Page 169 of Carnal Urges

I want to sigh deeply, but don’t. “This is pointless. Get back in the car.Now.”

“You won’t think it’s pointless when I’m through with you. I’m a black belt, asshole.”

Looking at her trendy outfit, expensive haircut, and meticulous makeup, I lift my brows. “Really? In what, online shopping? Makeup tutorial videos? Savage celebrity takedowns in internet chat rooms?”

Her eyes glittering, she says softly, “Shorin-ryu, you smug prick. And you won’t be the first man to underestimate me and find out fast he wishes he didn’t. Just because I’m girly doesn’t mean I’m a little girl.”

I’m aware of the men staring at us, and of the rain drumming softly on the roofs of the SUVs, and of my own impatience, a hot and prickly sensation inside my chest and on the back of my neck.

I’m also aware of her bare legs, full lips, and tits.

But more than all that, I’m aware that this defiance and self-confidence of hers is a strange, unexpected, and very powerful turn-on.

Fuck.

I decide to ignore that for the moment and try a different approach. Otherwise, we could be standing out in the cold all night.

“Okay. You’re a black belt in Sho-whatever. I apologize for insulting you.”

Sloane narrows her eyes at me. She doesn’t lower her fists.

“I have no intention of harming you. Neither do my men. My instructions are only to take you to see my boss. He wants to talk, nothing more. If you cooperate, this will be over very quickly. I’ll take you wherever you want to go, and you’ll never see me again.”

I pause for a moment to let that sink in. Then, staring straight into her eyes, I add quietly, “If you don’t cooperate, however, I’ll hurt you in ways you can’t imagine and won’t recover from. I say that not as a threat, but as a statement of fact.”

She swallows hard, the first and only sign of fear she’s shown so far.

“So you have no problem hurting a woman, huh, big guy?”

“You’re the ones who’re so adamant about equality, lass. You’ve gotta take the bad with the good. Now please put your fists down and get back into the fucking car before I’m forced to do something I don’t want to do.”

I step aside and hold out my arm toward the SUV.

She looks me over, taking her time, her jaw working, anger and ambivalence flashing in her eyes. Then she exhales, lowers her arms to her sides, and pulls back her shoulders.

“Fine,” she says tightly, not looking at me. “But only because you said please.”

With that, she walks past me, head held high, and climbs back into the SUV, slamming the door shut behind her.