Page 31 of Tough Nut to Crack

I reach out and grab the front of his jacket, tugging him forward until he's standing inside my little house.

The space feels too small for such a large man, but I don't have the ability to question any of it right now. Logical thinking isn't something I want to engage in at all because I might change my mind and ask him to leave.

History tells me that I should, that this will turn sour before the sweat dries on our skin. I know I need to just count the great sex we've had as a brief escape from reality, but my body urges me to act differently.

"Beg," I whisper, looking up at him and locking my eyes on his.

"Hmm?"

"You said you were willing to beg," I say with a shrug. "So do it."

I feel his mouth on my skin when he scrapes his teeth over his bottom lip before it turns up into a sinister little smile. It makes me question my sanity when a thrill of anticipation runs up my spine.

"Can I do it without words?"

There's a playful cadence to his tone, a contradiction to the words he spoke at the bar.

I freeze, my mind taking me back to that moment and making me wonder if my issues made it worse than it actually was.

Or maybe I'm just feeding that self-esteem issue that isn't strong enough to stand up to him for being so insulting.

"I like you feisty," he says when I nod my head in agreement because I've clearly lost my fucking mind.

I grip a handful of his hair when he dips down, intent on brushing his lips against my cheek.

"Make it good, Hammer, or I'm going to put you back out in the cold."

His smile is wide, his eyes sparkling with a devious hint of seduction.

He stands to his full height, hands reaching out for my hips, and I take a step back.

"Say one more fucking thing about your weight, Riley, and I'll spank your ass until you're begging me to stop," he growls, only hesitating long enough to speak before lifting me up and urging my legs around his waist.

As if he's been inside my house before, he carries me straight to my bedroom, his erection shifting against my body like a secondary seduction.

His lips trail over my neck, the warmth of his breath on my skin making me crave even more of this man.

Hands grip my ass almost to the point of pain, but there's something arousing in that as well.

When he's standing in front of me, the way his eyes dip down my body, I have no doubt the man desires me. His cock is thick and hot, the warmth of it leaking through the denim of his jeans, making it very clear what he wants.

I have no idea why I always question why a guy would be attracted to me. I wouldn't look at another athletic man and woman with more on her bones than what beauty magazines deem acceptable and judge them, so I have no clue why I can't accept that he might actually be attracted to exactly who I am.

It's not like the guy couldn't get a model-thin woman if he wanted. There are several in town, more than one in our group tonight, who noticed him the second he walked through the door. Thankfully, Sage distracted them while I fought jealousy and battled with my own self-worth.

"This fucking dress hides too much, Riley. I fucking hate it," he growls as he lowers me to the floor at the end of my bed.

I watch, bottom lip clamped between my teeth, as he lowers himself.

"But I'm glad you wore it tonight. Couldn't eat this delicious pussy of yours if Cash had to arrest me for beating some guy's ass for thinking he could flirt with you. What the fuck?"

Laughter bubbles out of my chest when he looks completely confused once he lifts my dress, only to find a thick pair of leggings encasing my legs.

"It's cold outside, Mac. I wasn't going to freeze."

"How many layers are you fucking wearing?" he growls when he pulls the leggings down, only to find a second pairunder the first.

"Enough to stay warm. It's freezing outside. Are you disappointed that you have to unwrap me?"

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