“Hmmm, I see you haven’t lost your button-popping talents,” she said dryly as she held the front of the dress against her breasts.
“I don’t have the patience—”
“Turn around,” she said sweetly, her back still to me.
Fuck.
“So it’s going to be like this, is it?” I grouched. Didn’t she understand how much I wanted her? To see her. Hold her.
Turning, I stood with a wide stance, my arms crossed and my eyes closed. I remembered every nuance of her beautiful body, so I simply conjured the image of her stepping out of the dress up in my mind, smiling as I heard the rustle of fabric and her mutter a curse word.
“You can turn around now.”
I opened my eyes, hungry to devour her with my gaze. Turning quickly, I sucked in a breath, mesmerized by her sheer beauty. The lacy trim of the cotton robe ended mid-thigh showing off her perfect legs, making her even more alluring than if she were standing there naked.
She’d wrapped the thin white cotton around her body and tied it at her waist, but her breasts pushed against the transparent fabric and the tight pink buds of her nipples were completely visible to my hungry eyes. I watched in awe as she pulled the flowers from her hair and tossed them on the bed, allowing her locks to drop down around her shoulders. She ruffled her fingers through the long chocolate strands to loosen the braiding.
“Ah, that feels so much better,” she said. Did she know what she was doing to not only my heart but also to my dick? I groaned as I took a step closer, ready to devour her, but she quickly stopped me by raising a hand and pushing against my chest.
“You wanted to talk.”
Yes. No. Fuck. My cock wanted inside her so badly I was unable to form a coherent sentence.
“Can’t we talk after I fuck you?”
She cast her eyes down and bit into her lip while a rosy glow spread over her skin.
“No.” She raised her head and met my gaze. Unwavering, she said, “No fucking. Only talking.”
“You’re killing me here, baby. I’d be so much better at talking after I’d tasted your pussy and unloaded inside you.”
“God, Harrison, you’re incurable.”
“Can I help that you make my brain go to mush and my cock hard for you? You’re so fucking sexy, baby.” I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
She pushed her index finger against my chest. Her eyes were blazing. “Don’t you dare patronize me.”
“What the hell do you mean?” I let out a weary sigh. This wasn’t going my way.
Her voice had an edge of anger to it. “You disappear and don’t answer my calls. Then you think all you need to do is talk dirty to me and I’ll come crawling back to you. Not going to happen. That’s what I mean.”
I grabbed her wrist. “Just so we are clear, I only say what I mean. It’s how you make me feel and since you want to talk, I’m sharing that with you. It comes from a place of honesty. I’m not trying to demean you or belittle our connection or what we had.”
“Well then it shouldn’t be that hard to explain why you disappeared from my life without as much as a goodbye. Or is that too much honesty for you?”
I let go of her wrist and paced the room. Would she believe me if I told her the truth?
“Hmmm, that’s what I thought. It’s okay; I get it. The sex was awesome, I can’t deny that. But there is no way in hell I’m just going to give in to your sexual demands and be treated like nothing more than a toy.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “That’s what you think?”
She threw her hands up in the air. “What else am I supposed to think? There I was trying to get you and my father to get better acquainted, and next thing you run. If that doesn’t show me your intentions, nothing else will.”
Grinding my teeth, I thought about my response before I answered. “I acted in your best interests, Eva. At least, that’s what I believed at the time. Now I know different.”
“Yeah? What changed? Run out of pussies to fuck?”
“Ouch. You’re mad at me.” I raked a hand through my hair. “Yeah, I guess you can say that, since we’re being honest here.”
She blew out a long breath. “That’s low, Harrison, even for you.”
“Wait a minute. Don’t jump to conclusions. What I mean is that I don’t want other women. I only want yours . . . you, Eva. Staying away from you was the fucking hardest thing I’ve done in a very long time.”
“So then help me understand. Why did you?”
The room closed in on me. I walked over to the window and stared out for a long moment, recalling the despair I’d felt after talking with Bill. A dull ache settled in my chest. “I’m no good for you. Your father told me as much. He made me realize that you deserve better. I thought I was doing the best thing for you.”
“What does my father have to do with this?”
I filled her in about my less than pleasant meeting with Bill. She deserved to know what went down and why I pulled back. I needed her to understand that my intentions, for once, were honorable.
She listened, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging slightly open as she absorbed what I had to say.
“But fuck if I’m letting Parker take you against your will.” I scowled. “If you really wanted him, I’d be fucking gutted . . . but I quickly pieced together what he’d done to you and trust me, the bastard is going to regret it. He’s ruined for life. He’ll never recover once I expose him for the fucking low-life fraud he is.”
“I’m sorry; I had absolutely no idea. My father never mentioned anything to me. I guess he’s just being protective, but what he did is not okay with me. It’s such a pity, because we were slowly mending our relationship and I was beginning to forgive him for what he did to my mother.”
“I’m sorry, Eva. I’m not trying to stir the pot. And I realize I’m nowhere near good enough for you—I’m fucked up and broken. But when I’m with you, I feel whole again. You make me want things I’ve not wanted in a long time. Is that so wrong of me?”
She moved closer and put her palm against my heart. I covered her hand with mine and leaned forward so we stood with our foreheads touching.
Her voice was soft and sweet when she spoke. “You deserve happiness like any other human being. And you are worthy, whether you believe it or not. You’re willing to sacrifice your life to keep us safe. That says a lot about a man—even a man who has done terrible things in the past.” She reached up on tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “Everyone deserves another chance because none of us are perfect or faultless. That includes you.”
This woman. She blew me away with her unconditionally caring nature.
“Thank you, sweetheart, but . . .” My voice faltered.
“No buts. Anyone says different, they get to deal with me.”
My hand snaked around her neck and pulled her closer. I lifted her chin so she had to look me in the eyes. “I’m going to kiss you, baby.”
She closed her eyes and waited. I leaned down and made good on my promise. This was what I lived and breathed for.
Kissing Eva.
Breathing the same air she did.
I was never letting her out of my sight again.
Chapter 43 — Eva
“So since I technically owe you my life, does that mean you own me? Am I yours to do with as you please?” I pulled away slightly so I could see Harrison’s handsome face.
“I could say yes and force you to be my slave.”
“I know. But . . .?”
“Why do you assume there is a but?”
I shrugged. “Because there always is.” My breathing quickened as I waited for his answer.
“Okay, you win,” he conceded with a laugh. “I wanted to say . . . but only if you want to.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that I don’t want to own you.”
I swallowed hard. “You don’t?”