Page 36 of Of Desire And Deception

“Cosimo!” she shrieked, not appearing relieved to find it was me and not somebody accosting her in the hall. Was I accosting her? The darkness inside wanted to pin her against the wall and tear those skin-tight jeans off her legs, rip whatever panties she was wearing, and fill her holes until she was mine.

Instead, I pulled her toward my office. “Come with me. Now.”

“What’s going on?” Wynn asked, pulling against my hold as I pushed her inside and closed the door behind us. I let go of her arm, and she toppled back onto the couch, her legs splayed as she caught herself.

“You want to tell me what the fuck you thought you were doing out there tonight?” I raged coldly, my voice a low growl. “Flaunting yourself for everybody to see?”

“Bubbles got sick,” she answered, her voice wavering. “I took over her last dance.”

“I noticed.”

Wynn’s eyes darted around the room before hesitantly rising to meet my furious gaze. “Why are you so angry?”

“I told you I never wanted to see you on that stage again,” I hissed, crowding her as I leaned forward into her space. That citrus and sunshine scent—the hint of clean—did things to me. My cock raged inside my jeans as I remembered how she’d looked on that stage. “Those tits. Fuck.”

“I know they’re pretty nice, but to make you speechless?” The corner of Wynn’s mouth pulled into a sly smirk.

She dared tease me? When I was clearly already on edge? The woman was playing with fire. With fucking acid. I’d burn straight through her until nothing was left.

“Men were watching you. They wanted to touch you. Taste you.” I leaned down and tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at me, to see the truth on my face. “I will fucking kill any man who dares touch you, goldilocks.”

“You can’t—”

“Do not test me.” I speared my fingers through Wynn’s braid, holding her head in place. “If you ever set foot on my stage again, I’ll make you watch as I blind every man in the club. Do you understand?”

Her body shook as the gravity of my words registered, but I felt her head bob in acquiescence. “I understand.”

“Good.” My lips crashed down on hers, stealing a kiss, giving in to that desire that couldn’t be shoved down any longer. I ravaged her mouth, forcing my tongue into her wet heat until she let out a breathy moan and met me stroke for stroke.

She was so alive. My heart raced, and I gasped at the sensations she had awakened. It wasn’t enough, but at the same time, too much.

“Fuck.” I tore myself away from her, stumbling back and raking my trembling fingers through my hair.

“Cosimo?” Wynn stared at me with wide eyes, her pupils blown with arousal. I wanted a picture of her like that. I’d cover my walls with photos of her pleasure, so her beauty always surrounded me. I never wanted to be without her.

“Go out with me,” I blurted, shocking myself with my spontaneousness. What the hell was I thinking, asking her out? I didn’t fucking date.

“Sorry, what?” she asked in a daze.

Fuck it. Double or nothing. “Go on a date with me, Wynn.”

She licked her reddened, kiss-plumped lips and gulped. “Okay.”

It took me a moment to realize she hadn’t rejected me. What world was I living in? I would go bald if I kept running my hands through my hair. I dropped them to my sides. “Sunday night.”

“Yeah.” She nodded and pushed herself to stand. “But I need to go if I’m going to catch my bus.”

“I can take you—”

“No.” Wynn reached out, and I watched her small hand stroke my arm. “I’ll see you Sunday.”

“Sunday.” My chest swelled with anticipation as she opened the door and glanced back over her shoulder, her teeth pulling on that bottom lip. I grinned triumphantly. “Goodnight, Goldilocks.”

She offered me a shy smile in return, her cheeks deepening in color. “Goodnight, Cosimo.”

Then she was gone, and I stood there alone, wondering what the fuck I’d just gotten myself into. I stuffed all my doubts into the deep recesses of my mind.

Sunday.

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