Page 104 of A Deal with the Bossy Devil

“Why do you sound surprised?” What had he been expecting?

“Ria, you’re being—”

“No more talking, we’ve done too much of that already. We just need to get this thing over with, and we’ll both feel better after. Or worse. Either way, we’ll know.”

I reached for his belt.

His brows were pinched together, and before my fingers could so much as graze the leather of his belt, he’d grabbed my wrists and secured them firmly behind my back with one large hand.

Good lord. “What now?”

“No,” he said.

The word rammed into my lungs like I’d jumped headfirst into an ice bath.

No, as in he didn’t want this.

No, as in I’d misread the situation, or he’d changed his mind.

No, as instop.

“Okay.” I didn’t even think, just tried to take a step back and give him some room.

But he wouldn’t let me budge.

“Wait. I just… need a second to think,” he said.

I stood unmoving as he took in a breath, two, three. Then he pressed his forehead to mine. Seconds passed, then minutes. Slowly, we breathed. Slowly, the too-tight tension in our muscles began to ease, his grip around my wrists softened, and his thumb began stroking my skin. My body started melting against the heat of his until I was fully molded against him.

It was way more pleasant than it had any right to be. For all the fighting we did, our bodies fit quite perfectly together.

When he finally lifted his head, his eyes were softer—more lucid.

“Tell me this is what you want,” he said. “Ask me to touch you.”

“Oh my god. It’s like we’re stuck in a timeloop.” I was surprised at how much less aggressive my tone sounded. That little breather had done wonders.

“Say it.” His thumb caressed my wrist bone again, and my breath hitched.

“Hate to break it to you, but you’re already touching me.”

“If you don’t say it, we stop.”

“I gave you my consent, my tongue was in your mouth less than five minutes ago, and I’m standing in front of you half-naked. How could that possibly not be enough?”

“I need to hear the words.”

“Why?”

“I just do.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not going to willingly give you another reason to resent me.”

My brain stuttered. “What?”

His nose brushed against mine tenderly, a soft breath escaping his lungs. “You’re in my head, you’re under my skin, you’re fucking everywhere, Ria. I can’t think properly when you’re around, and I can’t trust that I’m not misreading the signs.”

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