Entice - Dyken Rachel Van - Страница 27

“You’re going to look at me when I talk to you.”

Her lips trembled.

“You’re incredible.” I sighed, my thumb caressed her lower lip. “You’re beautiful, strong, brave — and your mom? She has to be so damn proud of you to take over. Sweetheart, I know that the past isn’t pretty for you. I know by being the leader you’re fighting your own demons of what happened to you. I can only imagine—” I swore, softly as my forehead met hers. “Actually I can’t, because your father was a damn monster. But, just know, that when I think of bravery, I think of you. When I think of a woman who should be president some day, your face comes to mind. When I think of someone I want on my team for capture the flag?” I released my grip and smirked. “You’re it, baby.”

“Chase.” Mil leaned in so her lower lip grazed my chin.

“Hmm?” I told my body it wasn’t time. My body refused to listen. Every nerve was on high alert as she moved to straddle me.

“Kiss me.”

“Mil.” I backpedaled, hoping that if I kept giving her excuses, I would be the good guy. She was weak, and she’d hate me later for taking advantage of her.

“I just saw my mom die,” Mil said in a cold voice. “I’m literally on borrowed time myself. I’m straddling you. Wet. In. A. Shower. And I’m your wife. If you don’t kiss me, I’ll find some other guy man enough to make me forget—”

My mouth crushed against hers with so much force it hurt. But the pain was toxic, beautiful — addictive. She arched her body as my fingers gripped her t-shirt then snuck underneath and dug into the flesh on her back, pulling her toward me. Mil’s hands pressed against the tile on either side of my head as her chest grazed mine. Wincing, I moved my hands to her hips, tugging her closer to my body.

“Mil—”

Her hands moved from the wall to the back of my head; her fingers dug into my hair as the friction of our bodies collided. I was fighting a losing battle, one I knew I wanted to be the loser of, because that meant I’d be happily naked with the most aggressive woman I’d ever met.

“What?” She reared back.

Wait, had I said something? What the hell? My brain was having a hard time catching up with the rest of my body. I shook my head and stared at her swollen mouth then her eyes. Big blue eyes framed with dark, thick lashes blinked back at me, as if asking for permission to go further. I swallowed, my body still humming from the buzz of her nails, her lips.

“Chase—”

I held my breath.

Mil carefully got to her feet and held out her hand. So apparently that was it. I waved goodbye to the moment of hyped emotions and sexual tension as it flew out the door and mentally kicked myself for thinking it had been anything more than that. She’d needed comfort.

And I’d given it to her.

I was that guy.

If you asked me — it was worse than the friend zone. I’d had the same exact issue with Trace.

I was convenient.

The guy you wanted on your team, just in case the star player didn’t show up for practice or died during a game.

Second best.

Right-hand man.

The fixer.

So basically, I was nobody.

I could kiss her tears away. I could offer her my money, my body, all earthly possessions, and in the end, I would still be the one wanting more. Because I was already falling for pieces of her. Correction, I was becoming borderline obsessed with those jagged little pieces. Like a kid being told not to touch sharp glass lying shattered on the floor. But I was too damn curious not to touch, and the minute I did, I was addicted to the way the broken edges bit into the soft pads of my hands. Addicted to the difference between the cold smooth surface of the glass and my own reflection in it.

“Chase, I’m—” Mil put her hands on her hips and refused to look at me. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.”

“Fair?” I choked.

Mil’s eyes finally met mine. Sadness dripped from every single plane on her face. There was no crevice, no piece of her that looked whole. Broken. She was so broken that I hated myself for being selfish — for only thinking about my part of our partnership.

“To you,” Mil continued. “When it happens—”

I shook my head interrupting her. “Mil, don’t do this.”

She kept talking, damn her. “When it happens, it should be because both of us are in the same mindset you know? It should—”

“Mil, really. I’m a big boy.” I fake-laughed. “It’s fine.”

“Damn it!” Mil charged toward me and slammed my body against the tile wall. “Stop interrupting me, you jackass. I’m trying to share my emotions here, and you’re bleeding like a damn martyr in the middle of a coliseum!”

Stunned, my mouth dropped open. My body hummed to life with pleasure at being scolded. Nobody scolded me. There was never a need to. I’d never had a girl actually yell at me before — I didn’t count Trace because she was taken.

“You.” Mil pointed her finger in my face. “Are. Mine.”

I opened my mouth to speak.

And received a hard slap across my left cheek.

“I’m sorry!” Mil gasped, putting her hands over her mouth. “I just didn’t want you interrupting me again!”

“So you slapped me?” I winced, rubbing my cheek. “Seriously?”

She glared. “I could have pulled a gun.”

“Point taken.” I cracked my jaw and crossed my arms. “So talk.”

“Well, now you’ve got me all nervous, and I forgot my entire speech.”

“So? You want me to piss you off again? Would that help?” I teased, slowly pushing away from the wall.

“You being an ass never helps, Chase. If you don’t remember anything from this little conversation, remember that.”

I smirked, unable to help my body’s physical reaction to every damn thing that came from her hot-as-hell mouth. I took a few more steps, backing her into the corner where the shower was still running. I stopped when she was underneath the showerhead.

“Tilt back,” I whispered.

“What?”

“Do it, Mil.”

She rolled her eyes but complied. I lifted her t-shirt from her body, exposing a black silky bra, and fought the curse rising up in my throat as water dripped between her breasts. Next, I tugged her already wet jeans down to her ankles. Mil hesitated then stepped out.

Matching.

Black bra. Black lace panties? I had trouble focusing for a mere second before re-purposing myself to do my job — make her feel safe.

I washed her hair, letting the pieces of black silk slip through my fingers like it was the most precious thing I’d ever felt. When I was done, I kissed her on the cheek and removed my clothes. I grabbed a towel on the way out of the shower so she only saw my ass cheek at most.

“Chase!” My body responded to her yell like I’d just stepped on a live wire.

“Hmm?” I didn’t turn around.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

“I’m sorry I attacked you.”

I turned slowly to face her as she peeked around the curtain. “You think that’s why I’m upset?”

“Well, I, uh…” Her face started turning red as she closed her eyes and covered it with her hands. “I just I know that it’s harder for guys, you know—”

“Mil?” Holy shit, I had to rein it in before I died laughing and embarrassed her more. “It’s always harder for guys, kind of the point.”

“Not that.” She removed one hand and pointed at the towel wrapped around my waist. “I meant, it’s harder to stop, and I know that… I could tell that you…”

She cursed and removed her hands from her eyes and glared. “I could tell that you—”

“Mil, stop before you give yourself an aneurism.”

She glared, her cheeks so pink that it looked like she’d just gotten a sunburn from wandering the Vegas desert.

“Yes.” I closed the distance between us. “I want you.” I dropped my towel and purposefully looked down, waiting for her to follow suit. When her eyes dilated, I continued talking. “I think you know I want you. Did I want to throw you against the shower floor and have my way with you? Make you scream my name until you forget the horrors of what you just witnessed? Take you again and again and again until you no longer had any worries in the world? Hell yeah, I wanted that. I wanted that. But that isn’t what you deserve. It isn’t what I deserve. It’s a moment, one moment, and then we’re left with the rest of our lives. So yeah, you stopped the moment when I couldn’t, and I’m glad you did. Granted, I could have done without the slap, but I’m into kinky, so it’s fine.”