Page 19 of Black Site

I yank my arm out of his hold, "You don't get to tell me what to do? I'm not one of your men to boss around, Jim. You have no control over me or my life outside of work and this thing is none of your business."

"You're so fucking wrong, Liberty. You haven't got a fucking clue just how wrong you are." He looks serious as fuck and I don't think he's talking about helping me put my sister through college or take care of a fucked up ex.

"Yeah, why don't you show me! If you can."

I'm pushed up against the door before I can think of why it's a bad reason to kiss my boss, his lips on mine and his tongue asking permission to come inside. I kiss him back for just a second. For just a second, I'm not Lexi's sister or her guardian; I'm not the house mother for all eight men I work with. For just a second, I'm that eighteen-year-old who’s excited and thrilled that I can kiss a boy I like.

For just a second. And then I allow reality to crash back down around me. I push him knowing the only reason he backs up is because he can tell I want him to. I couldn't really push him off of me if he didn't want to move. Normally that would scare the hell out of me, to be alone with a much larger man who wants to do naughty things with me but Jim is different. Jim has always been different.

I can't ever be that eighteen-year-old carefree girl again and I have to remember that. I have to...to make sure what's left of my heart after my parents' car wreck is safe and protected.

"I quit."

His eyebrow raises at my two words, "What did you just say?"

"I...quit. I can't...," I shake my head but can't go on. The last thing I need is for him to see how hard this is for me. "You need to leave. Now." I point to the door even as my heart breaks. Guess I wasn't careful enough with my heart after all.

"No." His one-word response takes me so far back that all I can do for a second is stare at him with my mouth hanging open in shock.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said no. The only reason you're kicking me out is that you're scared. You're afraid. And I'm not going to let your fear dictate our lives so - no."

My hand comes up and I've slapped him before I can talk myself into a better solution to get rid of Jim. What's worse is I try to slap him a second time before he is holding tight to my wrist and pulling me into his arms back to front. I try to head butt him but I'm not nearly tall enough. Fucker grew another three inches and he isn't wearing his glasses. I should've known something was up. It always is when Jim doesn't have his glasses on.

I step down on his foot but I'm barefooted and it doesn't really do much damage except to my soft sole. By the time he has me pinned to the floor both of us are sweaty and flushed. Both of my wrists are in each of his hands and his lower half is pushing me down keeping me from moving an inch.

"You son of a bitch." I will not do this. I promise I won't.

He moves so that one of his hands is holding both of my wrists as he takes me by the chin and forces me to look at him. "What are you so afraid of, Libby? I've seen you fight off a man twice your size, maybe three times bigger. Hell, you're fighting with me. So what is it, Libby? What are you scared of?"

12

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Libby

I will not cry in front of this asshole. I damn sure will not confide in him. His green eyes rake over my face and I swear he sees through me.

"Is it me?" He's so smug, thinking he knows what I am feeling or thinking. He's too used to knowing everything. "Are you afraid of getting too close to me?"

My mouth falls open and the gasp I take is out before I can stop it. Fuck!

"Are you afraid you might fall in love with me? Scared I'll leave? Talk to me."

He's too close for comfort so I do what I'm good at. I lash out. I snap my head and nail him right in the mouth. He doesn't let me go or back away. Instead, his tongue comes out to lick away the blood from his busted lip and he grins. His eyes heating like he might just like the pain.

"You want to make me bleed, baby? You want to put me through it, cause me pain? Go for it. I'm not letting you go and you're not running away." Those damned green eyes of his change turning more towards the predator he was in the club. "You need time, I'll give you time but don't ever say you're going to leave." He moves close so that his breath fans across my face. "Or so help me, I'll keep your ass tied to a chair or the bed until you agree to stay with me."

He leans down for a kiss but I turn my head. Again he gives me that cocky ass smile that tells me he's not going to be stopped and licks me. He fucking licks me! "You finally met someone who isn't going to take shit from you, little girl. So go ahead and kick and hit and throw a fit. It will just make what comes next so much more rewarding."

I give him a sound that is somewhere between indignant Bronte heroine and Miss. Piggy. Damn it. His lips find mine and before I realize what I'm doing I'm not only kissing him back but my arms and legs are wrapping around him holding him to me instead of pushing him away. I can taste the blood on his lip and instead of repulsing me it makes me want to pull him closer, hold him harder.

I don't understand what's going on with me, or why I'm acting so crazy. I just know that when he kisses me it feels like the years I've had to worry and struggle and be afraid are gone. I bury my hands in his hair at the back of his head and try to pull him closer still.

I don't realize my robe has slid up and open until his big hand skims up my bare thigh. "Do you realize what you do to me? Do you have any clue what you've done?"

I try to shake my head but he doesn't stop kissing me, my words come out muffled and hesitant because it feels like I need him to breathe all of a sudden. If I don't kiss him one more time I might not survive a second longer. If this is what lust feels like no wonder men sell their souls for it. His hand brushes the curve of my ass before pulling back just enough to push my robe off my shoulder.

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