Page 46 of The Desire

And the moment she twigs why I am in a bad mood, she stands tall and bites back, “Both of us. What’s it to you?” She is ready to take me on, and I’m here for it tonight.

“Nothing, but if you want to go fuck him, do it in your own time, and don’t you dare see him with Blaise unless it’s a medical appointment.” Fuck, what did I say that for?

The gasp of air she sucks in tells me it’s time to leave.

“What. The actual. Fuck. You asshole! How dare you speak to me like that. And for your information, if I want to fuck him, it’s none of your business either!” She turns to storm out of the room, which is probably a good thing, but I can’t let her have the last word.

“Whatever, and by the way, I have booked a zipline trip to North America in two weeks’ time. I will be away for ten days. So, you will be on your own.”

Instead of her just ignoring me like I was hoping and leaving my study, she freezes in the doorway.

“You have got to be joking. You are a father now, you can’t go off and do dangerous shit like that anymore. Blaise already lost one parent, don’t make him lose another.” Her words are like a hot poker being jabbed into my restless body, igniting my anger that has been under the surface for weeks.

“I didn’t ask to be a father!” Standing, I hear the words that I have been wanting to scream out since all this was dumped in my lap.

She just shakes her head, disappointment written all over her face. “And Blaise didn’t ask to have a dad who’s an asshole, yet here we are.”

She leaves me standing here wanting to scream more, but all I feel is remorse for saying such a hurtful thing about my son.

Maybe I do need to book that trip to try to get this under control and reset my stupid brain. That’s two huge mistakes I’ve made today, and now I have to work out how to fix this.

Why did Tori have to tell me about Elouise and drag up the feelings for her that I thought I had buried when we slid nicely into the friend zone?

This is not how you act with a friend, you idiot.

Hearing the cupboard slam in the kitchen, I know I have created a storm that is about to explode. This conversation is far from over tonight.

So, batten down the hatches, the second wave will be coming shortly.

Before I even have time to move too far toward the kitchen, I hear her feet stomping down the hallway, and she reappears in front of me. Inches from my body, I can feel the heat radiating from her.

“Why can’t you admit you hate that someone else wants me and do something about this thing between us.”

And there is the detonation I can’t ignore.

Grabbing her face, I pull her to me as I slam my lips on hers.

I’m not holding back now, and she better be ready for everything I’ve been burying deep down inside me.

Chapter Ten

ELOUISE

What right has he got to be angry at me and obviously jealous!

How did he even know that Drew called me today?

Of course, Tori!

I’m going to kill her. She obviously said something to him that has him acting like an idiot. He can be shitty with me all he likes, but putting his life in danger because of it and hurting Blaise is unacceptable.

I’m staring into the cupboard that I don’t even know why I opened. I can’t let him get away with being gutless. Growling, I slam the door. I need to tell him to man up!

I stomp back into his office, and the moment I see him, I see red! I blurt out what I can’t keep to myself anymore. “Why can’t you admit you hate that someone else wants me and do something about this thing between us.” I know it’s hypocritical because I was the one who told him we have to be friends, but it’s been boiling inside me, and his comments just fueled my fire. I couldn’t hold it any longer.

What I wasn’t expecting was for him to slam his lips onto mine without a word to deny it.

Oh God, how I’ve missed his lips.

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