Page 29 of Between Never and Forever

I couldn’t tell if her tone was angry or not. “Should I be ashamed of that?”

“No.” She shrugged and turned to me. “I’m ashamed I can’t control my life the way you all seem to control the world. The way Mitchell has controlled me. The way you all morph it into what you want, no matter the casualties.”

I hummed and stared out at the city lights. Getting a glimpse of how she saw the world was tragic. “We’re not all monsters.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“Well, you’ll have to find out.”

“If I don’t?”

“I’ll be the monster you think I am. I’ll dissolve your contract with our resort. You going to sing somewhere else?”

She chewed her cheek. I knew she didn’t want to do that. If nothing else, Dimitri had helped her get this deal and her record label wanted that for her.

“I don’t have all night, Kee.”

“If I do this…”

Who was she kidding? I scoffed and said, “You’re doing it.”

“If I do this, you let me sing what I want and do what I want on stage… Let me change my brand here.”

“Change it into what?"

“Not the all-American sweetheart I’m sick of being.”

“Interesting. Don’t want to be a good girl anymore, huh?” She’d shown me her hand. I had her dreams and hopes in mine to hold over her head. Her brand was important to her obviously, and she wanted more control than she’d ever had before. I could offer her freedom, and in return, I’d hopefully find a way to be free of her.

“Oh my God. You know what? Just figure it out with the record label if you want this to happen, because they’ll balk. I was with Ethan a few hours ago, and their all-American sweetheart should never be seen jumping from guy to guy.”

“No one will care.” I shrugged.

“No one… No one…” she stuttered. “You realize I’m a woman? I’ll get slaughtered for breaking Ethan’s heart, and they’ll claim I cheated on him with you.”

“Maybe you should admit it was the other way around.” Saying that one out loud hurt, but it was true.

Her eyes widened as she gasped and then stepped back like I’d hit her. Her face contorted in pain. “You can’t honestly believe that.”

“What else should I believe?” Fuck, I hated to admit that my palms were sweating as I waited to hear if she’d lie.

She shut her eyes hard, squeezed them so her long lashes curled up on her beautiful skin and then opened them with tears glistening. “I need to finish out this contract, Dex. I’m not going to change your mind about me. So, believe what you want. I don’t care.”

I stepped close to her. I did it so fast, my chest came to her chest, and immediately, she whipped her head up to meet my eyes. “You don’t care? You don’t care that for years I’ve had nightmares about you with him? And then dreams of fucking you away from him? You don’t care that I’m about to make that happen now?”

“Just because I’d get fake engaged to you doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with—”

My hand went to her neck, and I practically pulled her off the ground so I could reach her lips more quickly. I didn’t kiss her. I fucked her mouth. I destroyed it, took what I wanted and longed for. It wasn’t nice or kind or subtle in need. It was a kiss full of fire and hate and vengeance. I branded her with the emotions we’d probably both felt for years.

My tongue still commanded her, thrusting around her mouth, claiming every part of it. My length hardened against her stomach, and she whimpered as she clawed at my shirt. Tonight, we were both being reckless. Her probably more so. She had a reputation to uphold, after all.

It was dangerous.

Defiant.

And exactly what I wanted us to be.

She pulled back, breathless, to glare at me and make her point known. “I hate that I’m doing this. Hate you for even pushing us here where we don’t belong.”