Slowly everyone stands, unsure of what to do other than follow his command. I get sympathetic looks as people shuffle out, and a moment later, it’s just us.
Vander stands and paces over to the door.
“I can’t believe you did that. You completely humiliated me.”
“You weren’t doing your job. There were three things you missed in the first ten minutes of the meeting.”
My face falls toward the table. “I’m sorry. I was a little distracted.” I swallow thickly, needing to do this. “Vander, I quit. I thought a lot about this yesterday and this morning, and I don’t want to be with you. Not ever again. I was using you, sleeping with you because I felt like I had to since we were living there and you’re my boss. It disgusts me, and I can’t do it anymore.”
My heart is throbbing, and my nails dig into my thighs so I don’t sob at my lies.
I clear my throat. “Anyway, it’s better that we do this now. I’m sure you can get Champagne to stay?—”
He closes and presses the lock on the door, the sound reverberating through the quiet room, cutting me off.
His shoes tap lightly on the carpet, and my breathing quickens to their cadence. The toe of his shoe spins my chair until I’m facing him. Before I can meet his eyes, his hands are on my hips, and he lifts me out of my chair and drops me onto the table.
“Vander.” My voice catches, and I clear it. “What are you doing?”
His hand captures the back of my neck, and his lips slam down on mine. My hands grasp his biceps, and I gasp in shock. His tongue takes full advantage, swooping into my mouth and thrashing with my own. It’s deep and pulsing and passionate and uncompromising, and as always with him, my mind shuts off and lets him lead.
I kiss him back, not knowing how to stop.
I’m sick and aching and scared, and I justneedhim.
His hand slides up my dress, where he rips my panties off me, and before I can comprehend what the hell he’s doing, hepushes two fingers into me only to immediately withdraw them and break the kiss.
He stares down at me, holding his two fingers up. “No blood or tampon, Angel. And not only are you wet, but you kissed me back like you wanted it just as much as I did. So how about you tell me why you were in tears earlier and lying to my face now?”
Shit.
Stupid, sexy, smart man.
“I quit.”
A devious smile curls up his lips, and his palms plant onto the table on either side of me, fingers splayed, putting him directly in front of me.
“You already said that, and it’s not accepted. Try again.”
“You can’t dictate that. If I quit, I quit.”
“You’re not quitting. Cut the shit and tell me what’s going on!” he yells in frustration.
“No.”
His eyebrows jump. “No?”
“That’s clearly what I said since you just repeated it.”
His expression turns menacing as he tugs me straight to the edge of the table to the point where I nearly slip right off.
“Vander! Jesus, what are you doing?”
He gets right up in my face, fuming in a way I’ve never seen before. “How am I supposed to take care of you and keep you safe when you won’t talk to me?” He cups my cheek, forcing me to meet and hold his gaze. “Do you not get it? Do you really not know?”
He moves away, and I hear fabric ripping before he’s back with his forearm in front of my face. I start gasping for air, my chest so tight there’s no air, and I’m dizzy. All I see are bleeding angel wings inked into his skin.
“That’s you, Liora.” He taps the tattoo. “I got this two weeks after I left you. You’ve always been with me. You’ve always been a part of me. My angel. No matter how I fight it, all the ways Iknow being with you is wrong, I still bleed for you.” He lifts my chin, and his voice softens. “It’s you, baby. It’s always been you.”