Page 85 of Unguarded

31

MONROE

He looks like a wild animal, shirtless, covered in blood and sweat and throwing punches at his brother. I gape at him, my head swimming with wine. My lady bits are pulsing with need. I don’t have any idea why he’s fighting Duke, but he’s acting like a complete maniac. He’s always the epitome of cool, calm, and collected. The Cash I know is usually stoic and unaffected. Even facing a crowd of rabid fans, he maintains himself.

“What is with you?” I yell at him, turning around to stomp in the other direction, away from him and the house.

I hear his footsteps behind me. I speed mine up.

“I have nothing to say to you,” I toss over my shoulder.

He grabs my hand, jerking me to a stop. A spike of rage sends my heart rate into double time. I spin around, shoving my wineglass in his direction and splashing the contents right into his face. He stops cold, but doesn’t let me go. His hand moves up to wipe the wine off his face, and a grin pullsover his mouth. He tugs me closer. Even when I try to pull back, his iron hold doesn’t budge. We’re almost to the barn.

“You’re crazy!” I scream at him. “You think you can just fuck me and then go see your stupid ex-girlfriend? Rosie told me where you went!”

My true feelings are out in the open now. I was going to keep it in, to ignore his existence until he apologized. I huff out a breath, trying to stand up straight. I’m forced to lean into his grip so I don’t lose my footing.

“You think you can just get drunk with my brother the second I’m not around, obsessing over your every movement?”

I scoff. “Duke isfun. Something you seem to have an objection to experiencing.”

Cash takes another step closer to me, still holding my hand. I have to dip my head back to meet his eyes.

“I had a hell of a lot of fun earlier today. Most fun I’ve ever had actually.”

The sun is completely down now, but the chill that runs down my spine is from more than just the darkness.

“If you were sober, we’d be having the same kind of fun right out here in the barn.” His other hand reaches over to brush my hair out of my face. His thumb scrapes against my cheek.

“I’m sober enough,” I lie, tilting my head back farther.

He leans down, cupping the base of my neck. His lips press into mine, desperate and salty. I whimper into him, hating myself for folding so fucking easily. He’s my undoing. I’m defenseless against this man. He releases my hand to press on my lower back until I stumble into his body. Hecrushes me against the planes of his sweaty torso, and the dirty girl deep inside me preens.

He’s filthy, covered in sweat and blood, and I’m fucking obsessed with it and him.

The drunken haze is affecting my brain, and I can’t comprehend denying him anything right now. I want to feel him ravaging me against a hay bale. He tries pulling back from me. I tug his head back down, forcing the kiss to go on. His tongue brushes over mine, reminding me of him tasting me earlier today.

He pulls back again, breaking our lips. “We’re not doing this while you’re drunk, Princess.”

“I want it so bad. Let’s do it in the barn on a hay bale.”

“No, you’re going to bed.” He turns, trying to pull me along behind him.

My stubborn drunk ass is apparently much more combative than when I’m sober. I foolishly attempt to overpower him and nearly fall on my face.

“You’ve never looked so hot. I guess bloody abs are my thing. Come on. I need it.” I plant my feet, furtively struggling to pull him toward the barn.

He chuckles, turning toward me, but instead of following me to the barn, he sweeps his arms down and scoops me up like a baby. The swift motion brings on a wave of nausea as the liquid in my stomach sloshes.

“I don’t sleep with intoxicated women. You’re just gonna have to wait until my little brother pisses me off, which will happen if I catch him with his arm around you like that again.”

“I drank a lot.” I lay my head down on his shoulder. “Tomorrow, I’ll wake up mortified that I begged my bodyguard to screw me over a hay bale and you said no.”

His steps create a gentle rocking motion, which makes the sick feeling in my stomach worse. I open my eyes, staring up at the star-filled sky. I gasp.

“Cash, look at the stars. Are they always that pretty?”

He tilts his head back. I get distracted by the cut of his jawline, and my impulsive thoughts win me over. I lean forward, licking the underside of his jaw.

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