“You said last night that you weren’t going to pressure me. You promised.”
“Yeah. I remember. Now I’m breaking it,” he said.
She was outraged. “Don’t you fucking dare!”
“Watch me.”
Caro looked around wildly. For what? Something to hit him with? Her entire body vibrated with anger.
“No way am I letting you go out into the dark to face all these enemies you refuse to tell me about.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on. It’s just a ride. Safely buckled up. Going just under the speed limit. Door to door service. And in case you haven’t noticed, this is not actually a discussion.”
“Bullshit. We established the rules!” She yanked to free herself. “Let go of me!”
He changed his grip so she wouldn’t injure her wrist but he didn’t let go.
“I can’t,” he said.
It was true. Letting her just walk out the door was not an option for him. Wasn’t going to happen. They stared into each other’s eyes. She looked furious and betrayed.
He hated ending on this note, but he wasn’t backing down.
“You can’t keep me here,” she said.
“No,” he admitted. “Not indefinitely.”
“I mean right now,” she snapped back.
“What are you going to do? Call the cops?” He reached for the smartphone on the bedside table and held it out to her. “Go ahead. Be my guest. Tell them your troubles. They’ll come and save you.”
She crossed her arms. “You son of a bitch,” she whispered.
“Right.” He set the phone down. “I didn’t think you wanted to talk to them.”
“You’re really crossing a line, Noah.”
“Just trying to take care of you.”
Caro dismissed that with a contemptuous look. “I can do that myself.”
He finally let go of her hand. “Good. My house is your house. Take a shower if you want.”
She walked away from him, twisting her hair into a knot that stayed up without pins, a feat of womanly engineering that had always been a mystery to him. “You won’t join me?”
He was startled into silence for a second. “Fuck yeah, I want to join you,” he said emphatically. “I just thought you’d prefer to be alone.”
She shook her head. “Not so much. You just stay right where I can see you.”
Caro preceded him into the big shower box, shoulders back, chin high. She chose the showerhead nearest to the sliding glass doors, forcing him to slide past her to the one near the wall.
He was erect, of course. Soaped up and standing. They both ignored it, but he couldn’t keep from watching the fluffy white foam slide down over her curves and hollows. Looking at her made him hot and stupid.
He slapped off his water and waited in the scented steam until she turned her water off, too. Her sig refracted through the glass, coloring the gray slate tiles like a dark, prismatic jewel.
He took a step toward her. “OK? Do you trust me now?”
“No.” She bent over and squeezed the water out of her hair. Her bun had fallen down and gotten soaked. A long, thick rope of wet dark curls. His erection got stiffer.
“I just want you to be safe,” he said, staring at the water dripping from her hair.
“I need a towel,” she said.
He slid past her, reached out and handed her two. “Why are you bucking me?”
“Stop.” She held up her hand. “We’re not having this conversation, and you’re not driving me home. Now get the hell out of my way.”
Chapter 14
He didn’t move. Just stood there blocking the way out. The only sound was the drip of water from the showerhead.
Noah stood there in the steam, his big penis jutting urgently toward her. Drops of water rolled over the striking bones of his face and down to the complicated landscape of muscle and bone and scar tissue. His nipples were tight, dark. Smooth chest hair was plastered to his taut skin.
Her eyes were locked with his. Held and enthralled by that unearthly brightness.
She was furious at him, but her anger was no shield against the ache and pull in her chest. His gaze went right through her, seeing the scared, diminished self she so hated being.
He saw every pitiful detail of it, and somehow still wanted her, with a ferocity that left her breathless. And determined to protect herself.
“Stop it,” she told him, adding quickly, “I’m talking about the intense look. It’s just another way of pushing me around.”
His eyes flashed. “Hey, I’m just standing here, not touching you. Wanting really badly to fuck you again. Can’t blame a guy for that.”
“Sure I can,” she told him.
“But I can’t help it,” he said. “And I can’t stop it.”
She reached out, and wrapped her hand around his thick penis. He sucked in air.
She stroked his hot shaft, petting the velvety skin. “It’s so strange, being pissed off and turned on at once. It could make me behave . . . badly.”
“Really? Awesome. I’m in.” He put his hand between her leg, sliding his fingers between the folds, pleased to find her hot and wet and slick.