Page 113 of Clashing
She ripped a fresh receipt off the register, and I reached over the bar to grasp her wrist before she walked away. “His presence doesn’t mean you have to interact with him. Or leave your jacket with him.”
“Nothing happened. Chill out.”
Chill out.Oh, that was it. All night, I’d been trying not to snap, but that was the last straw.
The crowd thinned as the hour grew later. The asshole she’d spent the night flirting with left her a big tip and tried to get her number. She turned him down, thank God. It wouldn’t change her fate, though. The mention of Collin had ended my drinking for the night. I substituted scotch for water. I wanted to be sober when I finally got her alone.
After I declined another offer for a drink, Scarlett braced her hands on the bar. “Still don’t want a drink? Is this how you pout?”
A muscle in my jaw pulsed. “Don’t push me, Scarlett. Not right now.”
“You’re ridiculous.” She clicked her tongue. “He happened to hit the same club we were at and stopped to say hi. To be polite. That was it. I swear. You think I’d lie to you?” She shook her head and sashayed away. “Calm down, Grumpy.”
Tammy’s rule of not hooking up could get fucked tonight. I waited until Scarlett went into the back and snuck in after her while Tammy was occupied with a customer. I crept past the cooks and found Scarlett in the storage room, reaching for a bottle. She didn’t notice me until I closed the door with a soft click.
She spun to face me and arched a brow. “Tammy has rules.”
“I don’t care about Tammy’s rules.” I stole the bottle in her hands and returned it to the shelf. “I have my own fucking rules to go over with you.” Grabbing her hips, I pushed her against the wall.
She gasped, hooked her arm around my neck, and stretched on her toes to kiss me.
I planted my palm on her chest and pushed her back. “Ground rules first.”
“Ground rules?” She wrinkled her nose. “Really?”
“I agree we shouldn’t need them, but apparently we do.”
“You’re such a baby. Collin is a good person, and he was kind to me. If I want to have a three-minute conversation with him because we happened to be at the same place, that’s my choice. I can talk to whomever I want.”
“Not him.”
“Ryker, that’s bullshit and you know it.” She crossed her arms. “You’re doing that thing again. Trying to control me. Telling me what to wear and who I can talk to. It’s not okay. If you want to hook up with me, you have to respect my decisions about what I do.”
I frowned, clenching and unclenching my fists. I hated when she was right. I promised her I’d be better, that I wouldn’t be an asshole. It wasn’t that I wanted to control her. It was that I was selfish when it came to her and didn’t want to share.
I refused to fuck up again, so I took a long breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” I swept my thumb over her lower lip. “But no more flirting with the fucking customers.”
She flicked her tongue across the pad of my thumb, that mischievous glint in her eye back. “Why?”
“Because you’remine.” I kissed her. Hard. I wanted her lips to be swollen when she walked out. I wanted it clear she wasn’t available.
She moaned and circled her arms around my neck, but I caught her wrists and pinned them above her head. She let out a delightful sound that made my rapidly hardening cock stiffen.
“Listen and listen good.” I bit her lower lip until she hissed, then released it. “You aren’t going to flirt with customers anymore.”
“You don’t have a say.” She licked her lips. “I’m not yours.”
I slid my hand under her skirt and cupped her pussy. “You’re not mine?”
She gasped and rocked her hips into my hand.
I nipped at her neck and rubbed her through her underwear. “Yes, you fucking are, Scarlett.” I touched her until her thighs quivered around my hand.
Hooded eyes gazed up at me with all the power to fucking undo me. “You think I’m yours?”
I released her wrists and closed my fingers around her throat. “I know you are.”
She flattened her palm against my cock and stroked me through my jeans. Her other hand covered mine and she squeezed, tightening my hold on her throat.Fuck, I loved when she did that. “Prove it.”
