Page 78 of Dark Horse

I reach out and grab her hand, stroking my fingers along the inside of her palm. I can’t take my eyes off her, let alone walk away from her. I’m so fucking twisted up inside. So angry with myself for letting either of us have a taste of this that I feel like I should never let myself have another taste of her again. Resolve I’ve barely started to form before she tests it.

“But stay the night. After the way this week has gone and tonight, I have to be back with my game face on tomorrow, but tonight, I don’t want to be alone.”

“Dakota…” I protest weakly because I can’t say no to her. Not when I hear the sincerity in her voice.

“I’ll keep my hands to myself. Just a platonic sleepover. You’re my emotional support person to help me deal with all the stress.”

Like hell would it be platonic. I’ll be thinking about fucking her all night. But I don’t want to leave her alone when she needs someone. Not after everything she’s been dealing with and the stress of tomorrow looming. She watches me, and she can tell I’m caving.

“Think about it. You’d have to call your driver to come get you. We’d have to wait. There’d be the whole drive over to the Avarice, getting back to our rooms, checking on all our friends and explaining what happened, then showers and bed.” Shemakes a compelling case. “Here, we just take our showers and then bed.”

“The showers and bed part are exactly what makes me nervous.”

“Nervous? A big bad man like you with someone as harmless as me?” She bats her eyelashes playfully, and I shake my head as I roll my eyes.

“Nothing about you is harmless, darlin’.”

“Fine. But I’ll be good tonight. I promise.” She looks at me sweetly, taking my hand and tugging me toward the stairs.

“Fuck. All right,” I concede, following her up the stairs even though I know I’m probably making a mistake.

THIRTY-TWO

DAKOTA

I feela weight off my shoulders knowing he’s staying the night. I want him, and it’s going to be damn near impossible to keep my hands to myself, but I’m going to do my best. I wasn’t lying when I said I needed him. The last thing I want tonight is to be alone—in this apartment or in a hotel room. I don’t want to think about what might never be with him. I don’t want to think about my troubles with the bar. I definitely don’t want to be trying to recite my maid of honor speech in my head at three in the morning because I’m worried I’m going to mess it up. I need him there to help me forget all of that.

When we get inside the apartment, Vendetta rushes us, jumping up on the table so I can pet her. Her eyes dart warily to Grant. She’s never been a big fan of outsiders, but the fact she’s not hissing at him or disappearing to a corner the minuteshe sees him is promising. He’s always been kind to her, but I’ve never thought of Grant as a cat person. If anything, he’s a Rottweiler or a Dobermann sort.

“I can just sleep on the couch.” Grant takes his suit jacket off and hangs it on the back of one of the chairs before he holds out his hand for Vendetta to inspect. She nudges her head against his palm and purrs. I bite my tongue to keep from making a comment and raise my brow at him.

“That couch wasn’t made for a six-four man to sleep on. You can sleep in the bed.” When he gives me a skeptical look, I return it. “We’re adults. I can make a pillow wall if you need it.”

“I’m good.”

“You can shower in this bathroom, and I’ll shower in mine. I’ll just get you some towels.” The hallway bath shower is a little bit bigger than mine, and it was the one Jesse had always used since he’d given me the master suite in the apartment growing up.

I disappear into my room while Vendetta keeps him entertained, returning with a stack of towels and an extra bottle of body wash.

“There’s shampoo and conditioner in there. The good stuff because that’s where I do my hair treatments. You’ll have to settle for smelling like key lime though. Unless you want peaches or pineapple.”

He smirks. “Key lime works.”

“All right. I’ll meet you back in bed.” I wink at him.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“You know what you’re doing.”

“Okay, Cowboy. If you say so.” I smirk and then turn around to head for the bathroom before I halt in my tracks. “One last thing… did you want a last set of pictures tonight?” I glance back over my shoulder at him.

I can see him thinking through the consequences, and he shakes his head. “Better not.”

As I finishup my shower, I glance down at my vibrator that’s sitting on the edge of the tub. If I’m going to be as good as I promised for him, I’ll need to take care of myself first. I’ve barely turned it on when there’s a light rap of his knuckles against the bathroom door, and I freeze in the shower. I swear this man reads my mind.

“Yes?” I call out.

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