Page 51 of Underground Prince

“I don’t need help. I thought I made that clear.”

Shrugging, I said, “Fine. Bleed on the Persian carpeting out there, I don’t care.”

The slam of his fist on the marble countertop was so fast, so deliberate, that I flinched after the fact.

“Why the hell aren’t you afraid of me, Scarlet? What is it you think I do?”

I pondered this. “I dunno, eat girls like me for breakfast?”

He clapped a hand over his forehead. “Fucking hell. Stop being glib for one minute and answer me honestly.”

I sighed. “I don’t know. You haven’t given me a reason to be scared.”

“Oh no?” He moved, an infinitesimal bend that brought him closer. “My tearing you out of a brawl didn’t scare you?”

“No.”

“My cornering you in a bedroom, yelling, threatening, didn’t frighten you?”

“Nope.”

“My flashing a weapon didn’t make you want to run?”

I lifted my chin up, near to meeting his nose. “No.”

“And being caught in this bathroom with me. Alone.” He tilted his head, nearer to meeting my lips. “That doesn’t make you tremble?”

I’d been gripping the countertop, so tight my fingers were throbbing, but they were the only things holding me up. I was shaking, yes, and aching, but not for the reasons he thought. I released the tension and drew my body up to his. “Not even a little.”

He wet his lips, the tip of his tongue grazing mine, before he tore away. “Damn it.”

I slumped against the marble, my body thankful for preventing the meltdown after feeling him so close, my mind grateful he didn’t see the weakness.

Theo threw his hands up. “What do I have to do?”

“I don’t know about you, but bringing me into a millionaire’s holiday penthouse wasn’t exactly the best way to make me feel vulnerable and unsafe.”

“You wanted this.”

“Obviously. But I’ve been at this job, what, two weeks?”

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” he said. “You could be here working right now, making thousands, if you weren’t so hell-bent on doing the fuck-all opposite of what I say—”

“You think I’m like this because of you? That I have a special rebellion switch solely for Your Poker Highness?” I laughed. “This is who I am. And I’ve been introduced to this life for fourteen freaking days—”

“And you’re already here.” He deliberately invaded my space. “Why do you think that is? You’re not stupid. Hell, luck doesn’t have anything to do with it either. It’s you.” He tapped my temple. “It’s what’s up there that has you in this place. With me.”

“Because I want to be,” I said. “And contrary to your asshole opinion, I’m not being insubordinate to your big kahuna ways. I am cataloging everything that goes on. Learning. I’m figuring it out in my own way so once I am here, I can be at the top.”

“This?” He spread his hands. “All this is a guise, Scarlet. Those men out there, those Wall Street tycoons and celebrity boys mixing with giants in real estate and finance, stocks and fame, money and power, they’re only here for one thing.” He paused, either breathing me in or making sure I inhaled him. “Sin.”

“Risk,” I countered. A buzz swirled into my head, dipping low and circling the most feminine part of me. Before he could fight the draw, before I could think, I opened my mouth and caught his lower lip with my teeth.

He sucked in air, his eyelids flickering before his coolness could seep back in.

I let go of his lip before I succumbed to the urge to devour him. “Toeing the line between legal and illicit, playing where there’s a little heat, running from comfort and embracing the unknown. There could be guns here, knives, drugs. But they don’t care. I know how they feel, Theo.” I cupped the back of his neck. “I know because I want the same thing.”

He caught my waist, throwing me up on the vanity counter and pulling my hips until my legs wound around his. I registered the curve of his mouth before he branded my lips with his own. His teeth cut into my flesh but I bit back, my tongue exploring, sparring with his. I brought him closer, asking him to go deeper, until he dipped me lower, angling me until our cores met.

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