Page 41 of Behind the Scenes
harley
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“Let me call the car?—”
“This is what I want,” Laura cut in, her voice sharp. “Or was all that about giving me anything and everything I want a lie to get me in bed?”
I pressed my lips together in a harsh line to suppress a smile as heat rampaged through my body at realizing she was thinking about me that way.
Finally.
But that didn’t stop my worry.
Our beautiful, clear night had turned to storms the minute we started walking back to the hotel from the restaurant.It would have been a perfect night to walk along the sand, but the weather had different plans.
The rain was light and warm, but that didn’t mean I wanted Laura to walk through it.
I glanced down at her. There was a smug smirk playing on her lips as she walked down the rainy streets after asking me that question.
Her hair was beginning to stick to her face and her shirt was getting wet, but what had my breath catching in mythroat wasn’t how revealing the clothes were becoming or how decadent she looked wet.
It was the pure amusement on her face.
This was the same girl I almost had to drag away from her job. The workaholic. The person who threw a fit and tried to get me killed just because she didn’t want to sign a contract with me.
And here she is now, having the best time making me bend to her will.
I could see right through her. I could see how much she wanted to be in control. How smug and fulfilled she felt when I professed my undying love for her, even though she might not believe it. She wanted to see how far she could take it. How far she could push my buttons.
She wants me to snap.
Does she like the monster in me? Does she want it to come out to play?
“I’m not lying about what I would do for you,” I said as I placed my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into me. I expected her to pull away, but she stayed. The warmth of her skin against mine was even better than I dreamed. “But all I want is to make sure you are safe, happy, and healthy. Walking at night in the rain hinders that goal.”
“I thought your goal was to make me fall in love with you.” Her eyes flashed to mine, a daringness in her tone.
“One, I’m allowed to have more than one goal, and two, that was not in the contract, counselor,” I teased.
A smile pulled at her lips.
“Fine, I’ll concede to that, but isn’t that the ultimate goal? Why else would you go to such lengths to keep me tied to your side?”
I paused and turned her to me.
“Because I’m selfish, Laura,” I admitted. “Because I love you, and while I want you to love me too, I know you don’t. Not yet, at least. So yes, in my twisted mind you will love me back at some point, but until then I’m not sorry about what I did, the blackmail, or the contract. Not when all of it brought you to me like this. AndI promise to treat you better than you’ve ever been treated in your life. I know you deserve it.”
“You don’t even know me,” she whispered. For the first time that night—maybe ever—her eyes fell to my lips.
Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was the fact that it was only the two of us walking the empty street in the middle of a storm.
Whatever it was, for the first time Laura let me inch closer. She leaned into me. She tilted her neck up.
“I know enough,” I whispered back. “Iseeyou, my love.”
It was the moment I had been waiting for. And she was the one initiating it.I was giddy, and I wanted to take her mouth, but I also didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to breathe. All for fear that I would somehow break this trance between us.
“Ms. Hart!” A voice called from the side. The sound of a car screeching to a stop caused both Laura’s and my head to snap to the intruder.
