Page 80 of All Jacked Up

Noa Raines wasn’t available to be those things for any other man. I required all of her fucking shine.

Fuck this. I’d make it work. She was a necessity. Having the freedom to fuck whoever I wanted and whenever wasn’t. I could live without that. But what I couldn’t live with was … her with some other man.

I started toward her door again when I heard the first pad of bare feet on the hardwood and froze. She was walking. I listened as the steps moved closer to the door, and I played out the two options I had here. I could hide until she was asleep, and she’d never find me or know I was ever here.

Or …

I could stand here. Let her see me. And deal with this now. Make sure she was aware that there would be no brunches with Thirst. She was mine. If she wanted motherfucking brunch, I’d take her. If she wanted to fuck, I’d do that too. Many times. In several different ways. He wasn’t required.

Her doorknob turned slowly, and I moved back, leaning against the counter. Crossing my arms over my chest, I almost grinned, thinking about her reaction. She might get pissed, but I’d make her forget. With my tongue.

That image began to play out in my head as my cock started to stiffen.

The door eased open so fucking slowly it was clear she’d heard something. I bit back a smile. If I were someone intent on hurting her, this was not the way for her to handle it. But she didn’t have to worry about that. No one was going to be getting near her.

The sharp gasp came before the door flung open, and Noacame barreling out of the room, her silver eyes wide, confused and, yep … slightly pissed.

“Ransom! What are you doing in my apartment?! How did you get in here? You scared me to death! I woke up and heard the floor creak and almost had a heart attack!” she said, throwing her hands up, and I saw the black boot she was clasping tightly in one of them.

“What are you doing with a boot?” I asked, unable not to grin.

She narrowed her eyes and swung it at me. “To hit you with! Or whoever had broken into my apartment.”

“You were going to use a boot?” I asked, cocking one eyebrow.

“It’s the only thing I could find in the dark! What—how—” She shook her head. “Am I asleep?”

Damn, I was glad I hadn’t hidden.

“No, Shakespeare. You’re awake.”

Her shoulders rose and fell, and my eyes went to her tits, pressing against another of those nighties she liked to wear. This one was an animal print.

“How did you get in here?” she asked. “That doesn’t make sense. I have to be asleep.”

Straightening, I walked over to her, and she watched me hesitantly. This was right. I could do this. Right now, my dick seemed to only want her. I hadn’t touched another woman since I’d almost fucked her.

“We went over the whole Mafia bit,” I told her, reaching out to wrap a strand of her hair around my finger. I’d wanted to do that while she slept and hadn’t, so I gave in to the desire to feel the silky tresses.

“You … you broke in?”

I shook my head. “I used my key card.”

“Your key card?”

“Yes. The one that gets me into your building and apartment.”

She sucked in a breath when I leaned closer to smell the lock Iwas currently playing with.

“Wh-where did you get a key card?” Her tone was slightly breathless, so I took advantage of it and stepped closer.

“I had a copy made of yours,” I explained and gently gripped her right hip and tugged her closer. “I like the way you smell.”

“Ransom?”

“Yes?”

“As, um, uh … well, as much as I am enjoying, uh … this … I need you to explain why you got a copy of my apartment, uh …”

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