Page 53 of Crave Me

I set my mug down on the coaster and pull her legs into my lap, holding one of her feet in my hands, massaging it. She watches me intently, her mouth slightly agape as she relaxes into the couch, humming softly as my thumb rubs little circles up the center of her foot. I can’t help but let the fixer in me lead this, it feels too good to love on this woman when she lets me.

“Are you okay?” I break the silence and ask her.

She stiffens. “I’m fine.”

“Let me help you. Whatever it is.” Either she’s going to tell me on her own, or I’m going to contact our old friend, Wes, the PI, breaching all of her trust. But fuck if I’m going to sit back and let whatever play out when there’s a chance I can get ahead of it. Not after what happened to Ivy. Not after we were almost too late. Nightmares happen, but not like that. She’s battling something dark. She pulls her feet from my lap and curls into herself. Fuck, I’m losing her.

“Baby girl, that wasn’t just any old nightmare. That was something much darker. Talk to me.”

“I’m not your baby girl, Dallas. I said I was fine. Drop it,” she snaps.

Fuck this shit. She’s gotta make everything so damn difficult.

“No, I’m not going to drop it. I wake up to you screaming, tossing around in bed, and crying and you tell me you’re fine? Fuck that. That isnotfine. Why won’t you talk to me? Let me help you,” I bite out louder than I meant to.

“No! You don’t get to have access to all of me. Absolutely not. You don’t get to order me around like you do when we fuck. I let you do that. That’s all this is, fucking! I don’t have to tell you shit and you don’t get to demand it from me. Fuck you!”

She gets up and stomps to the guest bedroom, slamming the door behind her. How did this go so badly? She’s hiding something and I’m going to figure out what it is.

I follow her to the bedroom and gently rap my knuckles on the door before opening it.

“Thought you should know the roads are clear. I’m in no rush for you to leave, but when you’re ready to?—”

“I’m ready.”

She gets up and pulls on the dress she was wearing when we got here, minus the panties, which are hidden away in my end table drawer. Not willing to fight with her over this, I let her winthis one, as much as it’s hurting me to not fix it for her. Or to at least help her fix it.

“Okay. Let me pull some clothes on and I’ll take you home.”

By the time I’m ready to go, she’s bundled in her winter coat and waiting at the door.

“It ends here, remember.”

I look at her and can’t hide my disappointment. I grab her face between my hands and kiss her like I’ve never kissed her before. It’s firm but slow, my mouth gently coaxing hers to open, my tongue languidly meeting hers in the middle. She melts in my arms, and I moan into her mouth. I kiss her passionately, putting everything into it, doing my best to show her that I don’t want this to be just sex. But because she’s a goddamn stubborn brat, as I break away from her, I pull her bottom lip back between my teeth, dragging it out until she pops free from me, reminding her that I can be everything she needs.

She blinks rapidly before composing herself, not saying a word, but I know she’s lust-drunk and confused. We walk into the garage, and I open the door, revealing a freshly plowed driveway. I’m thankful to Liam for being out at the ass crack of dawn and handling it all for us.

The drive is slow, and the roads are still pretty bad, but drivable. She’s quiet, wrapped around herself and looking out the window.

“Where am I headed?”

“Hmm?”

“You still haven’t told me where you live.”

“Oh. Uhm. You can drop me off at Bean Haven.”

“Like fuck I will. Where do you live, Blaire?”

She huffs and drags her hands down her face. What the fuck is she keeping locked up so tight?

“Actually, shit, I need to get my car. Just take me to the distillery.”

“Do you hear me right now? No. I’m taking care of getting your car back to you. Now tell me where you live.”

“Why are you so fucking pushy, Dallas? Boundaries. Learn to respect them. I told you to stop ordering me around. You’re not my Dom. We’re done fucking, so that ship has sailed. Drop me off at the distillery so I can pick up my car or I’ll get out here and walk.”

Her words sting and I don’t bother hiding my wince and disappointment.

---