Page 60 of Worth Every Risk

“Oh.” I take a step back, feeling like an idiot. I jumped to conclusions and panicked for no good reason, and then I let her see it. I’m totally exposed out here.

I wait for her to laugh at me, but she doesn’t.

“I can take it to the repair shop,” she whispers. “I’m more than happy to deal with it. But I assumed you’d have insurance for it.”

“Stop talking about the damn phone.”

The harshness of my tone severs whatever connection we had only moments ago, and I could curse myself for it. Aries pulls herself upright, but even at full height, she’s still a head shorter than me. There’s a wariness in her gaze.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asks, and all the subtle softness in her tone is gone. “Why are you here? Do you want to discuss how you screamed at me earlier? How everyone in the house heard you? That your daughter heard you? She’s scared of you. You’re huge and terrifying, and when you shout like that, it’s frightening. Everyone’s walking on eggshells in case you lose your shit. I didn’t get it at first, but now I do. I completely understand why everyone in this house is half-afraid of you, including your own children.”

My body throbs with the embarrassment of being called out, my chest heating until I’m sure I’m sweating. I don’t get easily embarrassed; ordinarily, I’d be outraged at such directness from a member of staff, but because it’s Aries, I’m not, and the realisation is so surprising that it feels like some benevolent god has deigned to reach down and tweak my view of the world.

I’ve spent my working life yelling at employees. My brothers are constantly telling me there are other ways to do things, but it’s always worked for me. I might have a higher staff turnover than they do, except for the stalwart Mrs Minter and Alec, but there are a lot of people in the world. Everyone’s replaceable.

I grit my teeth; the apology sitting right there, heavy on my tongue.I’m so, so, sorry, Aries. Forgive me. Don’t leave me. “You didn’t listen to my instructions.”

Anger glints in Aries’ eyes. “And I’m sorry. I’m deeply, truly sorry that any harm came to Lucie. If you want me to leave, I will. But”—her gaze warms and a beat of silence pulses in the space between us—“it doesn’t seem like that’s what you want, or you wouldn’t have been hiding out here in the shadows waiting to tell me not to go.” Her voice is tentative, as though she needs me to confirm she’s right.

Every blood vessel in my chest feels like it’s constricting. There’s a weight against my ribcage, pressing down.Could the awkward tension in the air actually collapse my lungs? What is this woman doing to me?

“What do you want?” she whispers.

The question hangs in the air like the visual imprint of an exploded firework on a dark night. I absorb it, letting it roll around in my mind. I know what I want. She knows it too, I’m sure of it.

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

She nods. “Fine. But you need to be really clear on what you want to happen here, because this won’t work.” She waves a hand between us like there’s some definable relationship going on. Something that isn’t just temptation that’s fucking with both our heads. “You used me today, and I won’t stand for it.”

“Used you? What are you talking about?”

“When you wiped that caviar off my mouth. You did it for effect. You wanted your ex-wife to think you were sleeping with me, even though you aren’t. It was manipulative and cruel. To use me as a tool in your fucked up relationship with your ex isn’t fair. To look at me like that when it’s not real isn’t fair either.”

My heart gives a stupid, hard thud in my chest. “To look at you like what? How was I looking at you?”

I don’t know why I’m pushing this, but I need to hear her say it. To hear what she thought she saw. As I wait for her response, a pulsing sensation fills my arms, my legs, my fingertips… a surge of energy that only Aries could possibly discharge.

She lowers her gaze, then lifts it to meet mine, staring at me like she’s resentful I’m even asking. “Like I’m the only woman in the world you want.”

A beat of silence crackles in the air.

“You think that wasn’t real?”

She swallows and takes a breathy gasp before she speaks. “Was it?”

Fuck it.I’m done talking, and I’m done listening. I’ve pushed this moment right to the edge, to the fucking tipping point, and I’m ready to fall. I’m powerless to resist the pull between us. I don’t know what the hell comes next, but I want to kiss this woman. Every molecule in my body wants it; the impulse overrides every logical thought in my brain as I close the distance between us with one step. I bring one of my hands to the back of her neck, where the skin is warm and soft. The other slides to her waist, my fingers sinking into the flesh of her hip.

The tiniest, sexiest moan pours from between her lips, which I take as confirmation she wants this too. All her resistance vanishes, her body becoming soft, pliable, as I crush her against me, my mouth meeting hers, warm and eager and wet. Her lips are full, and her tongue dances against mine, soft like velvet. She sucks my bottom lip, then nips it with her teeth. The relief of finally kissing her is like the first sip of a cool drink on a hot day. Blissful, but leaving me desperate for more.Fuck, I want to swallow her entire mouth in one fucking go.

Her lips break from mine. “Is that a yes?”

I groan, unable to help myself, desperate to keep kissing her. “Fuck, yes.”

Her lips meet mine again, as her hands paw at my body, fingers fisting in my shirt. Her desperation turns me on, and arousal surges through me like a tidal wave as her breasts press against my chest.

Kissing Aries is like no other experience I’ve ever had. It’s the satiation of want and need that’s been building for weeks, and now that I’ve begun, I’m greedy for it. Allowing myself this much will ruin me because the wanting of her only expands with each touch of her skin, each stroke of her tongue against mine. It’s not enough, never could be enough. My body craves more of her with each passing moment. I want to meld into her and never let go.

She pulls back just enough to whisper against my mouth. “This kiss…thiskiss…” Her voice is all amazement.

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