Temper rising, I challenge Troy, who knows I want him to back off. Yet his fingers tease the curves of my knees.
"I never needed Minka," he says softly like how the cop spoke to me. "I never got jealous of her flirting with other guys. She was doing it for the job, but I didn't care either way. I always knew she wasn't in love with me. Even so, some part of me should have cared about her smiling for other men."
The anger in my heart falters as his words penetrate.
"I wanted to kill that cop for thinking he could talk to you like that," he admits.
"He was only asking what happened."
"Don't be naive," he mutters. "You know when men are flirting with you. You feel it in your gut when you're being hunted."
"I felt it with you."
Troy holds my gaze, challenging me back. "I feel no shame in wanting you."
"I'm fragile," I nearly growl, and he finally realizes why I'm pissed.
"No, you're sick like someone after a bad flu. You're feeling stronger every day, but the sickness wore you down. You're not weak, even if you think that would be easier."
When I push away his hands, Troy only smiles. "I understand you want to hide. I was in a cage for only two weeks, but I spent two months getting over the trapped feeling. I drank so much I can't remember much from that time. I fucked anything that walked and started fights with anyone who looked at me the wrong way. I'm lucky I didn't catch anything or end up in a shallow grave."
Sighing loudly, I release much of my anger. My fingers caress the hard stubble on his cheek, and I shiver as my body responds to his nearness. My nipples harden against my shirt, so I cross my arms again.
"Locke didn't break you," Troy whispers. "He banged you up, but you survived."
"I don't feel strong."
"I know, but I need you to keep trying. I'm selfish, and my heart needs you to be ready for me."
"You are selfish," I mumble, even though I want to smile.
"You get me right here," he says, patting his chest. "Minka made sense in my head, but I never felt it in here. I never craved her the way I do you. I'm only selfish because you make me feel crazy in ways I can't handle."
"Stop blaming me for your problems," I say, grinning behind my hand.
"You're under my skin. Now I can't let you go."
"Pathetic," I say, laughing. "You're such a weak baby."
Leaning forward, he presses his lips against my smiling ones. My mouth opens after a second, and a moan rises inside me. Troy tugs me closer, his chest pressing against mine until I finally wrap my arms around him.
"I'll be less selfish once I get what I need," he murmurs, skimming my forehead with his lips.
"Sex?"
"No, not just sex. I want all of you. I want to know your every secret. I want to explore every inch of your body. I want you to forget every man except me. Once I have all of you, I'll be less selfish."
"I never want you to see me naked."
"Now you're just being mean."
Running my fingers through his soft blond hair, I love how my body responds again. The spreading heat between my legs empowers me.
"You can have me. You just can't look at me."
"Explain," he murmurs, sucking at my wrist.
"I don't like people looking at me. I don't want to be on display."
"I'm not people."
Yanking my arm away, I mutter, "You're not listening."
"I am. I'm just ignoring the parts I don't like."
Troy wraps his arms around my waist and rests his head on my stomach. When he looks up at me, I can barely breathe in the presence of such warmth. How can one man make me stronger and weaker at the same time?
My fingers play with his hair again. If he's mine, I want to keep him. Yet Troy has no patience for the eternity I might need to get strong enough for him.
Eyes burning, I hate the arousal from Troy nuzzling my waist. My mind imagines Locke watching me with his friends the way they did at his dinner parties.
Except Locke wouldn't want another man touching his Rose. Now I imagine him watching my body react to Troy's touch in a way I never could for Locke.
"Troy," I whisper, lifting his lips to mine. "Kiss me."
Hungry in a way that startles me, Troy's mouth consumes mine. His arms tighten around my back, allowing me not a hint of wiggle room. When I begin to fear his need, I imagine Locke watching. The psycho owned me for nine months, but I'm free now.
Troy senses my change or maybe he's still so riled up about another man sniffing around his conquest. I can't be sure, but I don't really care either. His kisses are hot, and my body reacts violently to the way he bites at my lower lip. I yank up his shirt, wanting to feel his bare skin.
My hand presses against his chest, feeling the hard fast beats of a man on the edge.
"No," I say when he tries to remove my skirt. "Just the panties."
A moment passes in his hungry blue eyes. I don't know if he'll push me or take only what I offer. Beneath the heat of his expression, I see compassion. Love maybe. Troy isn't a patient man, yet he'll wait for me.