Jules broke off to speak with Andy as Rowan’s hand found the small of my back, firm and possessive. “Time we go,” he said, voice clipped as he guided me towards the door.
I opened my mouth to argue, caught in the battle of fading adrenaline and arousal. “Rowan, I—"
“I have been patient enough, Violet.” He interrupted, his expression shifting to me. “We leave and if you put up a fight. . . you do not want things to go my way.”
I knew what lust looked like on a man. I’d seen it countless times on Edward and his clients but when Rowan’s eyes darkened, a lapse of judgement prompted me to say, “What if I want things to go your way?”
He stilled. I watched with rapt attention his adam’s apple move before he leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear lobe with delicate care. “Careful,” he warned. “I will not stop regardless of who is watching.”
And there go my knees. My body could not feel any hotter than it does right now.
Rowan pulled back and must have enjoyed the look on my face because he gave me that infuriating, knowing grin as his hand on my back reminded me to move as he pressed us forward. “Come on,princess.”
From behind, Jules shouted over the club music as we walked away, “See you on Friday, sweetie!”
Without slowing, Rowan asked, “What is Friday?”
I didn’t miss a beat. “The day after Thursday,” I replied as we squeezed between patrons.
“Not what I meant,” he huffed.
“The day before Saturday?”
“If you were anyone else, I would have choked you by now. Why will you see her on Friday?” Rowan shoved open the door to the outside, ignoring Romeo’s passing stare as we both walked by.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” I snapped as the night air slapped my overheated skin and I shivered. “But to answer your vague ass question, I’ll be back here on Friday to find out if I’m hired.”
“So, you insist on this reckless insanity?”
Oh, the nerve of him! Anger rose, hot and furious, pushing down any residual lust I had felt. “I’m twenty years old and plenty confident I can hold a job without someone else’s blessing.” I seethed at him.
The walk was silent and despite the cool night, the air was thick between us. Rowan was pissed, but he shouldn’t have been there in the first place. He had no right. I was a grown woman—technically over thirty years old if you counted my first life. I had no need for a keeper.
Two blocks away, his control snapped.
“What were you thinking?” The words came out low and dangerous, his patronizing tone fanning the inferno inside me.
Obviously he was not hearing me. My stomach still churned with adrenaline and my temper was quicksilver. “I was thinking I’m an adult who’s allowed to do what she wants,” I snapped back.
“Do you know what that place is?”
“A gentlemen’s club with a job opening?”
He made a sound of pure frustration. “It is dangerous.”
“What, the pole? Maybe if I shoved it up your misogynistic ass. I’ve got good upper body and core strength.” I retorted, clearly done biting my tongue around him now that we were safely away from prying eyes and ears.
“Not the pole,” he growled. “The club. The peopleinthe club.”
I raised an eyebrow in mock confusion. “Are you scandalized and shocked by what you saw, poor Rowan? Don’t worry, I won’t tell Charlie that his little boy went to his first strip club.”
“This is no joke, Violet.”
“Am I laughing?”
My blistered feet ached, each step a new agony.Probably should have danced barefoot instead of showing off in these ridiculous high heels, idiot. When we got to a crosswalk and waited for the light to turn, I bent overto rub at my feet through my shoes. There was a cool breeze on my ass, followed by a honking horn and a wolf whistle.
I knew what they saw, my ass in a bright red thong, possibly still soaked from earlier. Above, Rowan let out a few curses and I smiled despite myself. Let the man child deal with his own issues. It’s my body and how I display it is none of his concern.
