Page 71 of Restrained

I turn to face him, picking up where we left off. “She needs to know you. She’s being stubborn.”

He smiles, tugging his tie from his neck, tossing it to my floor. Just smiling at me.

Which is infuriating. “I’m serious, Hayden. I need to talk to her about this.”

He walks to me, his hands planted on my hips. “No.”

“What?” I stare at him, trying not to let my jaw drop. “Look, I like you a lot, and the sex is good.” He quirks a playful eyebrow. “Really good.” He nods. “But I’m not a woman who is going to completely change for any man. Ever. And this is my family.”

“Right. You’re a strong, independent woman.”

“You know, I felt bad about the shiner until right now.” I fold my arms. “I kind of want to make the other one match.”

He grins and spins my body away from him, causing me to hold my hands out, catching myself against the wall as his body moves close to mine, his nose dragging along my neck. “I’d probably like it too much.”

I roll my eyes but tilt my head to the side, allowing him access to kiss and bite my neck. “Hayden, they’re important to me.”

“Believe me, I got that from day one.” His hands slide down my bare arms, causing goosebumps to pop up all over my skin. “But you still can’t make them do what you want.”

His hand slides over the silky fabric of my camisole, tugging it from the top of my skirt where it was tucked in, sliding his hand over the bare skin of my stomach. I shudder. “They need me.”

“I need you.” His words are quiet against my ear, causing me to swallow. His deep voice growls against my neck, “I’ll do what you want me to.”

The statement coming from anyone else would seem desperate, but coming from his mouth, it still sounds confident and in control.

His hands easily lift my blouse off, letting it fall to the floor, leaving my top half bare.

“You drive me insane.”

I swear I can feel him smiling against the naked skin of my back, his hand slowly lowering the zipper at the back of my skirt, allowing it to fall to the ground. “Believe me, the feeling is mutual.”

I want to relax. Let myself escape as his hand drifts over my stomach once again and down to cup the silky fabric between my legs. “Baz is going to be heartbroken when Asher leaves.”

I feel him nod against me. “I can’t talk about your nephew right now when all I want to know is how fucking wet you are for me.”

My eyes flutter closed, feeling the slickness between my thighs. “I’m worried.”

“Let me help you with that because you can’t fix them, Lola. Let them feel.”

I turn around, facing him and looking into his eyes. “You don’t think they’ve felt enough?”

He removes his jacket, tossing it behind him and rolling up his white sleeves to the elbow. And although I would rather he would just remove it and the vest over it, I'm looking at the veins in his forearms and the scar on his hand as he drops down to hisknees in front of me. The sight is beautiful because Hayden is a man that kneels to no one.

“We can’t stop feeling, Lola.”

My hands rest on his broad shoulders as he slides the thong down my legs, letting me step out of it, but he doesn't touch me. “When all you feel is pain, you just want it to stop.”

“But then you shut out all of the good.”

I close my eyes, letting my head loll back and lean against the wall, waiting for his touch. I stand there, my body ready for him, the wetness pooling between my legs as I clench my thighs together.

But still, no touch comes. “Hayden?” I breathe.

“I was angry for a long time.” I don’t open my eyes. I only listen to his words. “I hated everyone. I didn’t trust anyone. I shut down.” Warm air comes from his mouth across the intimate spot of my body, and my eyes fly open as I look down at him, my body trembling for his touch. “And then you came along. And pissed me off.”

I wonder where he’s going with this as he blows across the wetness between my clenched thighs.

“And made me feel again. Now all I want to do is feel.” His tongue slides down my wet slit and I groan, leaning my head back, my hands threading through his hair. “I want to feel everything with you.”

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