Page 4 of Crave

I may not own his agreement, but he damn well respected my choices and that was what I’d really craved.

“I accept your apology,” I said. “Anything else?”

“Nope.”

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “Really? What about the little power play you pulled in the closet?”

Slowly, a grin curved his full lips. Those dark eyes roamed over my body, taking in every inch with a wicked focus that immediately had me clenching my thighs together. “Hell, no. Regret watching you fuck my leg to orgasm? Watching you turn from a haughty princess into a hungry whore under my gaze? That was a gift, Landon. And it was all for me.”

I was suddenly breathless and my cheeks heated under his lusty appraisal. Still, I rallied. “You were rude.”

“You were the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he murmured. “Don’t make me regret anything we do together.”

My breath caught at his serious tone. God, this man drove me mad. One minute I wanted to strangle him, and the next I wanted to jump him. “What about Max? You seemed to think I still wanted him.”

Now, he was the one who turned away and began pacing. “You have a history I can’t be part of. I know Max still wants you, and I have no rights. I can’t take you out in public or show anyone how I feel about you. I lost my shit when I heard he was the first person you confided in.”

“I told the girls first. Max showed up later to spout apologies and it slipped out. I’m confused, too, Adam. Maybe we need to buy ourselves time until we decide what we’re doing. I don’t want to hurt anyone. The stakes are high.”

“Maybe too high. I’m leaving for LA. You’re leaving for the show. Is there anything to decide or are we just filling in time, trying to scratch an itch?”

His words infuriated me and I walked forward until we were toe to toe. “You’re not an itch, Adam. And you’re not a fucking coward.”

He stiffened but I raged on.

“You want the right to take me out in public? To show people how you feel about me? Why don’t you start by telling me. What am I to you?”

He shook his head and glared. “You want pretty words and false promises? That’s Max, princess. Not me.”

“Not looking for those. I’m looking for what I always came to you for. The truth.”

His entire body seemed to shudder and lock down in front of me. Knowing it was time for one of us to take the risk and crossthe line, I leaned in. Reaching up, I entangled my arms around his shoulders, my fingers burying into his hair so he couldn’t turn away. “What do you want from me, Landon?” he ground out.

“You. I want you. I’ve wanted you forever but I refused to admit it. I don’t even know if it’s right to want you, or sane, or safe. I only know when we’re around each other, I finally feel whole. Like I’ve been walking around with a piece missing that suddenly locked into place.”

He pressed his forehead to mine and spit out a vicious curse. “I’m nothing like Max.”

“I had Max. I don’t want him.”

“I won’t be nice. I’ll dirty you up, make you my whore, and take more than you want to give.”

My nerve endings fired up and I was immediately soaked. An empty ache throbbed and as if he could scent me, a primitive groan ripped from his lips. “I don’t want to be treated like a princess.”

Slowly, his hands cupped my cheeks, thumbs pressing against my trembling mouth. “Then I’ll tell you what I want from you. I want to be the man you crave; the man you fuck; the man who holds you when you cry. And if I make you cry, it’ll only be for your pleasure.” He traced the outline of my lips, down my neck, and hovered over my rapidly beating pulse at the delicate hollow in my neck. “I want to know your secrets and your fantasies. I want you to feel safe with me but I also want you to shake with fear. Our relationship will make no sense, Landon. Yet it will answer every question you ever had.”

His words washed over me in a hypnotic spell, making me dizzy. I clung to him, allowing me to bend me backward so I was off balance, and he was my only support.

“Do you understand how greedy I am when it comes to you? If you say yes, this won’t be a dip in and dip out relationship. I will own you.”

“Will I own you?” I whispered.

“Yes. And I won’t hide forever. I will not be your dirty little secret.”

His scent of musk and smoke and tequila wrapped around me. Hunger began low in my gut and exploded through my veins, until nothing mattered except extracting every delicious, dirty promise he spoke.

“We’ll decide together when to tell the others?”

“Yes.”

---