Not so good.
“For some reason, Jake, you feel you have to protect me, and I know that’s why you felt you had to ask me to…marry you. I know you don’t really want to get married.”
Why the hell would she think that?
“I understand you only said it out of some sense of misguided responsibility. But you’re not responsible for me. I’ll always be grateful for the help you gave me, and I’ll always be your friend, but I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. You have to see that.”
Actually, he had to see fuck all. He couldn’t believe she was so fucking clueless. And so beautiful she made his gut hurt.
“I want to be like you,” she said. “I want to be strong and independent. Maybe I want lovers, but I don’t want them to have any power over me. I want to be in control of my life.”
“You want lovers? As in more than one?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“And you imagine I’m going to let you find out?” He could feel his anger rising, and he forced it down. If he got angry, then so would she, and she was stubborn. He had to persuade her, not browbeat her.
He stepped closer and wariness flashed across her face. She licked her scarlet lips, and the muscles in his stomach clenched tight.
“I won’t risk losing your friendship,” she said.
“How about I prove that it’s worth the risk?” He stroked a finger down over the bare skin of her shoulder, and a visible shiver ran through her. She swallowed, licked her lips again, then nibbled on the lower one, and he almost groaned.
He rubbed his thumb over her collarbone, and she went still. Heat flushed the pale skin of her face.
When he edged closer, her gaze darted around the room, as if hunting for an escape route. He slid his hand under her hair to anchor her in place, massaging the back of her neck with his fingers. Her lashes fluttered closed for a few seconds, and she swayed toward him.
“In fact,” he murmured into her hair, breathing in the sweet scent, “I can pretty much guarantee that by the end of the evening you’ll decide that sex with me is more than worth the risk.”
He’d get her so wound up she’d be able to think of nothing but him inside her. As he tightened his grip, her eyes flew open, and she peered around, her expression slightly panicked. Her gaze lit on something behind him. She relaxed, then jumped off the stool.
“They’re leaving.”
He turned and saw their group standing by the entrance. Dave searched the room, and his eyes settled on the two of them. He nodded toward the door.
“We have to go,” Kim said, and without waiting for him, she hurried off toward Dave.
Jake sighed and followed her, his gaze sliding down over her bare back, along the curve of her spine, down to her ass in the tight black leather. It was going to be a long evening.
But if he had his way, the night would end with Kim in his bed. He knew she wanted him. He just had to wear her down
…
Three long hours later, Jake realized he’d totally misjudged Kim. Both her determination and her intimate knowledge of his character.
He glanced up as Dave approached him. They’d had a Chinese meal down the road from the bar and were now in a nightclub not far from his home. Which is where he wanted to be right now. With Kim.
The repetitive beat of the music was doing his head in, and he longed to be out in the fresh air. Dave handed him a bottle of beer and sank down beside him. “You looked like you needed that,” he said.
“Yeah.” He was definitely not the life and soul of the party. No, that title would land squarely on Kim’s naked shoulders. She was across the room by the bar, tossing back tequila slammers with little care for the consequences—or more likely total awareness of the consequences. He suspected this was a carefully strategized campaign to keep him at a distance.
When they’d reached the restaurant, she’d made sure to take a seat between two others so he couldn’t sit beside her. At least not without ousting someone from his chair—which he’d seriously considered. Then, she’d started drinking wine as though there were no tomorrow. She knew he despised drunkenness and never got drunk himself—Kim said it was part of his control-freak personality. And she was probably right. Occasionally, during the meal, she’d caught his eye and raised her glass in his direction.
Now, she tossed down another shot and swayed. Reaching out, she balanced herself on the nearest available object, which happened to be Steve. Jake growled.
“She’s drunk,” Dave said from beside him.
“Yeah.”
They watched for a second in silence. Jake took a sip of his beer.
“I’ve never seen her drunk,” Dave murmured. “It’s kind of scary.”
“Yeah.”
“And she’s going to break a leg in those heels if she’s not careful.”