Page 29 of Control

I quickly righted myself and set to fixing my clothes. Jai readjusted his pants to hide the hard-on that didn’t have time to receive proper attention. I watched as his fingers passed over the dark stain on his jeans. The crotch of my moisture-wicking leotard had shifted while we were humping each other, no longer shielding my wetness from escaping through my tights. He lifted his digits to examine the light sheen that coated them. His mouth fixed into a devious smile as he glanced at me in approval, before shoving his hand down his pants and rubbing himself inside.

“I need you on me when I rub myself off to thoughts of you later. I want smell you with each pump,” he hummed.

No words filled my mouth. Only saliva, as my mouth watered to taste the lingering rigidness in his pants.

“Come on, baby girl. I’ll walk you to your door.” He took my hand and guided me out of the car on my wobbly legs.

Jai paused mid-stride when he got a good look at the nearly dilapidated building in front of him. Shaking his head, he slowed his pace to the front door.

“What?” I let go of his hand as I fished out my key to let myself in.

“Nothing.” I could see through another one of his lies. He wanted to say so much but clenched his jaw to keep from unloading on me.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

“Where the fuck are we?” he asked, his tone full of tension so taut that I knew he would easily snap if I pushed him harder.

I glared at him. “Do you have a problem with where I live?”

“This place isn’t safe at all,” he said, looking up and around at the dimly lit buildings, worn down by alternating seasons of New York weather, ripping away at the surface but failing to make a dent in the foundation. These structures weren’t too different from me. The elements of life could try to rip away my surface, but I would never let them touch my soul.

“It’s safe enough for me.” Despite my age, I was no timid girl. My past had aged me faster than I would have liked. Losing my mother in the most heinous of ways was enough to shake the little girl out of me and force her to toughen up. Sure, the streets here were rough. Naivety would get you mugged or even killed here, but I didn’t have to worry about any of that since I hadn’t been born into innocence.

“Your stubbornness has gotten to your head. What if some asshole decided he wanted more than just the money in your bag? You’re a drop-dead gorgeous woman, and the eyes on this street are watching and waiting for you to be distracted enough to be taken advantage of.”

Who was he to judge where I lived? It was easy for some suit like him to come here and spew his opinions all over the place. A bed and shelter were all I needed and could afford, and no credit or background check was required to rent this place. Besides, my safety was not in question here. I would be in more trouble in a ritzy neighborhood since I would be more likely to be recognized there. My features were distinct, bright blonde hair and shockingly blue eyes. To the random pedestrian, I didn’t look American. I stuck out more noticeably than the many immigrants that lived here. My heart always raced uncontrollably when I went into the city, scared that someone would place my face.

But still, my stomach did somersaults when I registered his compliment.Drop-dead gorgeous.I had lost myself in all my years of hiding and hadn’t really felt the weight of it. I had hooked up with guys to satisfy my needs but always made sure to limit those experiences to one night. Getting close to someone wasn’t an option. In fact, it was the definition ofunsafefor me. Until now, with Jai. I was like a moth attracted to the flames of his danger. This was going to end badly. I could feel it in my gut.

I gritted my teeth. “I’m not some stupid girl like you’re used to boning. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for years.” I stepped closer, getting into his face. “You think that just because I let you get me off a couple of times, you now own me?” I spat with my hands on my hips.

Swift like a viper, he wrapped his fingers around my neck, applying enough pressure to silence me but not hurt me. The weight of his hard body pressed me into the rough brick of the building. His cock pulsed against my lower belly, reminding me of the passion we had just shared in the privacy of the car. Now, we were out on the street, visible to the world. What must my neighbors have been thinking? I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his to find out.

A feral growl emanated from the beast that had me by the neck. “I have news for you, baby girl. I already own you.” He dipped his head to compensate for my shorter height, his lips skimming my jaw. My eyelids fell, savoring his touch as I parted my lips, letting my breath escape.

“See how your body responds to me? It already knows it’s mine. Soon, your mind will know it too.” After pressing a gentle kiss to my temple, he released me, leaving me panting against the wall.

I clutched my keys in my hand and slid one into the lock to the building, turning my body away from him. Warm breath fell on the back of my neck as I turned the key.

“Have fun dreaming of me doing naughty things to you tonight,” he whispered from behind. His fingers swept up a lock of hair that had come loose from my bun and tucked it behind my ear. “You won’t be able to escape me, not even in your dreams.”

Suddenly, his warmth disappeared from behind me. I knew he had pulled away, trying to trick me into looking for him once more. To be the last one to cave in and prove my need for him. I didn’t give in and pushed the door open to the stairwell of the building without even looking back.

Chapter XII

Jai

“Wow! Are these for me?”

Amelia buried her nose into the bouquet of mixed flowers with stems wrapped in brown burlap fabric.

“Pretty flowers for a pretty girl.” I winked at her before dropping into the seat in front of her desk.

Resting the bouquet next to her computer, she leaned back in her chair. “I take it things went well with Claire?”

I got her message about the rough day she was having, but I hadn’t yet updated her on how things went or about our date. I didn’t think it was sensible to kiss and tell, but I knew Amelia would beat the details out of me.

“Sure.” It had gone better than well. That was the hottest time I had ever spent in a car not actually fucking. Shit, and we were both fully dressed. My dick was wetter than the other night at the hotel when Cassandra had tried to get me off. By the time I reached my penthouse last night, my hard-on was raging, and I nearly went blind when I finally came into my hands. Just knowing her juice was slathered on my length had killed me. I could even taste her from the night I had slid my fingers into her at Nirvana as I pumped my shaft so tightly that I thought I would cut off blood circulation.

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