Page 49 of Ruin Me

“Yes! You’re my man.” I hit the mattress with my fist.

“Glad we agree there. Now let me clarify some things for you. As your man, I have certain duties that I take to heart.” He pulled his undershirt over his head and dropped it as he advanced toward me. “My principal duty is to provide. That comes in all forms. Security. Support. Stability. And most of all, love.”

“You can do all that without excluding me from the conversation. Unless, it’s not me you want but the idea of me. Because I’ll never be the kind of woman who blindly follows just because you’re leading.”

“Is it because you don’t trust me?” He paused with his hand on his belt.

I shook my head. “I don’t assume you always have the information necessary to make every decision. But when you do, I trust you’ll do what’s right for you, me, and us. I know this isn’t new for you.” I stared into my lap and twiddled my fingers as I said, “You used to include Oyinlola in decisions that affected her.”

The silence after I brought up his dead wife grew loud and pushed us further apart. A tear splashed on my finger, but I lacked the energy to wipe it away. I hadn’t meant to talk about her. My relationship with Kent was different from his with her. Comparing how he was with her to how he was with me wasn’t fair, but dammit, I wanted him to see me as someone deserving of an equal say in our relationship.

“You have a short memory, little bunny.”

The barely suppressed anger in Kent’s voice caused me to snap my head up and see his glare. He shed his pants and stood naked before me.

“What short memory?” I asked, right before he snatched my velour hoodie over my head and tossed it behind him.

“What are you…”

Kent pushed me onto my back, then targeted my matching velour pants next. A battle ensued where I wanted to keep them on and he didn’t.

“You can’t think sex with me right now will fix our issues.” I twisted, trying to escape his firm grip on my clothes.

“Are you forgetting I let you talk me out of bodyguards to begin with? No offense, little bunny, butIcan’t trust you to keepyourself safe.” He ripped my pants and underwear down my legs and hurled them as well. “But I will promise you this. I’ll let you know my plans ahead of time so if you want to argue about it, you can. However, don’t expect me to bend when the risk is never waking up to see your face or hear your voice again.”

Kent moved to my bra, but stilled when I placed my hand over his. He glared into my eyes, but I met his glower with contrition.

“I’m sorry.”

The heat fled his stare and he rested his forehead against mine. “What are you sorry for?”

I swallowed. His heat blanketed me, and his angry dick rested above my pussy. Was he warning me or punishing me? And if he was, what would either be? Was he showing me something only to deny me or was he keeping his hard-on close to my pussy to remind me he can fuck like a beast and I would be lucky to walk straight afterward?

“For picking a fight and not realizing what my actual issue was.” His silence pushed me to elaborate. “I was cooped up and restless and feeling out of place. Not being allowed out was kind of an excuse to blow up at you.”

“Because you don’t feel like this is home to you?”

I shrugged and looked away, but Kent captured my cheek and pulled until I met his gaze again.

“I built a home with Lola.”

“I know,” I groaned while staring at the ceiling and blinking back fresh tears. “It was in that home I saw your good qualities.”

“And I intend to build one with you. From the foundation up. Our relationship is unique to us and only we can define it.”

His response startled me into looking at him again.

“You want to build a home with me?”

“Little bunny, I obviously have to refresh your memory.” He brushed his lips against mine.

I gasped as he licked the seam. He took advantage and pushed his tongue into my mouth to lick and devour me. While he greedily destroyed me with kisses, he kept his hands busy, divesting me of my bra.

I gasped again when he pinched, then rubbed my nipple, freed now from the cotton cups.

Sensations flooded my body, urging me to move. I rubbed my legs against his. My skin prickled as the hair on his limbs added to my sensitivity.

“Kent,” I moaned into his mouth.

---