Our eyes lock and his mouth opens, probably ready to rip me a new one, but before any words pass his lips, his eyes drop down my body.
“Motherfucker.”
It might be dark, but I don’t miss how his pupils dilate at the sight before him or the way his fists clench in what I hope is a move to stop him reaching for me.
“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue, old man?” I ask, taking a seductive step forward, putting as much swing into my hips as possible.
“Tiny,” he warns. By some miracle, he keeps his eyes on mine, but I know it’s killing him not to drop them once more. It’s clear in the tightening of his muscles.
I step right up to him, delighting in the movement in his jaw as he tries to restrain himself.
“What’s wrong, Spike? Is the temptation suddenly too much for you to handle?”
“I-it’s time to leave.” His voice is deep and husky despite the fact that he had to clear it before he managed to get any words out.
“And what would be the fun in that?” I forget all about my earlier hesitation when I was in here alone. Seeing his reaction to me has given me all the confidence I could need.
“We’re leaving.” His hand wraps around my forearm and he tugs—only he’s underestimating me, because when I move, it’s to press the length of my body against his.
The feeling of his hard planes against my softness is enough for the temperature of my body to spike.
Reaching up on my tiptoes, I brush my lips against his ear lobe, enjoying the feeling of him shuddering beneath me. “It would be such a shame to waste the room, don’t you think?” I whisper.
His fingers tighten for a beat as his eyes shut.
“You know what they say? What happens in the back rooms stays in the back rooms.”
“Tiny,” he warns again, his voice so deep it causes goosebumps to prick my skin. His restraint is starting to slip, I can sense it. If it weren’t, I’ve no doubt I’d already be dragged behind him to the dressing room like I was last night.
He lowers his face, his breath tickling across my neck and down my back, making my entire body shudder.
“She made me pay for the room,” he admits, making my breath catch.
“Well then, it would be rude not to use it.”
As if someone is watching—to be fair, they probably are—the music increases, the sexy beat of the song unable to be ignored as it pumps though the darkness.
When his eyes come back to mine, they’re blown with desire. I know there and then that I’ve won.
Taking a step back, he surprises me by releasing his grip on my wrist, but it’s only for a second. The next thing I know, I’m moving and my back is pressed up against the soft wall.
With his height, he totally surrounds me as he steps up to me and looks down. I’m pretty sure I’ve never felt so small in my life, yet so powerful at the same time.
I want to smile in accomplishment, but the intensity in his stare stops it from happening.
His chest heaves as his breath fans my face.
“Spike?” I ask when I start to wonder if he’s in some kind of daze when he just stands there staring at me.
My voice must drag him from wherever he’d gone, because his eyes flash with awareness before he moves forward.
His lips brush my ear, and I swear my knees are a second from giving out.
“You’re playing with fire, Tiny. And you are going to get burned.”
“It’s okay. I’m already going to hell. I like it hot.”
He groans as if in physical pain, and after a beat, he pulls his head back but doesn’t move far. His lips gently graze my jaw, his eyes finding mine and holding them as he moves.
“I-I’m meant to be the one teasing you,” I stutter when he begins to hover over my own lips, close enough that I can feel his heat, but too far away to actually give me what I need.
“Oh, baby. Trust me, you’re doing that.”
“Spike,” I moan, my body sagging back against the wall as my core floods with heat. My need for his touch is all-consuming. “Please.”
His eyes harden for a beat.
“Why would I do anything you ask of me, Tiny? All you do is defy me. Did you think you were clever, sneaking out of that window?”
“Yeah, actually. I thought it was kind of genius.”
“Did you really think we wouldn’t notice?”
I shrug. Honestly, I’d not really thought much further than getting here and begging Dakota for my job back.
“You’re trouble,” he states.
“I could have told you that myself,” I admit with a roll of my eyes. “So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to punish me? Show me what a bad little girl I’ve been?” I bite down on my bottom lip and roll my hips, ensuring I make contact with his groin.
His eyes darken and he growls once again before pushing away from me.
Coldness surrounds my burning skin and disappointment races through me.
I had absolutely no desire to do any of the usual things that happen in this room when I first begged Dakota to allow me back here. Hell, the first thing I wanted to do when I stepped foot inside was to run back out as fast as my heels would allow me. But now, surrounded by his woodsy, addictive scent and the memory of how hot his body is beneath those clothes, I’m suddenly more interested than I think could be deemed as healthy.
“Get a good look around, Tiny. This is the last time you’re ever going to be in here.”
“But, I–”
“No. The time to disobey me is over.” His voice is harder than before, and I can’t deny that it does make my argument die on my tongue. I don’t think anyone has ever told me no before. It’s kind of thrilling.
“But I hoped my first time
