Page 142 of Offside Devil

“Do you come in here and check the size?” she asks. “Would that be weird or are you desensitized to naked bodies at this point?”

I rip the curtain open. Definitely not desensitized.

“I'd love to check the size, but I have a very hands-on approach.”

Mira whirls around, green eyes wide, mouth parted. “What are you doing here?” She throws an arm over her chest like I haven’t seen and tasted every inch of her already. “You’re supposed to be at practice!”

I pull her arm away and rake my eyes over her. She’s in a lacy one-piece that was designed for one thing and one thing only.

“And you’re supposed to be buying a coffee or perusing a bookstore. Maybe wearing a parka while you get a facial. You’re not supposed to be here wearing this.”

As nice as things have been lately, the fire in Mira’s eyes has dimmed. For weeks now, being near her has been overwhelming. She’s a presence I can’t ignore no matter how hard I try. But recently—since that asshole photographer snapped those pictures, if I had to pinpoint it—she’s been slipping away.

I thought giving her the keys to my car and letting her have the day to herself would help clear her head.

But as soon as she walked through the doors of this shop, she might as well have flashed the fucking Bat Signal in the sky. I didn’t have a choice but to respond.

She bites her lower lip. “I didn’t realize there were rules when you gave me your keys.”

“Then let me fill you in.” I reach out and drag her close. Her breasts bounce with every step. “Don’t wear this unless you want to be immediately and thoroughly fucked.”

Her neck is turning pink. I run my tongue over her pulse point, pressing my lips to all the places she’s flushed for me.

“Maybe Taylor was right,” she sighs, arching against me.

I trail my hands down her spine and cup her ass, groaning when I feel nothing but bare skin. “This lingerie doesn’t cover a fucking thing.”

“Is that such a crime?”

“No. You need to order ten of them.”

“My top drawer is pretty pathetic. I’ve never had a need for this kind of thing. No one saw it except for me.”

“Now, I’m here to see it.” I bite down on her shoulder. “Then shred it off of you and fuck you in the scraps.”

Her breath catches. “Do you think we can make it through ten of them before it’s time for me to leave?”

A few seconds ago, I would’ve said there wasn’t a thing in the world that could’ve stopped me from bending Mira over that stupid pink bench and making her scream, but I would’ve been wrong.

I pull back. “‘Leave’?”

Her eyes flare. There’s a moment of panic before she shrugs me off. “Well, yeah. Once CPS is off your back. That’s why I’m here, right?”

Suddenly, it all makes sense. Why the closer I pull her in, the more she resists.

Because she thinks this is going to end.

Somehow, after everything, she thinks there’s a world where I am going to let her walk away.

What a fucking joke.

“Do you see Peter Morris anywhere?” I ask. She turns to look and I grab her chin, pulling her focus back to me. “What about this last week? Do you think I was keeping track of how many times I made you come so I could report it to the state?”

She licks her lips. “No.”

“No,” I repeat, palming the hot skin of her hip. “You could leave today with this entire fucking store in bags and it wouldn’t be enough, Mira.” I drag her against me and we both shudder at the contact. “Because this isn’t temporary.”

She opens her mouth to respond, but I kiss her. There’s nothing to say that she can’t show me instead.

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