Page 49 of How Dare You
“I’ve never met anyone who’s so willing to give of their time, their energy, their resources. Yeah, you’re committed to your business, but I’ve seen you put your friends above it time and time again. Coming to Allie’s charity thing even though you had work to do, taking heat for Bea on jobsites.” She holds my gaze, revealing nothing of her reaction to my words. “You are the best kind of friend. Fuck, the only reason you’re standing here with me is because of your friends. They believed this was important for you, and even though you knew it might ruin your business to take this time off, you trusted them anyway.”
“Are you done?” she tries again to push past me, but I still her with a hand at her waist, leaving us inches apart.
“You matter because of your creativity, your grace. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever used that word, but dammit you’re graceful.” Am I imagining it, or was that the slightest tick of a smile? “You matter so much more than Friday West ever could.”
If the smile was there, it’s gone now. “Friday West is my life.”
“No, it isn’t.” I squeeze the hand at her waist, pulling her closer to me until her chest is pressed against mine. Her hand flies up to brace herself on my biceps. “You matter. Period. No qualifiers. You matter.”
She blinks up at me. “You think you can just say sweet things to me, and I’ll forget the fact that I didn’t invite you to have an opinion in the first place?”
“The only reason you’re still here is because of me. You’re not staying out of some sense of duty, of what the right thing is, loyalty to your friends.” I flex my hand on her waist. “You’re standing right here, letting me hold you, because you want me.”
There’s a long pause, her chest pressing against mine with every breath she takes. If it weren’t for the heavy beating of her heart, I’d think her unaffected. “I’m not myself with you.”
“Not this again.” I tuck her hair behind her ear, letting my hand linger at the base of her head. She doesn’t shake me off. “You are always yourself. Every version of you matters. You are yourself with me, but a side of yourself you rarely let come out to play. You like who you are with me.”
“No, I don’t,” she lies, stepping back, loosening the hold I had on her.
I step forward, into her space again. “What don’t you like about yourself with me?”
She shakes her head, turns around, and walks the long way around the firepit toward the trailer.
I let her get to the base of the stairs before I say, “You’re running away from me again because you’re still scared.” It stops her in her tracks.
She turns to face me, movements smooth. “I’m not scared of you.”
“No, you’re not.” I smirk. “You’re scared of what it means that you want me so bad. You’re afraid that after one night with me, you’d never be able to stop.”
She pops one hip to the side in time with a cock of her head, accentuating her curves and signaling a shift in her demeanor. “One night?”
I slide my hands into my front pockets. “That’s all it would take, and you’d be mine for good.”
She holds her hands out wide in invitation. “Okay, daddy, show me what you’ve got.” She teases, trying to make this mean something less than it does.
I watch her for a moment, making her wait for my response. “You want it? You come to me.”
She radiates power like heat from the campfire that stands between us, holding my stare in a way that’s as comfortable as breathing at this point. Her mind is racing behind those navy-blue eyes, trying to decide what she’s willing to risk, if she’s willing to allow herself freedom. Eventually, she makes the predictable choice and turns to walk up the wooden steps.
When her hand reaches the door handle, I stop her with my words. “If you hide inside, it only proves you’re afraid.”
She turns, seething. “How dare you.” I don’t move, don’t respond, just wait for her to come to me. And finally, blessedly, she does. “I’m not afraid of anything.” Her long legs take three strides to reach me.
I wrap her up in my arms, one tight around her waist, one bracing her shoulders. “You are far too easy to bait,” I tease, and capture her lips in a kiss before she has a chance to argue against my point. Her passion melts from anger into sensual need in an instant, leaning into my hold and meeting every fervent movement of my lips, my tongue, with one of her own. Slender hands hold tightly at the nape of my neck, as she loses herself in my embrace.
My hands roam the smooth curves of her body, from her slight waist to her rounded hips, her toned ass and lower. I slide one hand down the back of a defined thigh, hitching her leg up higher and higher until it’s hooked on my hip and her heat presses against me.
I let myself revel in the feel of her other leg, rubbing my hand slowly, firmly down her thigh before swinging it up too, so both of her glorious legs are wrapped around my torso. I walk her over to the trailer, carrying her up the wooden steps and pressing her back against the door. I grind against her, and she makes a tiny, surprised gasp in response.
“Just one night,” she breathes.
“That’s what you think,” I say, moving my kisses down her jaw.
“It can’t be more,” she whispers unconvincingly against my temple.
I still and pull back to see Devon in her heated state. Long legs wrapped around me, back pressed against the trailer door, her chest rising and falling on short breaths. “After tonight, I won’t come to you again, but you will come to me. And you will beg me for more,” I tell her.
“Okay, daddy, whatever you say,” she laughs my words off, coming in for another kiss. Her lips are hot and needy against mine. Hungry for everything I’ll give her.