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I didn’t know how I kept my body glued to the chair when all I wanted to do was stand up and shove him. Maybe even smack his face for insulting me.

Instead, I clenched my fists and managed to growl past my clenched jaw. “Screw. You.”

With a triumphant smile, he stepped back and headed to his office.

“Call the Precinct and make a reservation for two at seven. Then, please notify Miss Stutz of our plans. Her number is in my contacts. Laura can take you back to the apartment again.” He stopped before closing his door and gave one last parting shot. “I’ll be home late tonight. I have a woman’s body I need to show some respect to. Again.”

11

Erik

My keys dropped to the carpet with a muted crash. Resting my hand against the door, I groaned and leaned over, trying to focus my eyes enough to grab the chunk of silver on the dark carpet.

I stood upright but didn’t remove my hand from the wall. The world spun and it took two attempts to finally slip the keys in the lock. Before I pushed the door open, I checked my phone for the time. Ten thirty-two. That was late enough. Hell, I’d been done with dinner almost three hours ago. It’d been a petty mistake to meet Angela for dinner.

I’d come out to find Alexandra there, her cheeks stained red and her chin high and mighty in the air. She’d opened her sassy mouth and I’d reacted, shutting her down. Joke was on me when I had to endure almost forty-five minutes with Angela rambling about how happy she was that we had dinner. It gave her the wrong idea and she began talking about a wedding next month and getting a hotel for the both of us. I’d scarfed down the eighty-dollar steak and made excuses to leave.

There was no way I could sleep with her again. I hadn’t really wanted to in the first place. She’d strolled in and I’d caught a glimpse of Alexandra’s wide, innocent eyes, and I’d wanted to toss Angela out to call Alexandra into the office and pick up where I’d stopped everything Saturday night. Which was why I’d given in to Angela’s overt come-ons and even fucked her against the door. I had a point to make and I had to make it savagely.

I was beginning to realize Alexandra didn’t take shit. She called me on my rude behavior and I’d snapped. The fact that I’d needed to remember Alexandra’s soft cries to come while fucking Angela pissed me off and I’d taken my frustration out on her. I’d taunted her and cornered myself in a situation I hadn’t wanted to be in.

Hence why I’d gone to a bar to drink and was just now stumbling into my own apartment as quietly as possible, hoping she’d already locked herself in her room like she’d done every day this week. I held the knob as I eased the door closed, thudding my head against the solid surface when I heard her voice.

“I assumed you wouldn’t be coming home.”

I peeled my head from the door and shook myself off before turning to face her. She was a nineteen-year-old girl in my home. She was also a young, beautiful woman whose legs were currently on full display along with the rest of her skin. She finished filling her glass of water before turning to rest her back against the counter.

I slowed my pace and tried to stop my eyes from trailing over her exposed skin. She wore a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt. No bra. Because why would fate be nice and at least put her in a damn bra?

My hand gripped the island granite for support, trying to appear more sober than I was under Alexandra’s assessing stare. “How was she?” she asked, her tone mocking. “Different from earlier? Better? Or does it even matter?”

“None of your business.” I grabbed my own glass and reached past her to fill it in the sink.

“God, did you fuck her drunk?” She scrunched her nose like the smell of scotch disgusted her. “That poor woman.”

My glass thudded to the counter. Her words easily undoing the loose rein I had on my temper. “Yeah,” I taunted. “She was real sad as she screamed my name.”

Her lip curled. “You’re disgusting.”

“Didn’t think so Saturday night,” I said with an easy shrug.

Her own glass thudded into the sink and she went to storm past me. I should have let her go, escaping another chance I could have touched her. I should have gone to bed knowing I’d won another victory at pushing her away. Instead, I snatched her wrist to hold her back.

She whirled and stared at my hand easily encircling her wrist. “What?”

What? That was a good question. What did I want? I looked around the kitchen like it would give me an answer to keep her there with me. My eyes landed on the far drawer and a light bulb went off. “I need to give you this while you’re not holed up in your room.”