My stomach spasms, knowing I gave him that, but I can't lose focus. "You're proving my point! What if you've been living with a fantasy?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"Seriously, Miller, you've got everything going for you. What do I have to offer? I lived a lie so long that I'm not sure who I am anymore. What I know about myself isn't flattering. I'm uptight, have a tendency to be a bitch, can't express gratitude, exhibit extreme OCD tendencies," I tick these off one by one with my fingers, "not to mention, unemployed with no idea of the next steps in my career."
"And homeless." His voice is light with humor as he takes one hand away from my cheek and curls it around my ticking fingers. "Don't forget, you're soon to be homeless."
"You think this is funny?"
"If you're rattling off your charming qualities freely, homelessness needed to be mentioned."
All the emotions dry up, and I wrestle to yank my hand free. In a flash, I'm pinned to the sofa under him, all humor gone. "Baby, you want to sit in my arms and cry all day, I'll wipe your tears. You want to unload your problems by giving up what's happened to you, I'll listen until your voice is hoarse. What I won't do is listen to you degrading yourself. I don't know what kind of support system you had at your back, but you have me now and I'm not putting up with it."
"Guess we can add irritating to my list," I murmur and purse my lips when his eyes grow stormy.
"I have no fucking clue what's happened to give you so much self-doubt, but we'll work it out of you. You're fucking beautiful, but you've got to know that. All that other shit you mentioned doesn't scare me off. I think we've established that I can handle your form of bitch."
"She's not very appealing."
"Depends on who you ask. Lucky for me, I find it sexy. Baby, that morning you cut your eyes, slinging attitude and threatening to fire me—my cock was hard as steel."
"I was right! You aren't sane!"
"All I could think about was taking you back to that bathroom and fucking you until you couldn't walk. Even right now, remembering it, I'm ready to go." He flexes his hips, rubbing his very obvious and large erection against me. "You think I've been living with a fantasy, and you're right. The fantasy of what could have been, and now that I have you back, we're gonna live out that fantasy together."
Something inside my chest bursts wide open, and swarms of flutters flood my system. It may not be an elaborate and poetic declaration of love, but to me, it's all the same. "Okay." I wiggle my arm free, run my fingers through his hair, and cup the back of his head, bringing his mouth to mine. "But don't say I didn't warn you that I'm a handful."
I sweep my lips across his, slipping my tongue inside, grazing his. That's about all the time I get before he's rolled us onto our sides and taking over. His mouth moves urgently, his tongue swirling around mine. I slant my head to give him all the access he wants. He groans his approval, deepening the kiss and skimming his hand down my side to cup my ass. I tighten my thigh on his hip and grind against the hard outline in his pants, sending electric shockwaves pulsing through my nerves. It's my turn to moan at the sensations and knowing what's coming.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck me!" he hisses, tearing away and tucking his face to my throat. "I can't believe I'm about to say this shit, but baby, you have to stop."
"You don't have sex on your sofa?"
"No… yes… it's not the sofa." He brings his face back to mine, and all the flutters die on the spot. "When I finally have you again, we'll christen every inch of my goddamned house.”
"What do you mean when?"
"You said some important things."
"Oh my God, I'm such a spaz you don't want to have sex with me?"
"You feel me throbbing against you? That's all yours. But I think we should wait."
"Wait for what? Did you forget we've already done this? Many times."
"I'm waiting for you," he replies somberly. "You want to find yourself, understand who you are outside of the confines of the life you lived? I'll be by your side as you figure it out. Along the way, we're going to explore this connection, and you'll learn to trust in it. When I have you again, I want all of you."
I stop breathing for the second time today. Darby's words from earlier race through my mind.
"Pierce was relentless, but no matter what, he was constantly looking out for me. I saw that this morning in Miller. His focus and concern are zeroed in on you. It's really special, Ashlyn, even if it drives you crazy and makes you want to strangle him."
"You're withholding sex from me."
"I'm doing it for us."
"How long are you holding out?"
"Not long if you keep grinding your pussy on my dick." He winces, adjusting his hips.
"You realize the irony, right? Yesterday afternoon, you were hellbent on having me naked until Monday morning, and now you're turning me down."
He brings his wrist up, his eyes cutting to his watch. A wicked grin spreads on his lips, and when he glances back to me, his eyes are glittering an electric blue. The familiarity of this expression ignites my blood.
"We have fourteen hours until Monday morning." His hand goes to the knot at my side, tugging it open then slowly unbuttoning his way up the shirt and spreading it. My nipples pebble instantly against the lace of my bra. He licks his lips before lowering his head and grazing his teeth over the points. "We can begin the naked portion of our weekend now."
"That's not fair. You can't tease me and refuse sex."
