Page 61 of Playing With Danger

Suddenly I felt like I was intruding. Clearly Valentine didn’t like people in his home.

“If you don’t like?—”

“Did you miss the part where I said I liked you in my kitchen?”

I didn’t miss it, but the strange vibe I was getting didn’t say he liked anything about the situation.

“I like you in my house, Sophie.”

Okay. That was a little better but my stomach was still doing somersaults.

“Liked you in my bed. Liked fucking you there. Liked sleeping with you, liked waking next to you. Liked you in my shower. Bottom line, I like you here, in my space.”

That all sounded good.

“And you don’t like that you like all of that?”

“That’s the problem, baby, I like it. I like it too much. I like it enough to forget all the reasons I should keep this casual between us.”

“But you said?—”

“I know what I said and I meant every word. I want all of you. I knew before bringing you home with me, there was no way I could do casual with you. Last night proved what I already knew. Walking in here and seeing you standing in my kitchen after sleeping in my bed, proves I’m a selfish fuck because even though I know I’m wrong for you and you deserve better than anything I could give you, I’m not letting you go.”

“I don’t want you to let me go.”

“That’s good, baby, but I wasn’t giving you the option.”

Now the acrobatics were going on in my belly for a different reason.

“Then why when you walked in did you not touch me?”

The side of his mouth hitched and my Valentine was back.

“Are you sore?”

I will not blush.

I will not blush.

I was a grown woman who knew her body and what she liked and I wouldn’t blush like a schoolgirl.

Yet I felt the heat hit my cheeks.

“A little,” I admitted.

His right eyebrow slowly rose, calling out my lie.

“Fine. Yes. I’m sore.”

“That’s why I didn’t touch you when I came in.”

I must’ve shown my confusion because he explained.

“I was rough with you last night and I worked you over hard this morning. Seeing you standing here in my kitchen, in my space, knowing how much I loved what I was seeing, knowing you rolled out of my bed, remembering the way you come apart for me, if I’d gotten any closer and touched you I’d forget how sore you are and bend you over the island and fuck you again. I’d forget I need to get you home so you can get to work building your empire. I’d forget everything.”

I wanted him to bend me over the island. I wanted to forget my responsibilities. I wanted him to lose control and treat me like I was his sole purpose for living. I wanted that more than I’d ever wanted anything.

But…

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