Page 579 of Hell Hath No Fury
Crackers slides his rough fingers beneath the edge of the towel coaxing it to fall around my waist. I don’t know if my skin pebbles from the cold or his touch, but I know why my nipples are rock hard against the cotton of his shirt. I’ve been loved and made love to so many times in my time here, but never, not once, has anyone ever slowed down and touched me as though they revere me.
I feel… seen.
“You were on my mind the whole ride,” he murmurs, his words a hot caress against my cheek. “Not like normal, either.”
“How is it normally?” I pull back a little, nose-to-nose, and set a hand to his cheek.
“Most times, I can’t wait to get back here knowing that you’ll balance my sins.” He uses his nose to push my face aside enough to set a kiss on my cheek. “Because you’re my angel, Beth. Fuckin’ beautiful with your blonde hair and your warm smile.” I shiver when he drags his warm bottom lip along the shell of my ear. “Pure.”
“But?”
He sighs, settling a palm against the base of my throat. “This time Ineededto get back to you.Foryou,” he confesses before dotting a kiss to my forehead. “Not me.”
I don’t understand. “For me, how?”
“To know you’re alright.” The backs of his fingers sweep across my breastbone, his other arm tucked around my waist. “Knowing I can make it better. Make you better.”
“Can you though?” I lean back so that I can read his eyes. “How can you believe you can make me better if you don’t think you can give me what I deserve?”
He swallows hard, brow softly peaked. “As long as you’re happy bein’ a whore here, Beth, ain’t no man able to give you what you deserve.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Crackers
Her jaw drops, and she leans away to rear her hand back before slapping me clean across the face. “You fucking asshole.”
The cool air rushes in when she stands, chilling the wet patches from where she sat. I reach to steal the towel, but she smacks my hand away taking it for herself and wrapping her milky skin out of sight.
“Stop your fuckin’ sulking.” I push to my feet and tower over her. “Hear me out.”
“No.” She attempts to side-step me, but I block her path. “Get out of the fucking way.”
“Make me.”
The little spitfire takes me by surprise, cutting a pointy elbow tight beneath my ribs. I double briefly, but it’s long enough that she darts on light feet and reaches the door before I get a chance to turn around.
Fuck it.I sling my cut over my arms and take after her, reaching Beth before she can get through her bedroom doorway. “Would you give me a chance to explain?” I capture her arm in my grip, tugging her off balance so that she crashes back against my body.
“Oh, you pig.” She chuckles, dark and full of hate. “There’s no way you can explain yourself out of that bullshit.”
“You wanna bet?” I set both hands on her shoulders and pin her against the nearest flat surface. “You gonna give me a minute with your mouth shut so I can?”
“Get fucked.” Even with her back against the wall, she’s full of fire.
“Christ’s sake.” I push off her and take a step back. “I can’t explain shit when you’re in a mood like this.”
“Should have thought about that before you put me in this mood,” she snipes, hands clutching the towel to her body.
Maybe I did put her in the mood, but I sure know a fast way to get her out of it. I snap my arm out and snatch away the towel before she has a chance to react.
Too stunned to do much else, she whips her arms to cover herself, jaw slack while she stares at me with nothing short of shock. “That’s not fair!”
I jerk my arm back, evading her reach when she lunges for the towel. “How?”
“You’re bullying me into submission by using my shame.” She frowns, covering her breasts with one arm and attempting to retrieve the towel with the other.
“First off.” I toss the bath sheet down the hall. “I don’t see anything to be ashamed about.” As predicted, she moves away from the wall to retrieve it. “And second.” I bend my knees, loop an arm around her waist, and collect her mid-lunge. “There’s one way I know we can make it even.”
