should.
“What do you want?” he asked.
Her gaze dropped to his chest, and he shoved away the urge to pull her to him. If she wanted this, he had to regain control or it would be over much quicker than either of them would appreciate.
“I want to get to know you.”
Sander staggered back, cursing his inability to control his damn hormones. She may as well have thrown a bucket of iced water over him for the effect the statement had. Of course she wanted more. Didn’t they all? And more wasn’t something he couldn’t give anyone, even her.
“Chloe—”
“I don’t mean the way you think I mean. I don’t want a relationship with you, and you’ve already made it clear you don’t have the time or inclination for one.” She didn’t even look upset, merely stoic, like she was discussing something that didn’t matter. Like the damn weather.
“What do you want?” he asked.
He didn’t think for a second she was like Sienna or the others, promising him something right before they sunk their claws in and demanded more. But he needed to make sure she wanted the same thing as him, otherwise it would all go to hell and he’d end up breaking his promise. He’d end up hurting her. His chest tightened at the thought.
“Can we do this sitting down? My feet are going numb.”
His gaze was drawn down the red silk peep toe platforms he wanted against his shoulders, with Chloe on her back. Naked. Screaming his name. His blood rushed south again. Fuck.
“Take a seat.” He gestured to the black leather sofa facing the fire and had a vision of peeling the thin straps off her shoulders, letting the silk slip down her curves and expose all of her pearly skin. Shaking away the thought before he burst through his pants, he cleared his throat. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Do you have wine?”
“Sure.”
She retreated to the sofa and perched on the end, her back ramrod straight. He headed over to the mini-bar and pulled out a bottle of white. Turning to her, he asked, “Is this okay?”
She nodded and offered that damn smile again, making him feel like a stranger. He decided to ignore it for now. Pregnant women probably had less mood swings than he’d had in the last hour, and he didn’t want to seduce her, freeze her out, and bite her head off all in the one night.
He joined her on the sofa with a beer and handed her a glass of wine. Chloe offered another platonic smile, then downed half the glass. He lifted one of his brows in question.
“Dutch courage.” Her smile this time was more genuine, and the last of his anger dissolved. “I…I’ve never slept with anyone I didn’t know first. I mean it when I say I understand we can’t be together, and I don’t want that.” She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “But I was lying when I said I’d never want you.”
He laughed. Her eyes flew open and irritation pursed her lips.
Sander jumped in with damage control. “I knew that. I told you, never say never.”
“You’re an egotistical—”
“Chloe.” He removed the glass from her hand and placed it on the coffee table next to his beer. Shifting closer, he lowered his voice, “I’m not stupid, but that doesn’t make me an ass.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and watched her eyes light up with irritation. He stifled a smile. “You want to get to know me? Ask whatever you like.”
* * * *
With her heart hammering against her ribs, Chloe couldn’t think let alone breathe. The pushy, big-headed sex god. Well, that wasn’t much of an insult really, but she couldn’t focus on much other than the fact his lips were mere centimeters from hers.
But she also couldn’t sleep with a man she barely knew, no matter how much her resolve was flaking. Though the voice at the back of her head screamed that this was a bad idea. She’d slept with one man—Dane—and she’d fallen head over heels for him. Could she keep this just a fake relationship with benefits?
She
“What do you want?” he asked.
Her gaze dropped to his chest, and he shoved away the urge to pull her to him. If she wanted this, he had to regain control or it would be over much quicker than either of them would appreciate.
“I want to get to know you.”
Sander staggered back, cursing his inability to control his damn hormones. She may as well have thrown a bucket of iced water over him for the effect the statement had. Of course she wanted more. Didn’t they all? And more wasn’t something he couldn’t give anyone, even her.
“Chloe—”
“I don’t mean the way you think I mean. I don’t want a relationship with you, and you’ve already made it clear you don’t have the time or inclination for one.” She didn’t even look upset, merely stoic, like she was discussing something that didn’t matter. Like the damn weather.
“What do you want?” he asked.
He didn’t think for a second she was like Sienna or the others, promising him something right before they sunk their claws in and demanded more. But he needed to make sure she wanted the same thing as him, otherwise it would all go to hell and he’d end up breaking his promise. He’d end up hurting her. His chest tightened at the thought.
“Can we do this sitting down? My feet are going numb.”
His gaze was drawn down the red silk peep toe platforms he wanted against his shoulders, with Chloe on her back. Naked. Screaming his name. His blood rushed south again. Fuck.
“Take a seat.” He gestured to the black leather sofa facing the fire and had a vision of peeling the thin straps off her shoulders, letting the silk slip down her curves and expose all of her pearly skin. Shaking away the thought before he burst through his pants, he cleared his throat. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Do you have wine?”
“Sure.”
She retreated to the sofa and perched on the end, her back ramrod straight. He headed over to the mini-bar and pulled out a bottle of white. Turning to her, he asked, “Is this okay?”
She nodded and offered that damn smile again, making him feel like a stranger. He decided to ignore it for now. Pregnant women probably had less mood swings than he’d had in the last hour, and he didn’t want to seduce her, freeze her out, and bite her head off all in the one night.
He joined her on the sofa with a beer and handed her a glass of wine. Chloe offered another platonic smile, then downed half the glass. He lifted one of his brows in question.
“Dutch courage.” Her smile this time was more genuine, and the last of his anger dissolved. “I…I’ve never slept with anyone I didn’t know first. I mean it when I say I understand we can’t be together, and I don’t want that.” She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “But I was lying when I said I’d never want you.”
He laughed. Her eyes flew open and irritation pursed her lips.
Sander jumped in with damage control. “I knew that. I told you, never say never.”
“You’re an egotistical—”
“Chloe.” He removed the glass from her hand and placed it on the coffee table next to his beer. Shifting closer, he lowered his voice, “I’m not stupid, but that doesn’t make me an ass.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and watched her eyes light up with irritation. He stifled a smile. “You want to get to know me? Ask whatever you like.”
* * * *
With her heart hammering against her ribs, Chloe couldn’t think let alone breathe. The pushy, big-headed sex god. Well, that wasn’t much of an insult really, but she couldn’t focus on much other than the fact his lips were mere centimeters from hers.
But she also couldn’t sleep with a man she barely knew, no matter how much her resolve was flaking. Though the voice at the back of her head screamed that this was a bad idea. She’d slept with one man—Dane—and she’d fallen head over heels for him. Could she keep this just a fake relationship with benefits?
She
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