Talking about his family and the plan intended to send them to jail wasn’t exactly the most romantic pillow talk. Being in bed with him, enjoying their proximity and the warmth of their lingering passion, was just about as perfect a moment as Shyla could ever have imagined.
He rested his hand on her waist. “What?”
“Why did you break up with me?” He frowned. “When you found out I hadn’t had sex before. You didn’t even think about it, you just dropped me in a second.”
“I didn’t expect it,” he said. “I don’t like to be surprised.”
“I know,” she said, flattening her hand against his chest to enjoy him as he’d enjoyed her. “But you got really angry. It really upset you. Don’t most guys prefer their girlfriend to have fewer partners rather than more? You said it was okay if I’d sold my body. If I’d been a hooker, I would’ve slept with a zillion guys. You’d really have preferred that over knowing you’re the only one who’s been inside me?”
“I like it now,” he said, sliding his hand around to her ass to pull her closer. “At the time, it…”
It wasn’t like Score to hesitate.
Concern took her palm to his cheek. “It what, baby?”
“Growing up there were women all over. Being McDades, we got our pick… We didn’t always treat women the best, any of us.”
A lot of young guys, especially guys jeered on by admiring friends and aware of their family reputation, could act in irresponsible ways. For a McDade male that expectation was probably multiplied by a dozen.
“You didn’t have the best role model,” she muttered. He surprised her by raising her chin with a curled finger. Just the look in his eye told her what he was thinking. “Sorry, I won’t do it again.”
“You will,” he said. “You can’t seem to help yourself.”
Though Shyla smiled, she was sorry. “It hurts me the way they treated you. I get this… this physical reaction inside me whenever I think about it.”
Bowing down, he used his body to ease hers back so he could kiss her lips. “Don’t think about it.”
“I like thinking about you,” she said, studying his face as he watched his hand trail down her body. “That doesn’t tell me why… Why didn’t you want to be with me?”
“We’re different. From different worlds.”
“And my virginity reminded you of—”
“I didn’t want to be the guy who broke you. The guy who changed you, made you cynical. Women where I’m from are dumb or bitter. I didn’t want to be the one to show you how the world really works.”
“Because you thought we’d only have a sexual relationship.”
“Because I don’t do romance. If you were expecting some sweet, tender Prince Charming…”
“You didn’t want to be the one to show me life isn’t like the movies.”
“If you’d been around the block, you’d understand that sometimes a fuck is just a fuck.”
Tucking herself closer, she ran her fingers up his arm and into his hair. “You didn’t think we’d last.”
His fingers opened to run through her hair. “Nothing ever has,” he murmured.
“Before,” she said, folding her arms between them. “Nothing has ever lasted before. This will last.”
His attention hopped from her hair to her eyes. “You’re so sure,” he said, his discerning gaze narrowing. “How can you be sure?”
“You said I was in charge,” she said. “I might not be the only woman you’ve been intimate with, but I will be the last.”
Something about her certainty must have spoken to him. The question left his gaze and he pushed her onto her back with his next powerful kiss. Anticipating the progression of their passion, Shyla’s hormones tingled even before his hands began to explore her body.
The sharp squawk of his phone startled her. Inhaling deepened his kiss, but only for a fraction of a second. Score pulled away to flip onto his back. Reaching across to his nightstand, he grabbed the handset.
“Your father?”
“Beeks,” he said, answering the phone. “Yeah?” Shyla lay there, stroking him, waiting for his return. “Thirty seconds.”
Score hung up and vaulted onto his feet.
“Baby?”
Grabbing his jeans from the floor, he pulled them on. “Your phone is in the drawer,” he said, nodding to the nightstand on her side of the bed.
His haste worried her. Sitting up, she frowned at him. “What did Beeks say? What’s going on?”
“Something we don’t need to talk about in bed,” he said, dropping a fist to the mattress to plant a quick kiss on her lips.
Shyla was still recovering from his sudden departure from their passion. The moment his lips left hers, he turned and strode from the room. She heard the door open, but was still trying to figure out what was going on.
Determined to be in the loop, rather than be sidelined again, Shyla leaped out of bed and grabbed his tee-shirt from the floor. As she crossed the bedroom threshold, she used Score’s shirt to cover herself. Wasting no time, she hurried along the hallway to find the trio of men were standing next to the dining table.
“Shyla!” Fish exclaimed, apparently thrilled to see her.
He scooped both arms around her and hugged her tight. While in his embrace, she glanced around, expecting to find the new housekeeper somewhere.
“What happened to Maria?” she asked when Fish let her go.
“Sent her away,” Beeks said. “She was only a temp.” His head ducked back as he frowned. “Unless you’re not planning to stay.”
“I’m planning to stay,” she said, going to Score’s side. “What’s going on?”
Beeks looked at Score. Obviously no one planned to loop her in without his approval.
“News from home,” Score said, his attention still on Beeks.
“Good news? Bad news?”
“Score seems to think it’s a disaster waiting to happen,” Beeks said.
