Page 28 of Corrupting Ivy

“He um… asked me to lunch.” My butt hit the countertop, stopping me from retreating any further.

He came closer, placed his hands on the counter behind me, and leaned in. “And what did you say?”

His woodsy cologne hit my senses, and my mind went blank. I sucked in a deep breath and bit my lip. “I didn’t… get to say no.” A hint of my floral body wash drifted up between us, and images of his pierced cock burned into my brain.

“What are you thinking about, sweet girl?”

My heart stopped dead in my chest as heat spread throughout my body. What I wouldn’t give to strip him down and touch every tattooed bulge. But there was no way I’d be revealing my inner thoughts to this man.

“I was thinking about how much of an idiot I am and how much of an asshole you are.” I pushed on his chest to move him away, but he didn’t budge. “Why did you leave when you demanded I go back in?”

He took a deep breath. “Because if I didn’t leave, I’d do things to you that you aren’t ready for.” His gaze caused me to squirm. “I left because I was losing control.”

It was hard to be angry over that, especially when fantasies played out in my head. What was it he wanted to do to me? I’ll admit it had me a little scared, but mostly curious.

“Did you find it?” I asked, looking up to return his deep gaze.

“What?”

“Your control.”

“I always do, sweet girl.”

I brought my hand up to his face, but before I could make contact, his hand whipped up and caught me around the wrist. I gasped. He drew my hand closer to his face, placing my palm on his cheek, his growing stubble pricking my hand. Randall let me touch him, but in doing so, a storm built behind his eyes. He took a deep breath and battled whatever plagued him.

And that was when I figured it out. Randall had this corruption, this turmoil, and it was far more embedded into his soul and psyche than mine.

“When people touch me,” he said, “I get this thirst to do unspeakable things.” He opened his eyes, his gaze penetrating my armor. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

My body shivered as the sharp look in his eyes chilled me. I tugged on my hand, but he tightened his grip and kissed my palm. Stepping away, he left me dazed and yearning to solve a puzzle that was made to be impossible.

“I’m sorry,” I said. My heart pounded in my chest so hard, I swear he could hear it.

Randall ran his hand down his chiseled jawline. “Don’t be. I wanted you to understand.”

I cleared my throat and moved around him towards the bed where the bag of clothes lay. “Did you want to see what else I got?” A habit that blew out of my mouth before speaking.

He sat on the chair, crossed his ankle over his knee, then tugged on the hair below his bottom lip. “No. But I see you didn’t follow my orders to spend it all.”

I chewed on my bottom lip and rolled my ankle from side to side while messing with the plastic. “Well, I got what I needed.” I reached into my pocket where the remaining cash was, then walked over and handed it to him. “Thank you.”

The money called to me, telling me I was a fool, to put it back into my pocket. I needed it more than him. But it didn’t feel right to keep it.

The foot resting on his knee hit the ground as he lunged forward, grabbing my outstretched hand and hauled me into his lap. I straddled his thighs, one knee on either side of him. “If I’d wanted the money back, I would have taken it.”

Even though we’d just had this conversation about touch, I couldn’t get rid of the temptation to kiss him. His lips were always so close to mine, yet he never gave in, and it frustrated the hell out of me.

My core pressed up against his hard length, straining his pants. “I thought you didn’t like being touched?”

“It would seem I’m doing the touching.”

A smile crept across my lips. “Is that a loophole written in the fine print?”

“One of many.”

He kept hold of my wrist while I braced myself with my other on the headrest beside his head, my fingers but a hair’s breadth away. He placed his hand on my waist, then moved his thumb under my shirt, caressing my skin. Heat pooled between my legs with a desire that would break me down until I got what I needed from him.

“Kinda doesn’t seem fair, does it?”

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