Page 130 of Manhattan Secret

“Goddammit, Lachie,” I watery laugh, my tears returning. “You made me jump through hoops. I practically tell everyone in earshot that you’re mine. I nearly fricking lick my ownership all over you every time I see a girl talking to you.”

This he smirks devilish at. The devil. The gorgeous, loveable devil.

I sigh into my smile, gripping his neck just to hold onto the bubbles of happiness inside me.

“You needed to realize what you really wanted, Laney. I could have fucked you so hard that day you showed up, could have tracked you down weeks before, made you buckle under my body. But you needed to want this… us … for the long haul, not in secret, to be proud of us and what we have.”

“You wanted to punish me; you mean.” I pinch his skin and he grins really big. “You kicked me out, of course I did. I wanted you to work for me, make me feel all special and shit.”

“You are special. You’re so special, you own me. All my heart, Lachie.”

“You got mine too, mouse. Always have. Always will.”

Wow, that’s some declaration from a bad boy.

“Are you done punishing me? Can I kiss you now?”

He gives me that blue eyed stare I love on his face. It’s kind of smug, a lot more confident and all Lachlan. Basically, it’s hot as Hades and Persephone when they get down to their underworld nasty.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

“Lachie! You have such a poker face; I can never tell.”

“I’ve always been an open book with you, mouse, you just never looked close enough.”

He’s right. I was so scared of what I was feeling for him, I kept us at surface level. I look now though, deep in his eyes, unwavering, unblinking and I see everything that’s there to see.

He loves me.

He forgives me.

He needs me too.

Hands move up and down my back. I know what he’s doing. It’s how he used to rile me up, to get me to take my clothes off and think it was my idea. Those same hands grasp me around my nape, and I moan, leaning in to take a kiss…finally.

Only, the terrible devil I’m in love with stops me.

His smile is nothing short of sinful.

“Horny, mouse?”

God, yes. So much yes.

“Maybe,” I breathe, going in again and he stops me.Again. Ugh. “Lachie…” I whine. “I need your mouth.”

His eyes flare. I love when they do that. I’ve missed that look of him being completely subservient to my needs and how I express them.

“You need to start being brave and telling me what you want … what you need. That’s what my woman does, she tells me these things, Laney.”

One inhale. Two. My cheeks ruddy red.

Lachie’s eyes penetrating me like an alien probe.

Patiently waiting for me to spill my heart and guts like I haven’t been doing that already. He just wants it all and I want to give him everything.

“I really, really want you to screw my brains out in a restroom stall again very soon.” There is his uncontrolled inhale and I smile. Confident. Brave. “Just yank up my teeny skirt and take me against the door. Let everyone know my man is doing me real nicely.”

“Fuck,” he hisses. “Fuck,” he says again.

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