Page 15 of Degrees of Control

Was that why Blue-Eyes kept turning him down? She thought Sophia was forcing his hand? James laughed out loud. His cousin wished she had that kind of control over him.

“I’m not here ’cause Sophia wants me to be. You’ve been in my head since Saturday. Can’t stop thinking about what you told me in that bathroom and wondering how it was I let you walk away from me without knowing what your pussy tastes like.”

Blood bloomed on her cheeks and James wondered what panties she had on under that gym getup. Something soft and pink maybe? Sweet and deceptively sexy like the girl who wore them. He leaned in closer. “Look, Blue-Eyes, you’re on the rebound and I’m happy to be rebounded upon. I thought you might want to go on a little date first, but if you rather I justfinished the job, that can be arranged.”

Charlotte sat back in her chair, creating space between them. “James—I’m not saying I’m not attracted to you, because obviously I am. I just don’t think us getting together again is a good idea. Sophia and the wedding and all…”

It didn’t seem possible but she blushed harder, the flush spreading down to her collarbones. God, why wouldn’t this girl just go out with him already? “Wedding’s a couple months away, sweetheart, I don’t see why you and I can’t have a little fun first. As for Sophia—”

Suddenly, Charlotte stood up, her expression apologetic. “I’m sorry, this is a very compelling pitch, but Ireallyhave to get to yoga.”

“You taking a class?”

“I’m teaching a class. I’m a yoga instructor.”

James kept a straight face. He’d think about the sexual implications of this later. “I’ll walk you out, darlin’.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“But I will, it’s dark out.”

“My studio is five hundred meters away.”

“I don’t know how far that is but I’ll walk you anyway.”

“Americans,” Charlotte sighed and James took that for a yes. Abandoning his coffee, he threw a couple of notes on the table and followed her toward the door.

It was cool outside. Even in summer, Minneapolis nights were almost always cool. Sometimes the chill was almost enough to make him long for Texas. Almost. He observed the girl walking beside him. She was short, like fucking minuscule. Slim with curves in all the right places. The streetlights made her skin shine a buttery-gold and turned her eyes the deep blue of the Pacific. He sighed to himself. Charlotte was pretty, but there were millions of pretty girls. What he needed was to get Sophia’s hippy friend underneath him so he could get over this inconvenient infatuation. He walked a little closer to her. “You like teaching yoga, darlin’?”

“Sure, nobody can beat me at Twister anymore.”

When she wasn’t discussing fucking, Blue-Eyes clearly had confidence—buckets of it, and she didn’t seem at all that interested in picking up what he was laying down. It made him wonder how he’d gotten a hold of her in the first place.

You didn’t ‘get a hold of her,’ asshole, she picked you out like a criminal in a lineup.

James scowled. What he needed was an angle. Charlotte’s building had to be close, and if she went in there without agreeing to a date, sniffing around her again was tantamount to stalking. He needed to act quickly, she had been attracted to him and she was still, but she wasn’t letting herself have what she wanted. Or maybe she didn’t want to admit she wanted it. If that was the case, therewasa perspective he could play. It was a gamble, but he knew she’d picked him at that party because she wanted something mean. Chances were she’d want it again.

James glanced around, made sure no do-gooders were watching and seized Charlotte’s hand. She started a little at his touch, but didn’t pull away. When she looked up at him, her eyes were as big and round as hubcaps.Good, very good.

Ignoring how delicate her wrist felt, he tugged her into the nearby alleyway and pushed her against the redbrick wall. The tight material of her gym clothes felt almost as good as that silk dress against his palms, better maybe, because he wasn’t half drunk. Charlotte blinked up at him, her lips trembling slightly. “Is this one of those things where you’re only interested because I keep turning you down? If so—”

James brought his mouth down on those soft lips and kissed her hard. For all her tough talk she responded eagerly, wrapping her legs around his waist. She tasted sweet, so fucking sweet. This was exactly what he remembered, drowning in the honey taste of her, wanting to consume every last drop. Own her. Make her beg. His dick swelled against his thigh and with a wrench of willpower he hadn’t known he possessed, James forced himself to withdraw from her mouth and began kissing his way down her neck.

“I’ve been thinking about you for a little while now, sweetheart.” He kept his voice low, steel wrapped in a conversational tone.

“H-have you?” she asked.

“Yeah, been wondering what put that nervous look on your face when we first saw each other.” He paused to lick her pulse point, feeling her shudder against him. “Then I saw you today, your hair all brushed back, big blue eyes blinking up at me, and I realized…you’re the girl menmake loveto.”

He sank his teeth into her neck. Her skin tasted like coconut and pure uncut potential. “But that’s not what you like, is it, sweetheart? Being petted and pandered to?”

She was writhing against him now, moving as though trying to force herself back through the brick. James ran a knuckle down her chest, tracing it lightly over her breasts. “I asked you a question, darlin’. Do you get off on bad men being mean to you?”

Charlotte replied in a whisper so soft, he could barely hear it. “Yes.”

James pulled back and stared into her eyes. “Makes you all confused, doesn’t it, darlin’? Wantin’ to save the world and have a man spank your ass raw?”

“Yes.”

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