of course not. He’s just … one of the guys. I didn’t even know he was interested in me until today. Okay, well, maybe a little at the birthday party slash picnic, but I didn’t think he was serious. I’m not his type at all.”
My glare deepens, my lips turning down into a full-fledged frown. “How in the fuck do you know what his type is?”
“I don’t. I just know it isn’t me.”
“How do you figure that?” I bark.
“Because I’m not any man’s type.”
