Page 44 of Miss Understood

“Fuck.” I finish his sentence, leaving no room for misinterpretation. “We agreed to put a pause on dating other people, and that was the right decision, but…”

I take a deep breath, because for the first time ever, I’m nervous talking sex with a man.

“I have needs,” I say. “And I’m sure you do too. It would be ridiculous to ignore that for the next five weeks until we either kill each other or get caught slipping up. I’m not asking you to fall in love with me—neither of us are stupid enough to let that happen. But who says we can’t at least make this arrangement beneficial?”

Jesse’s eyes dilate, those deeply brown orbs darkening as he processes what I’m saying. The energy around us thrums between my thighs. My body is begging for a graze, a touch—anything to get him out of my head so I can think straight again.

As if he’s reading my mind, Jesse slides his hand toward the inside of my thigh, and I tip my knees open further. Enough to make clear the invitation.

“No feelings though. This is just sex,” I say as his fingers graze the patch of skin just beneath where I’m begging them to go. “Do you have a problem with that?”

His hand pauses, and our eyes lock in dead heat. Static makes my ears fuzzy, and we’re both breathing so hard it’s like we’re fighting for the same warm air between us. I think maybe I’ve pushed this too far, that he either wants more or none at all. But then he exhales, and it pulls the weight from my chest.

“Fuck no, I don’t,” he says, crashing his mouth onto mine, pushing in and swallowing a moan, along with the last of my control.

16

Jesse

I’mnotsurewhatchanged in those five minutes between Luce disappearing to the bathroom and her asking me to leave, but everything shifted. It’s like we ripped up the rules and threw them out the window.

Laying sex on the table, as if I’d be able to resist?

This. Fucking. Woman.

A little voice in the back of my head warns me.What if she gets attached? What if she wants more? What if she thinks this is real?She might say it’s just sex, but I’ve heard that line more times than I can count, right before they fall hard and then make me out to be the bad guy.

But Luce is different, isn’t she? Ruthless, to the point. She isn’t afraid to tell me exactly what she thinks.

Unless this is a play for the upper hand in our temporary arrangement?

Giving in to my desire for her has the potential to ruin everything, but I’m known for making risky decisions. Playing by the rules and being careful isn’t how you become this rich and successful. So even with warning signs in my head, I can’t resist.

I almost strip her naked and fuck her in the limo. But as much as I want to peel off that hot-as-sin white dress, I don’t want Luce to regret pushing the boundaries, so I wait.

Every second is palpable as we make our way up to our apartment, and as we step through the front door, I realize there’s never been more tension in the air between us.

Luce’s pouty lips are puffy from the kiss, her body almost liquid as she sashays ahead of me. She sets down her purse on the couch, and when she turns, the flushed glow of her cheeks makes every woman up until this moment seem like an inadequate replacement for what my body has needed.

“Did you want a drink?” I ask, not quite sure what she’s expecting of me.

Luce stands in the dark apartment, her white-blonde hair glowing around her pixie face. “No,” she says.

Her hands fall confidently to her sides, sureness radiating off her as she makes her way through the room toward me. I’m frozen in place, but my stare doesn’t leave her as she moves closer. When she finally stops in front of me, the air I’ve been holding in my chest releases.

Her soft fingers trace up my arms, but she maintains a careful inch of space like it’s the only thing stopping the inevitable fall that I know is about to destroy us both.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask. Her gaze flicks to mine for only a moment before she reaches down for one of my hands and pulls me along.

“No,” Luce says, not looking back as she tugs me down the hallway to the bedroom. “I’m not sure about any of this, Jesse. But I don’t care anymore, because ever since Vegas I can’t stop thinking about it. And when I want something, I prefer to stop thinking, and start taking.”

I love how blunt she is, not afraid to say exactly what’s on her mind. Her hazel eyes flick over her shoulder, as she pauses outside my bedroom door.

“I want this,” Luce says with that tick of a smile that can grant her any wish.

Her fingers trail up my chest and peel off my jacket, leaving it in a pile in the hallway. Those fingertips graze my rock-hard dick through my pants on the way back up.

She goes for the buttons on my shirt, but I wrap my hands around her wrist to stop her, dragging them down to her sides and then behind her, holding them tight against her perfect ass and drawing her body closer.

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