Page 8 of The Yeah Baby Series: Vol 3

5

Rhys

I was temptedto put in a call to Xander right then, but some part of my brain was still functioning rationally and it told me to calm down so I didn’t frighten my angel.

To my surprise, she snatched my phone from my hand and glared at me. “You’ll do no such thing! I can take care of myself and conjugal visits are not on my list of things to do before I die, so I suggest you curb your murderous impulses.“

My head fell backwards as I roared with laughter. Damn, she was feisty, and so fucking adorable. All of the anger drained away, replaced with warmth and the sharp bite of lust. Bringing her to my home was probably a stupid idea, especially since I was trying to go slow and convince her that she was more than just one night forme.

I could have easily found her address by looking at her license, but the need to have her in my space—our space—had taken on a life of its own and steered the car to myhome.

Still smiling, I leaned in and kissed her cheek, ghosting my lips over the cute smattering of freckles. There was a flash of disappointment in her eyes when I retreated and I fought the desire to grin in smug satisfaction.

I reached in and unbuckled her, then took her hands to help her from the car. “I have a big guest room you can sleep in, with your very own bathroom. Do you work tomorrow?”

Macy hesitated, her intense green eyes studying me, then she nodded. “Three to close.”

I stifled my sigh of irritation and silently vowed to get her away from that fucking job as soon as possible. Taking her hand, I guided her from the driveway, up the twisting path to the front door. “A friend of mine will be taking care of your car. I’ll drop you off at work and pick you up tomorrow night.”

Macy stopped and tugged at my grip, but I kept going until we reached the porch and then used my fob to unlock the door and usher her inside. “First of all,” she sputtered. “How the hell are they getting my car without the key and what makes you think they won’t steal it? Second, I don’t need a babysitter. I’ll get myself to and from work all by my itty bitty self.” She ended with her tone dripping in sarcasm.

I pulled her into my embrace and stared down at her face, momentarily stunned silent by her beauty. When she started to wiggle, attempting to get free, I broke out of the fog. “First of all,” I mimicked without snark. “I completely trust the person retrieving your car and as for how they’ll get in, don’t worry about it. Second,” I hurried on when she attempted to speak. “No way in hell am I letting my woman work at a place like Dirty Players without making sure she issafe.”

Macy rolled her eyes, but a sweet shade of pink tinged her cheeks. “I’ve done just fine for the last year, Rhys.”

I bowed my head and brushed my lips over her forehead, nose, and cheeks. I carefully avoided her lips, afraid that one taste would snap my control and I wouldn’t be able to stop. “But, you weren’t mine for the last year. I protect and cherish what’s mine, angel.”

Her jaw dropped a little as she stared up at me, her blush deepening. “Yours?” she reiterated. Her eyes melted into liquid emerald and I scooped her up into my arms before I did something stupid, like kiss the fuck out of her until she agreed to let me take her tobed.

“Yes, angel. Mine,” I confirmed as I stalked into the den at the back of the house and took a seat on one of the grey, soft leather couches. I shifted her carefully, trying to keep her from sitting on the hard bulge in my pants.

“This is crazy, Rhys. I just met you a few hoursago!”

I shrugged, completely unconcerned about her argument, then my lips turned up to form a naughty smirk. “You’re the one who is consumed with thoughts of fucking.”

Macy gasped in outrage. “I amnot!”

“Your smartass comment about conjugal visits said otherwise.“ Before she could rebut my logic, I changed the subject since who she belonged to wasn’t up for debate. “I’m assuming that working at Dirty Players is not your dream job. What would you like to be doing?” An idea sparked. “You could come work at my company, you know. I’d find a place foryou.”

Macy’s head reared back so she could look me fully in the face. “There you go again, putting me in the ‘paid companion’ category. I will not be your booty call with a salary.”

I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration. As much as I loved the fire inside her, I didn’t want it aimed at me. “I didn’t mean anything of the kind, Macy.” It was clear that she disliked her job. We both had the same goal—to get her away from it. So why was she balking when I offered a perfectly reasonable solution? I knew she was sensitive about how people perceived her because of her employment, but it clearly ran deeper than I’d initially thought. “I won’t pretend that I don’t love the idea of having you close every day, knowing you’re safe.” I grinned, hoping to lighten the mood. “Nor will I pretend that I didn’t picture fucking you on mydesk.”

Her mouth quirked up in a half smile, humor returning to hereyes.

“But, since you have burst my little fantasy bubble,” I quipped. “Tell me what your plansare.”

Her gaze slid away and that pretty blush returned to her cheekbones. I was going to take full advantage of that tell, she wasn’t very good at masking her emotions and her fair skin gave away a lot when it colored.

I took her chin between my thumb and index finger, turning it back to me. “You can tell me, angel.” I smiled encouragingly.

“Um, I want to be a writer,” she muttered. “Young Adult.”

The minute she said it, I could see how right it was for her. With her fun and spicy personality, I could only imagine the stories she would come up with. And something told me that I wouldn’t be surprised how talented she was once I got to read something ofhers.

“Have you finished anything?” I was genuinely interested and it seemed to unlock a door she’d been hiding behind. She immediately launched into an animated explanation of the books she had completed. Her expression fell a little when she admitted that she had received rejections for one book and she’d been waiting months to hear about anothertwo.

I soaked in every word, not only because I wanted to know everything about her, but because I loved listening to her talk. When her eyes started to look heavy, I checked my watch. It was after one in the morning. I hated to move from my very comfortable spot, but I reminded myself that we had the rest of our lives to cuddle and get to know each other.

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