“It was unavoidable. I’m here now, aren’t I?”
I glare at him. “Yeah. You are.”
Something irrational washes over me when a thought flits through my head.
What if it was… a woman who made him show up late. His dark hair is wet, as if he’d just showered before walking out the door.
Clearly, he had time for that, so I’m very unclear about what else would prevent him from showing up to an event that we’ve had planned for weeks. From being here when his own boss told him he had to be.
The thought of him touching someone else makes my blood simmer in my veins, something ugly tearing free in the pit of my stomach, something I don’t bother to hold back.
“Next time you make a promise to be here, be here, or don’t bother showing up at all. They deserve more than that. Make sure you tell your new bathroom hookup that you’re a flake while you’re at it.”
It’s mean and catty, but the words are out of me before I can stop them.
It’s the first time I think I’ve ever been so confrontational, and I’m blaming the hot torrent of jealousy pouring out of me.
He steps even closer, almost to the point that it’s going to appear inappropriate, his full height towering over me as his gaze darkens, his irises appearing nearly black. “It won’t happen again.”
When I turn to walk away, I feel his fingers curling around my arm, whirling me back toward him.
The contact causes my stomach to dip, my pulse to hammer erratically, and I push down a swallow.
I can’t help my body’s reaction when it comes to him. It’s both frustrating and exhilarating, and part of me wishes that he didn’t have this hold over me. Especiallynow.
“And just so we’re clear, I wasn’t with a woman. But the next time that you want to act like a jealous little brat… just know that it does nothing but make me want to bend you over my desk and spank the fuck out of your ass.”
He holds my gaze for a beat, the air crackling between us, the rest of the room, the noise, the people, everything drowning out.
“I think we’ve already established that my restraint is razor-thin when it comes to you, so please do not fucking try me, Maisie.”
Bolts of hot, searing thrill run down my spine, that spot in my lower belly cording tight until I feel like I’m going to burst.
Without another word, he brushes past me toward his team, leaving me with my thighs pressed tightly together and my heart still racing against my pulse.
What the hell was that?
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
WILDER
Jealousy looksgood on Maisie Delacroix.
So fucking good that it took the very little restraint I had left to walk away and not drag her into my office and say fuck it.
To say fuck this event and fuck itall.
Every bit of it.
Just fuck it.
She looked good enough to eat with her chin held high, her shoulders squared like she could take whatever I gave her back. Her cheeks flushed red in anger, those pretty blue eyes flaring with heat I didn’t know she possessed as she threw her words my way like they were a weapon.
She was wrong. She had no fucking clue just how wrong she was, but all I could think was…good.
I’m glad she’s jealous.
