Page 146 of Bake the Town Red

Throughout this entire time, Tyler’s gaze doesn’t waver. He’s focused on me. Mesmerized byme.

It reminds me of the days after my seventeenth birthday. His gaze started trailing from my eyes to my lips more often. My collarbone heated at his attention. On a rare occasion, I’d catch him staring at my chest and breasts before he’d shake his head and look up.

Back then, his eyes were heated when he let them wander. He had swamps for irises. Thick and dangerous and deadly. Then he’d shut it off.

He doesn’t shut it off today. There’s no need for that.

And the day he dares try…I’ll punch him until he looks at me that way again. He’s never getting away again.

“You’re welcome, beautiful.” He comes closer, curling his hand around my throat and kissing the top of my head.

I lean into his touch for a moment before untangling myself from him to arrange Rita on the chair. Once she’s seated, I snap two zip ties around her hands, binding her to the chair. Then I squat at her feet, doing the same to her right ankle.

“Let me help.” Tyler’s shadow casts over me, his body stopping me from moving to the next ankle.

The outline of his hard cock makes me shiver, but when he clears his throat, my eyes snap up. His jaw is set in a set line. He wants to fuck me, but he won’t. Not yet.

“Move, Dahl. Let me help.”

Fuck, I love it when he’s bossy. Pissed off and love it.

“You’re not touching her.” The dress he bought me is gorgeous. It also makes it difficult to walk while I’m crouching. I do it anyway, nudging him to the side and putting myself between him and her. “Anyone else, I’d have said yes. This one’s off-limits.”

“You know what you’re doing to me, Dahlia?” He has his hand in my hair, hauling me to my knees. My mouth smashes against his groin, and his cock jerks. “When you’re being this possessive? This jealous?”

He slips his hand to my nape, forcing my lips to rub on his sheathed cock. Using me for his pleasure.

“What?” I’m not actually saying anything. My lips just part and close and it sounds likeWha.

“So fucking hard, baby.” His dark eyes latch onto mine. “I’d never do that to you. Make you jealous on purpose. But tempt me again like this and see what happens.”

He’s teasing me. Taunting me. Asshole. Hot asshole.

“Okay,” I hum against his erection.

“That’s my girl.”

I’m being released. And I turn away, rushing to snap Rita’s second ankle to the other leg of the chair.

When I stand up, I tell him, “Get the liquid nitrogen tank. It’s under the table.”

Tyler doesn’t budge. Crosses his arms over his chest. His body tells me how serious he is before his lips do. “What about the chocolate on the stove?”

“You’re curious. And you’re eager to get started.” Excitement bubbles inside me as if I just ingested a hundred packets of Pop Rocks. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

He tilts his head. “I told you I have been over the last week.”

“This is different.”

“How so?”

My teeth scrape my bottom lip. “Honest?”

He nods once.

“She’s not a bad person.”

“Little savage.” His palm is on my cheek, his thumb brushing my heated skin. “A once in a while thing seems fine tome. But you said so yourself. She’s not a bad person. I assume her family and friends will be searching for her. We have to play it smart.” Tyler kisses my forehead. “As long as we don’t make a habit of killing every woman who looks at me, you have my approval.”

---