Page 54 of Wicked Submission

He growls into the phone. “I told you. You’re in dangerous territory. You want war, I’ll give you war.”

“Be sure you know who you’re going to war with before you declare it. Ask Jean Claude what the Maxwell brothers are capable of and then get back to me. And don’t call Abbie again. Ever.”

“She’s a little cunt, just like you.”

“I know I’m under a man’s skin when he starts using the C-word. Make an appointment with my secretary and we’ll talk about the terms of a sale.” I disconnect and turn to face Abbie, who immediately goes off on me.

“What was that, Gabe? What gave you the right to do that?”

“I’m protecting you.”

“I didn’t ask you to protect me.”

“You came to me, to my firm to represent you.”

“And instead we ended up fucking.”

Dexter whines.

I step toward Abbie and she backs up. “Stop. Stop right there. You—”

“Protected you.”

“You baited him. You pissed him off. You made it worse.”

“I let him know that you’re not alone.”

Her green eyes spark with anger. “You act like I’m your property.” Her voice is low, taut.

“Like you’re my woman,” I bite out.

“And that means you get to make my decisions? If that’s what being your woman means, then I’m out. I’ve been there, done that and I’m not doing it again.” She shoves Dexter’s leash at me and turns away. “I’ll get an Uber.”

I catch her arm and turn her around to me. “You’re comparing me to him now? Because I want to protect you?”

“Protecting me doesn’t mean making my decisions. And if I get owned, I want it to be in bed, not like this.”

I pull her to me. “I’m not trying to own you. That’s not what I want. Except in bed. I do want to own you in bed.”

“You already do,” she whispers, “but isn’t that the problem? You think because I submit there that I will submit anywhere?”

“No. No, Abbie.” I scrub my jaw and cut my stare before I look at her and offer a reluctant explanation. “I’m not good at relationships for reasons that we don’t have time for right now. I’m fucked up and ten shades of trouble, but damn it, I’m all in with you. Be all in with me.”

“I told you I am, but then you—you did that. You should have talked to me.”

“I really believe that what I just did was good for you.”

“He’s brutal, Gabe. He will come after you and me ten times harder now.”

“He won’t.”

“He will,” she insists. “He will. That was a cock fight and in case you didn’t know, he’s five-foot-nine with a short man’s complex, and he flexes with his money and his power.”

“I have more money than you think I have. More than he knows I have, which is in our favor.”

“Gabe,” She grabs my lapels. “What part of this do you not get? He scares me. He should scare you.”

“He doesn’t scare me and he won’t scare you when I’m done with him.”