Page 17 of Ruthless Wars

“You’re breathtaking, Margot, as much now as you were that night. I let you go then, but not tonight. I’m on one hell of a winning streak this week, and tonight, I’m shooting for the stars.”

“You’re drawn to the challenge?”

“I’m drawn to you. This can’t be a coincidence.”

Margot doesn’t look at me, but her breaths quicken. Lust rises off her in waves, like a lasso on my dick.

“You can feel it, can’t you?” I say softly. “Whatever this is between us.”

Contemplative, she nods before spearing another cherry. Her expression stays cool and unchanged, but the air between us crackles with a growing electricity. Lightly, she sucks the syrup from the cherry before delicately devouring it, then chases it with a long sip of bourbon.

Lucky goddamn cherry.

Finally, Margot looks away. “Here’s the deal, Coop. You’re on a high. Having, as you put it, one hell of a winning streak. You’re looking for a fuck-’em-and-forget-’em type. And not to brag, but men seem to remember me much longer than I prefer.”

“I already know you’re unforgettable.”

Brazenly, I bring my lips near her ear. Straightening her spine, she fails to control the shiver that drops the wrap from her shoulder. When her skin pebbles as my breath feathers across it, it takes ungodly willpower not to carry her from the bar—caveman style.

“And tonight,” I say low, “you’re all alone. Needing something. Tell me what you want.”

“Honestly?” she asks.

“I insist.”

Blowing out a breath, she says, “Well, now that I’ve had a few drinks and a snack, I’d really like to spend the rest of the night fucking a man like I hate him.”

Pensively, I ask, “Bad breakup?”

Surprise shines in Margot’s eyes as they meet mine. Resigned in her tone, she softly replies. “I guess you could say that.”

She’s waving more red flags than the UN, so I back off, cautious about pouring salt on a fresh wound. Being the rebound guy comes with the perks and the price. But tonight, the bidding just started, and no price is too high.

I study her. Those walls Margot is intent on raising between us don’t stand a chance. But I see her—a woman walking a tightrope between maintaining control and numbing the pain.

Softly, I ask, “You want to talk about it?”

A small line forms between her brows. “Is that what you came over here to do? Talk?”

My fingers pull her chin, and my mouth is a breath from hers when her eyes close, but I don’t kiss her. “There’s no escaping me this time, Margot. So, tell me what you want ... before I decide for you.”

Coyly, she smiles, then bats her eyes before giving me a clear shot at the intensity of their blueness. Her gaze glistens before her soft body leans into mine.

She brushes my lips as she whispers into them. “Well, I sure as hell don’t want to talk.”

I’m dead.

Chapter Ten

Coop

“Seriously, Coop, if this elevator doesn’t get to your penthouse soon, the cameras are getting a show.”

Looking over my shoulder at her, I widen my eyes. Impatiently, Margot has begun peeling off her clothes. The wrap that was covering her black slip dress is already pooled at her feet, next to her purse. Her delicate fingers are beginning to slip the spaghetti straps off her shoulders.

“Hey.” I scoop her things off the floor. “I’m the only cameraman watching you tonight.”

I hook an arm around her back, crushing her full pout with my mouth and slicing my tongue through her lips, licking in and out, savoring a sweet kiss filled with bourbon and cherries ... and her.

---