Page 34 of Should've Been Us
Chapter Eight
Connor had paced backand forth so long the carpet beneath his feet was starting to show the wear. He stared at the small doorway that had been shut when he got back to his room after dance lessons. He’d lost track of Lulu for one damn minute while he tried to politely tell Amber that he wasn’t interested and now there was a wall between him and Lulu that he couldn’t even begin toscale.
Fuck.
He stopped pacing and sat down on the edge of the bed. He checked the clock on the nightstand. It was late but it wasn’t too late. She could still change her mind. He stared at the doorway, willing her to knock and then cursing violently when the room remainedquiet.
He was such a masochist. He was really considering going after her. Even though he’d put the ball in her court and told her he would be waiting. She hadn’t come to him. She’d ditched him. She wasn’t ready to face what he could giveher.
He should let her be. He knew that. Hell, his heart wasn’t up to the disappointment. He should just go to bed, leave it for tomorrow, and figure out a new planthen.
“Fuck it.” He stood and rushed for the door that led to her room. He wasn’t going down that easy. If she thought she could simply avoid him then she had another thing coming. He was tired of being ignored. He jerked his door open, fully prepared to bang his way through the door on her side, but he pulled up short to keep from running her over because Lulu was standing on the other side, her hand up as if she’d been about to knock. His heart fucking stopped. “Lu?”
“I’d only be usingyou.”
He growled when she instantly tried to put parameters on what she was doing and why, “Shutup.”
He grabbed her by the arm and jerked her through the doorway. He kicked it shut behind them. He backed her against the wall and loved the way her eyes went wide when he crowdedher.
“I’m only using you as adistraction.”
“I said, shut up.” He slid his hand into her hair but the defiant way she tilted her chin up only made his cockhard.
God he loved that fire that lit her up from the inside out. Of course she wasn’t going to make this easy for him. She wouldn’t be Lulu if she wasn’t simultaneously pissing him off and making himhard.
“I’m telling you up front that I’m using you for your body. You’re hot and I want to get off. Rumor has it, you’re good at that kind of thing so this should be right up your alley. One night. No strings or feelings. This is just sex. It isn’t anything more thanthat.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself,dollface.”
Her dark eyes flashed, “Don’t call methat.”
“You’re right.” He traced her stubborn chin, “You’re not a doll. You’re a woman. You’re strong and you make your own choices. You came here to use me? Then use me,Lu.”
He backed up a step, giving her space, and watched her dark brows knit together. He smirked. She hadn’t expected him to let her take control. Good. He liked it when she was a little offbalance.
If she’d expected him to simply go caveman on her, she knew him better than she realized. Because he wanted to. He wanted to strip her down and take her hard and fast. He wanted to fuck her until she went hoarse from screaming his name. He wanted to brand her, mark her, claim her. Make it so she knew whom she belongedto.
But that was what hewanted.
It wasn’t what Luluneeded.
Notyet.
He’d seen the flash of hurt when he used that old endearment. That wasn’t his word to use. That was Derek’s and he didn’t want her thinking about the other man at all when he was finally touching her. Besides, Derek had been wrong. Lulu had always been far stronger than either of them gave hercredit.
She’d come to him tonight even though she was still wary. Even though she wasn’t sure why. She was trying to give him new rules to play by in order to make it seem like she was in control because she wasn’t ready to face that this was exactly where she was supposed tobe.
She needed to be the one in control this time. She needed to own this as her decision. She wasn’t going to look back on tonight and say he’d seduced her in a weak moment. She wasn’t going to twist this around in her head later and claim he tookadvantage.
This was about her. She’d made the decision to come here. She wanted to believe it was just about sex? Fine, at least for now. He could give her that. He’d give her whatever sheneeded.
He held his hands out at his sides when she continued to eye him warily, “You want my body? It’s yours. Do with it what you want. I only have one demand and it’s non-negotiable.”
“There’s always a catch with you, isn’t there?” She rolled her eyes but he wasn’t playing, notanymore.
“You don’t close youreyes.”
“What?”
