Page 37 of Defiant
“Based on your silence, I’m going to guess you do think it’s stupid,” Jaz whispered.
A part of me wanted to tell her to put some clothes on, that I’d pick her up and bring her over here—I could yell at her all night, if she wanted—but I’d also do other things to her. Things which I could never say aloud, because they were so wrong.
“I think a lot of things,” I muttered, my free hand curling into a fist. My erection was getting to the point where I couldn’t ignore it. It was just too uncomfortable. It’d be a lot quicker to take care of it…but it would also help if I wasn’t on the phone with Jaz, listening to her talk and squirm in the bath.
“Like what?”
I couldn’t tell if she was baiting me or not, and I frankly did not know what to say. The last thing I wanted to do was cross any boundaries, any invisible lines that would make our relationship from here on out awkward or uneasy.
“Like, for example, why my eighteen-year-old client gave me her number while she’s in the bath,” I spoke in a bare whisper, resisting my urge to unbutton and unzip my pants, to pull out my dick and just relieve myself.
She chuckled softly to herself. “Well, when you put it like that, I guess I can see where you’re coming from. It is a little…wrong, especially since our relationship is strictly professional.” Her voice dripped sarcasm, but the facetiousness fell flat. I was going to say something, but she added, “Though, if our relationship is professional, me being in the bath shouldn’t bother you.” I could imagine her smiling to herself, grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary. “Does it bother you, Mr. Grumps, knowing I’m in the bath?”
I let out an uneven breath, which I supposed was my answer. Also, that new nickname of hers, Mr. Grumps? That wasn’t going to fly for much longer.
“It does,” Jaz murmured. “Why is that? Why does it bother you?”
“I think it would bother most men,” I said, not knowing whether or not my claim was even true. Then again, I didn’t so much care. It bothered me, because it made me think of things I should not.
It shouldn’t matter. Jaz wasn’t Celeste. They weren’t the same. Plus, Jaz was eighteen. There would be nothing illegal about anything that could happen between us…
No. That was my baser instincts trying to reason with my logical side. No, nothing could happen between Jazmine Smith and me. Nothing at all.
“Tell me,” she spoke, almost dramatically so, “is it because I’m too pretty for my own good?” Jaz laughed softly at that. “Am I too distracting? Should I not have told you where I was? Would texting be easier on that manly self of yours?”
She was taunting me now. Typical Jaz.
An incredulous smile grew on my face. Not a smile of happiness, but one of Oh, my God, I can’t believe the audacity of this girl. She literally drove me crazy, so crazy I didn’t know how to deal with it. With her. She pushed me off the deep end, and she did it so easily.
“I don’t think I like your tone,” I muttered, leaning forward. I set my elbows on my knees, my cock straining against my pants. The longer I talked to her, the harder it would be to ignore. Eventually, I’d get to the point where I had to take care of it.
“Well, then I guess it’s a good thing you’re not with me right now to teach me a lesson.”
Okay, surely she’d meant that in another way. What the hell was I supposed to do with her? Just ignore her comments and move on with my life? I think we all knew how far gone that point was; I could no longer ignore anything this girl said, even if I knew I should, for my own sanity.
I found I could hardly speak right then, “What am I going to do with you, Jaz?” Sounds of water moving around entered my ears, and I struggled not to imagine her body beneath the water, free of all clothing.
God, I bet she looked stunning.
“What do you want to do with me?” she asked, so quietly I could hardly hear her.
I made the mistake of trying to adjust myself over my pants, but the sensation of touching my rock-hard length only furthered the aching feeling inside. Damn it. This girl…she was literally going to drive me mad. “Jaz…” I warned her.
“What? It was a serious question, for future reference.”
“I think,” I hissed out, “you can imagine.”
“I’m sure I could, but it’s so much more fun to hear you say it.”
“Then you’re going to be disappointed.”
Jaz whined, “Awe, you’re no fun, Mr. Grumps.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“No.”
“If you don’t, I’ll—” I stopped, because I wasn’t sure where I was going with that. Anything I could think of to do to this girl would only help us cross the line. At this point, it felt inevitable. Fight and deny all I wanted, in the end it would be pointless. This girl would get her way.
