“Fine. Then where would you like to have it?”
He lifted his bag off his desk. “I prefer not to at all.”
I folded my arms across my chest and raised my voice. “So you’re done with me, then? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? Because I prefer direct. If we’re done fucking, you can just say so.”
We had a mini stare off, and I knew I was pushing his tolerance to the max. I also didn’t give a flying shit.
“Seven o’clock,” he said. “I’ll come by your place after my last class.”
“I work day shift until eight tonight. I’ll come to your place after.”
I had no idea what had possessed me to say that. Why would I want to drive from Manhattan back to Brooklyn upset in the middle of the night? But my emotions felt so uncontrollable, I’d grasped for anything to have some semblance of control.
“Fine. But I’ll pick you up. I don’t want you driving at night tired.”
Surprisingly, the rest of the day flew by. O’Leary’s was busy, and working with Charlie rather than Ava meant I didn’t have to talk about my life all day long. A little before seven, I was in the rear of the adjoining dining room talking to a couple who were regulars when my attention was diverted. I spotted Caine walking in. My heart started to race.
I was fooling myself trying to pretend I wasn’t going to be hurt when he reminded me what we’d had was purely sex. All the logic in the world couldn’t stop my heart from falling.
After I checked in on my tables and let the last straggling customers know they’d need to settle up at the bar, I went over to Caine. Charlie was standing nearby.
“You remember Caine, Charlie, right?”
Charlie extended his hand. “The Professor. West, right?”
Caine shook. “That’s right.”
“Got a middle name?”
Caine’s brows furrowed, but he answered anyway. “I do. Maxwell—my father’s name. Why?”
Charlie eyed me. “No reason. Just like to know who my girl is spending time with.”
I rolled my eyes. “Ignore Charlie. He was a cop for twenty years. Everyone’s a suspect until they’re proven innocent. I’m going to go change. I’ll be right back.”
The car ride to Caine’s was quiet and awkward. Since the way he handled the stick shift stirred me in places I didn’t want to be stirred, I spent most of the time looking out the window. When we arrived at Caine’s building, he came around to open my door, but I was already halfway out. He frowned and took my elbow to help steady me as I lifted from the tiny, low car. More silence ensued on the elevator up to his apartment. It wasn’t until we were inside that either of us spoke.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’ll take a water.” I kneeled to greet Murphy, who seemed to sense the tension between us and actually listened when Caine snapped at him.
“Down, boy.”
Caine brought me a bottle of water and himself a glass of red wine. Again, I was staring out the window. I’d had the entire day to think about what I was going to say, but since the time had come, all my pent-up anger and frustration had disappeared. I was just sad and felt defeated and tired.
I sighed and continued to stare off into the city lights. “I didn’t invite Davis to come to O’Leary’s. We didn’t have plans or anything.”
“I know.”
My eyes moved to Caine in the reflection. He stood behind me. “How do you know?”
“Because you wouldn’t do that. You’re not the type of woman who hops out of bed with one man in the morning and goes out with another.”
I turned to face him. He didn’t back up or give me any room. “So why did you leave, if you knew that?”
He looked me straight in the eyes. “Because you’re better off with him than me.”
My slumped shoulders squared. “You have no say in who I’m with. You can’t just pass me off to someone else when you’re done.”
“That’s not what I’m saying, Rachel.”
“You know what? Screw you.”
“Rachel—”
His tone was a warning. But I was the one who should’ve been warning him. Because suddenly, I was infuriated. My frustration had morphed into anger. It pissed me the hell off that he was standing there so calm. It wasn’t fair that he wasn’t upset. I needed him to be hurt like I was.
“Don’t Rachel me! You’re right. I am better off with Davis. At least he’s honest with me about how he feels. And he was pretty good in bed, too.”
Caine’s jaw clenched. “Are you done?”
“No, I’m not done. I’m just getting started. I think I’ll fuck beanie boy, too. Maybe he can draw some better nudes after seeing the real thing up close and personal.”
His voice was tight. “Now are you done? Because if you’d shut the fuck up for a minute, I’d like to get a word in edgewise.”
My eyes widened. “Did you just tell me to shut the fuck up?”
Caine’s head lowered so we were eye to eye. He spoke through gritted teeth. “I don’t want to hear about you fucking other men. So, yes, shut the fuck up for a minute already.”
“I will not. I can—”
Caine cut me off with a growl and then…his mouth crushed to mine. My gasp of shock was swallowed up by his kiss. His hands came up to cup my cheeks, and he growled again as he tilted my head to where he wanted it, deepening the kiss. My gut reaction was to fight, push away from his grip and run in the opposite direction. But that thought fled the second his tongue scooped inside and found mine. Instead, I kissed him back with all the pent-up anger inside me.
My arms wrapped around his neck, and I tugged at his hair as I clung to him. Caine gripped my thighs, lifting me off the ground as he backed me against the cold glass window. He guided my legs around his waist and groaned when he pressed between them. The sound made everything else disappear.
There was no yelling.
There was no telling me I was better off with another man.
There was only me and him—and this kiss.
This kiss.
Us.
We couldn’t get close enough. Our limbs entangled, his hard body keeping mine in place. We were hungry for each other. I had no fight left in me. My head was spinning, and I was unable to form a coherent thought when our wild kiss finally broke.
Caine was panting, his voice hoarse. “Can you keep quiet for just a minute now?”
I managed to nod.
“Good.” His grip on me tightened, but he pulled back enough to look in my eyes. “I said you were better off with him than me. But you didn’t let me finish.”
I held my breath, waiting to hear the rest.
Caine looked away in thought. “I left last night, thinking it was the right thing to do. I’ve never had a relationship longer than a few months, and I fuck up everything good around me.”
“But you don’t—”
Caine covered my lips with two fingers, silencing me. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Opening them, he chuckled. “God, you really never shut the fuck up.” Then he leaned his forehead against mine. “Let me finish.”
I nodded.