Page 100 of Between Desire and Denial

“You’re using freaking force to get your way?”

“And I always will when it comes to your safety, Honeybee,” I countered as I walked toward where the valet had pulled my car up to. He then opened the passenger door for me to throw her in.

“You’re the most ridiculous, stubborn—”

I slammed the door in her face and tipped the valet generously. He smiled and said to have a great night.

I rounded the front of the car and got in. She was still screaming. “And quite frankly, I bet Mr. Perfect would have been better in bed.”

I shifted the car into first and gunned it as I looked at her. “You and I both know that’s a lie. I fuck your pussy better than anyone because it’s mine. You were made for me. Don’t deny it.”

“Oh my God. Your ego is so stupidly big for no reason.” When we came to a stop sign, she yanked on the door handle. “Let me out.”

I didn’t even look at her. “You know I’m not going to.”

“If you don’t let me out of here, I’m going to roll down the window and scream,” she warned me. “It won't be good for you around here and you know it.”

Didn’t she get that I didn’t care one bit about my reputation in Paradise Grove anymore?

Chapter Thirty-Seven

OLIVE

Dimitri got off on a thrill,loved the risk, would do something completely stupid just to see how it ended up. He loved when someone pushed him or defied him. He got that burst of fire in his green eyes before one side of his mouth lifted. “Go on then, Honeybee.” No fear at all that it could ruin his reputation. If anything, he was like a trained military dog that had just been hit, wagging his tail ready to lunge into chaos. “Scream loud.”

Then he accelerated—rapidly—in that insanely expensive car.

“Holy crap.” I gripped the handle above the door and gasped as the speed climbed so fast. “You’re breaking the speed limit.”

“I’ll risk the ticket.” He shrugged and kept going.

“Well, how about not risking my life while you’re at it!”

He glanced at me then and slowed the car abruptly enough that my body leaned forward but his arm was fast enough to shoot out and catch me. “No one’s on the road. I’m trained to handle this car.”

“You’re trained? Really?” I rolled my eyes.

“Took lessons with the best,” he told me, and I believed him because there was no reason to brag at this point. “I shouldn’t speed though. Not with you in the car. It’s a risk I won’t take.”

“Oh good. So you do understand the idea of risks.” I tried to reason with him another way. “You realize us trying to be in a real relationship is a huge risk to each of our friendships with Kee. And what about us? We’re fri—”

“Don’t you dare say we’re friends, or I’ll pull this car over and fuck you on top of it.”

“Do you hear yourself?” I threw up my hands. “We’re in the middle of you trying to make a good impression on the people around here and you’re talking about fucking me in public.”

“Your point?”

I swear he wanted to get a rise out of me, and I didn’t care anymore. I gave him one. Like Lucille said, people deserved prickly sometimes. I threw my hand so hard on his dashboard, I wanted to dent it. Instead, though, I immediately snatched it back and rubbed it as pain shot through it. “Crap.” He glanced over at me with concern and slid his hand in mine fast to take over rubbing it. “What are you doing?” I murmured as I looked down at it.

“Taking care of you.”

Those four words. Him worrying over me. Him taking care of me and rubbing my hand for just a moment. It shifted something in me. I blinked back the tears that had started to fill my eyes. “You don’t understand, Dimitri. Everything around here is a mess. And so am I. I’m the biggest mess of all. You can’t want me.”

“But I do. And I’m going to show you. Deny me all you want. I’ll be waiting till you don’t.”

After he pulled into the garage and turned off the car, silence descended on us.

“I’m scared I’m not enough. I’m scared to commit and then find out I wasn’t enough.” I swiped at the first tear that fell before I shoved through the door to the backyard instead of inside. I stared out at the clear stars over our backyard. I didn’t spend much time out here. I’d told myself the lawn service would handle it, but I saw how the lights twinkled over the fences, how our overhead lights provided just the right dim glow.