Suddenly all ideas of seducing him went out of the window and Ifelt my anger rising up at the unfairness of the situation.
“Ihate you too!” Igritted as Istarted to walk away. “Ihate all men like you.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he yelled.
Iturned to face him. He was still sitting down on the lounger but he was looking at me now, and he saw every ounce of anger on my face. Iwas humorless, all joking gone from my tone. It was the truth, atruth Ihadn’tintended on sharing, but somehow Gauge always made me blurt things out.
“Men like you—the ones that think they have any control over women. That think they get to boss me around and give me orders. Men like you, who lead with their dicks and treat women like shit.” My tone was cold and hard as Ispoke, growing angrier as Iwatched his brow furrow, both anger and frustration growing. “You don’tcontrol me, Gauge! No one does. Imake my choices. Me!” Istabbed afinger at my bare chest.
Gauge let out abitter laugh. “You think Idon’tknow that? You think any man in his right mind don’tknow that about you, Jolie?” He laughed harder. “You are the epitome of adevil bitch, you know that? You have men fuckin’ running the other way because you’re fuckin’ uncontrollable.”
It was my turn to laugh then. “Good! Because Idecide what happens to me. Me, not my brothers, not my mom, not some piece-of-shit biker like you, not anyone but me! Do you get that?” My tone grew steadily more aggressive as Ispoke, my eyes tingling with ferocity. Acold breeze blew through the air, setting my nipples hard and reminding me that Iwas in fact completely naked. But Ididn’tcare.
It was just abody.
Iwas just awoman.
And like he said, Iwas adevil bitch and anyone would be mad to go near me. At least unless they were trying to break me.
Break me.
Use me.
Iwas abody to them all and nothing more.
Useless for anything but the holes Ihad.
Gauge stood up and came toward me quickly, his six-foot frame towering over me. “Piece-of-shit biker like me, huh?”
“Yes.” Ipoked afinger into his hard chest.
Gauge shook his head and then sucked his bottom lip into his mouth like he was trying to restrain himself. “Nice, thanks for that,” he finally gritted out.
Iraised an eyebrow and smiled. “My pleasure.”
“You know what, just stay the fuck out of my way, Jolie. This shit is nearly over, thank fuck.”
Ilaughed bitterly. “You can’ttell me what to do. Why don’tyoustay out ofmyway.”
“Goddamn it, Jolie!” He threw his arms up in the air. “Where the fuck is this comin’ from? I’mnot tryin’ to control you, Jolie. Jesus fuckin’ Christ, any man would be stupid to try to control you!” he yelled back.
“Of course you are. Men like you are always trying to control women like me! You hate that we’re free and you have no control over us.”
Gauge scowled and threw his arms open wide. “Men like me?”
“Yeah, men just like you.” Irolled my eyes and huffed out asnort of indignation. “Piece-of-shit men just like you.”
The pitch black pupils of his eyes grew darker still and Iwatched as something visibly clicked inside of him. Iswallowed, momentarily scared that I’dpushed him too far. We were in the middle of nowhere, alone, after all. He could do anything he wanted to me and cover it up just as easily. But something told me that wasn’twhere it was heading.
Gauge took astep forward, forcing me to lower my hand and back up. “Listen up, you crazy fuckin’ bitch, the fact that you argue back, that you fight and kick and scream, that you call everyone out on their bullshit—that you call me out on mine—it’sfuckin’ hot, okay? Ithought Iwas abastard, but you give me arun for my money every day of the week. Hate it? Fuck no, woman, and Ifuckin’ love that about you. You're smart and you’re strong as shit and you’re damned beautiful too.” He dragged his hands through his hair. “Maybe Ihave some serious fuckin’ issues, who the fuck knows. All Iknow is that the last thing Iwant to do is control you, Jolie.” His tone had turned rough and raw, his heated gaze never leaving mine.
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“You want the truth? The whole fuckin’ truth? Well here it is: it’staking everythin’ in my willpower not to grab you right now and bend you over that goddamn patio table! Maybe I’ve got shit for brains but you’re driving me fuckin’ wild, woman.You’refuckin’ wild and Ican’thelp that Ilike that about you. Maybe other men want to control you, but Iwant you untamed and as wild as stallions, babe.”
Iopened my mouth to say something.
Anything.
