He smirks and straightens up, adjusting his jacket—and his belt, which makes me wonder if anything else needs adjusting, too, but he sits down before I have a chance to check for an erection. He gives me an amused look as he settles into the chair. He’s big and broad, taking up way too much space. One of his knees bumps the table from underneath. The other is dangerously close to rubbing against my leg.
“Here’s the thing.” I tap my finger against my lower lip as I give him a thoughtful look. It’s all very deliberate, of course. After New York, I need to regain the upper hand.
With Scott, I’m perpetually off-balance. That just won’t do.
“The thing?” He grins and leans in. He’s playing with me, too. He knows how good he smells. The bastard.
“You were a jerk to me in New York.”
He nods. “I was.”
I watch his gaze drop to my mouth, which makes me think of kissing him. Does he know his mouth is tugged tight like that? Under tension, because he wants to lean in and kiss me, too?
Eyes up, Ali. “And now you’re being all flirty.”
He jerks his gaze up to meet mine. I gasp, just a little, a squeak of a noise, because yeah, he knows. Pure want burns in his eyes. I know the feeling. “I’m not,” he growls.
“You so are. And you’re a jerk to pretend otherwise.”
“At least I’m consistent.”
“Why?”
He shrugs.
Well, enough of this conversation, then. “Okay. I’m heading home.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“Nope, I’m fine.”
I shove my computer into my bag and stand up, making my way to the counter.
He follows, close enough to make the skin at the back of my neck prickle. I like it.
“You guys are closing up at midnight, yeah?” I ask the girl at the counter. She nods. “Can I take the rest of the muffins off your hands?”
“Sure. I’ll give them to you half-off.”
“Thanks!” I say brightly. I ignore Scott while she bags them up, then I stow them in my bag on top of the computer and my notebook.
Then I head for the door. I don’t get more than five feet down the sidewalk before his hand wraps around my jacket sleeve.
“Enough, Ali,” he growls.
I blink at the bark. “Excuse me?”
“Come with me.” He’s pissed, and I should be—I don’t know, scared or something—but I’m not, because his hand grabs mine. His fingers wrap around mine. Scott’s pulling me toward his car, and I’m probably grinning like an idiot.
“Are you going to punish me for being bad?”
“Jesus Christ, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“More than you could ever imagine.”
“You’re enjoying this.”
“I have your full attention. Of course I’m enjoying this.”
“What am I going to do with you?”
“Anything you want.”
He jerks open the back door and gestures for my bag. I slide between him and the SUV and put it down on the back seat, then press against him.
“Stop that.”
“Make me.”
He laughs. “I’m more than you can handle.”
“So you keep saying,” I whisper.
His voice is low, but he doesn’t stumble at all. It should scare me, how confident he is about sex. It doesn’t. I can feel myself getting slick and he hasn’t even said anything dirty yet. “You don’t want me to turn you into my f*ck
toy.”
Boom. Well, that was dirty. I try and fail not to blush. It might be true that I don’t have any experience with being anyone’s f*ck
toy, but while maybe I don’t “Netflix and chill”, I watch Netflix. I know that’s not the only option.
f*ck
him and his rules.
But mostly, just f*ck
him.
Preferably on my own terms.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” I say, leaning in close enough that our noses almost bump. When you can feel someone hovering just above your skin and it makes you twitchy…I grin as Scott clenches his jaw. Yes. I’ve got him.
His legs bump against mine. His gaze burns on my skin.
“Don’t you want to know what I’ve been thinking?”
“I’m not sure I do.”
“Why not?”
“Honestly? I’m afraid if…when you tell me what it is, it’s going to be something that I can live with.”
I laugh. “Probably.”
“Don’t tell me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to hurt you.”
The echo of what Hailey had said a month earlier is too on-point. I snort. “Maybe I’ll hurt you.”
“Maybe.” But his voice promises that he’s been here, done this before, and he’s pretty confident that he’s an ass*ole
.
That’s fine. No reason I can’t have a fling with an ass*ole
. My heart is off-limits, and not just to Scott Mayfair.
“You don’t work for my sister’s fiancé anymore. And I’m not asking for a one-night stand anymore. Just a casual, no-strings attached continued flirtation. A secret flirtation, of course. And no…f*ck
ing. Not yet. Not until you’re ready.” I wink. It sounds perfect, and so does the helpless little grunt he makes in response.
I tap my fingers against his hard, broad chest. “What other rules did you have?”
“I honestly can’t remember.”
I grin. “Take me home, Scott. And the next time I’m out studying late, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
“That’s your plan?”
“Do you want me to walk home alone? In the dark and cold?”
He groans. “Damn it.”
I grin again. “One way or another, mister, you’re going to end up on my speed dial.”