Page 45 of Worth the Risk

She couldn’t keep from rolling her eyes, which she’d already learned was a bad thing at the club. But it was too late to take it back.

“That’s impossible. They had it for a week. How much?”

“I took care of it.”

“No,” she told him adamantly, dom or not. “I have a job now. My other expenses aren’t all that much. I can pay for my repair.”

“No, you can’t,” he shot back, “because I already did. Put the money in a rainy-day fund for when it breaks down again.”

She noted he saidwhennotif. “But, Dan—”

He held up his hand again, stopping her. “You’re just getting back on your feet. This is me taking care of you, Bella. End of discussion.”

“I thought you said you didn’t want 24/7. This seems like it to me.”

“Only because you’ve never seen 24/7.”

She tensed when he caught her by the hips and pulled her against him.

“I took the time to explain rather than tipping you over the couch, spanking your ass then fucking you speechless. That is definitely not 24/7.” His hands slid around to her lower back, splayed fingers encroaching on the aforementioned curvy part of her anatomy, and there was a warning in the low hum of his voice. “Although, keep pushing me about paying for the car, and we’ll test out the sturdiness of Angie’s couch.”

She averted her face, which got hot at the thought of him tipping her over and swatting her behind. Why did her heart race and her pussy get wet at his Neanderthal threat?

“That turns you on, huh?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. Your nipples are hard, and your face is flushed, and if I put my fingers to your throat, your pulse would be racing. So, are you going ass up as punishment or for fun?”

“For fun,” she whispered.

His hand slid under the hem of her tee, splayed wide across her back, and pressed her to his chest, breast to pecs. “That’s my good girl. Wise beyond her years,” he murmured, his gaze on her mouth as he dipped his head.

She jerked back a bit, not ready to give in yet. “I can’t keep taking from you, Dan. First it was the groceries, then the clothes, now an expensive car repair—”

“I’m doing it because I want to, Bella, and because I can.”

“Are you sure? I’m making good money now.”

“Save it for a vehicle upgrade, which will keep me from getting more gray hairs. I have nightmares you’ll break down in a bad part of town.”

“You moved me out of the bad part. Between here and the club, it’s all good.”

He grunted. “Bad things happen in good parts of town, too, baby. Believe me.”

She chewed her lip for a moment, still torn, but then relented. “Okay. I’ll save it because I really do need a new car.” A thought occurred to her, and she poked his chest. “That isn’t an invitation to buy me one, either. I don’t want to be known as the kind of girl who drains her boyfriend dry.”

He blinked, gazing at her, his lips twitching until she realized what she’d said.

This time, she used both hands flat against his chest to push him, trying to get free. When he refused to let her go, sassy Bella emerged. “For a man of your advanced years, you’ve got a dirty mind.”

“Ouch. I’m going to ignore that wisecrack, infant. But I’d like to point out that you went there, too, so your mind must be equally dirty, making us simpatico.” His hands slid to her ass, and he lifted her against him. “Can we please stop bickering about money and get to the funishment? Or draining me dry. Either works.”

“All right, enough about money. For today,” she agreed. Not ruling out tomorrow or the day after that.

He dropped his head on her shoulder and groaned dramatically, making her laugh.

“Why can’t I stay mad at you?”

---