Page 47 of Clashing

Chapter thirty-five

Mine

Ryker

N o one else in the world made me both euphoric and ticked off. Every part of me rejoiced at having Scarlett again. The chemistry between us only gained power since the last time I’d touched her. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Our recklessness almost got us caught by Danny. Twice.

I was flying high having my woman in my arms again. Except that I didn’t. I’d been working on a speech to tell her I wanted a relationship and now she only wanted to fuck. I didn’t see that coming.

I didn’t know how to tell her, but worse, I was afraid. What if she didn’t feel the same? I couldn’t handle if she ended things now. I’d take being her friend over nothing.

Which was why I was ticked off. At me. Because I had the opportunity to make her mine, and instead, I sent her to a different fucking guy and almost lost her altogether.

This is karma. This is the punishment for fucking up so much.

It had to change eventually. Didn’t it? If she had feelings before, she’d catch them again. I simply needed to be someone worth catching feelings for, and I was trying. Trying so much she teased me about it. Why so talkative all of a sudden? Why are you always asking about my feelings?

Because I fucking love you, dammit.

I’d never considered a future where I got frustrated because a woman chose to suck my cock instead of talking, but here we were. For now, it’d be a lie to say I didn’t enjoy fucking her again. I couldn’t get enough and neither could she.

As much as we didn’t want to, we needed to be careful. Danny was cleared to work a couple hours a day, so he was in the bar more. Once he left, we either went upstairs or back to my place. It depended on the time. Tammy banned us from having sex during business hours because it was too loud.

Scarlett turned red when Tammy scolded us. While she was embarrassed, I wasn’t. My woman liked to scream, and I liked to make her scream. I never wanted anyone to hear her scream before, but now it felt like a claim.

Tonight, I intended to make her scream a lot because her inner brat was out in full force.

She told me before I left to take the dogs for a run that she wouldn’t wear the skirt I hated her wearing at the bar. Mostly because I hated how much attention it drew to her. She teased me about being jealous but promised she’d only wear the skirt for me.

A lie. A flat-out fucking lie. I returned to the bar and found her in that very skirt. Worse, her low-cut shirt barely managed to contain her marvelous tits, and she refused to change.

I tried to let it go. I really did, but then the flirting began.

Flirting with customers right in front of me, along with a mischievous little smile that said, I know I’m driving you insane .

If the bar hadn’t been busy, I would’ve hauled her upstairs and forgone the “no fucking during business hours” rule.

One guy in particular couldn’t keep his damn eyes off her and I swore she gave him special attention to make it worse.

Although telling her what not to do usually blew up in my face, she was killing me by batting her eyelashes at that motherfucker. Against my better judgment, I grabbed her arm when she passed by. “At least stop with that one.”

She blinked innocently. Pain in my ass. “What one?”

“You know which fucking one,” I snapped. “Cut it out. Why are you flirting with him so much?”

She stuck her tongue out and twisted out of my hold. “Maybe I’m keeping my options open.”

“Fucking asking for it, Scar,” I growled.

She returned to work without sparing me a second glance. It took all my willpower to stay in my seat and not scare the guy off. Watching her flirt with other guys put me on edge. Sometimes, I wondered if she did it on purpose to punish me for not making her mine when I could have.

I startled when someone plopped onto the seat beside mine. Then I internally groaned. Hannah. Scarlett’s friend. The extrovert from introverts’ nightmares. Without asking, Hannah swiped my drink and took a sip. Girl was fucking weird.

“Hey, Ryker. Scarlett said you’re about to rip someone’s head off.” She grinned. “Want to talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” I snagged my drink from her. “She’s trying to piss me off.”

“Why do you think that is?”

Maybe because making up is so much fun. Or to punish me. Either way, it’d end the same.

Hannah had this mission to become my confidant. Always asking about my feelings. “This isn’t a therapy session, Hannah.”

“Ugh. You’re so closed off.”

Scarlett paused in front of us, hands on her hips. “Is he bothering you too?”

I scowled at the infuriating beauty. “Yeah, I’m the problem here.”

Hannah giggled. “You guys are silly.”

“I didn’t know you were coming by.” Scarlett held up a glass. “You want a Cape Cod?”

“No. I’m not staying. I only came to drop this off.” She handed Scarlett one of her favorite jackets. “You left it with Collin last night. We never saw him again, so he gave it to me today to give to you.”

Collin?

Scarlett’s sass dissipated as she avoided my gaze. “Thanks.” She stuffed the jacket behind the bar. “Sure you don’t want a drink?”

“I’m good. I’ll see you two later.” Hannah blew a kiss and skipped for the exit.

Scarlett pointedly avoided my eyes. Turning to the cash register, she flipped through receipts. Redness crept up her neck and face.

I gave her three minutes to speak, and since she didn’t, I did. “Something you wanna tell me?”

“No.” She massaged her temples. “Nothing happened. I didn’t know he was going to be there.”

She ripped a fresh receipt off the register, and I reached over the bar to grasp her wrist before she walked away. “His presence doesn’t mean you have to interact with him. Or leave your jacket with him.”

“Nothing happened. Chill out.”

Chill out. Oh, that was it. All night, I’d been trying not to snap, but that was the last straw.

The crowd thinned as the hour grew later.

The asshole she’d spent the night flirting with left her a big tip and tried to get her number.

She turned him down, thank God. It wouldn’t change her fate, though.

The mention of Collin had ended my drinking for the night.

I substituted scotch for water. I wanted to be sober when I finally got her alone.

After I declined another offer for a drink, Scarlett braced her hands on the bar. “Still don’t want a drink? Is this how you pout?”

A muscle in my jaw pulsed. “Don’t push me, Scarlett. Not right now.”

“You’re ridiculous.” She clicked her tongue. “He happened to hit the same club we were at and stopped to say hi. To be polite. That was it. I swear. You think I’d lie to you?” She shook her head and sashayed away. “Calm down, Grumpy.”

Tammy’s rule of not hooking up could get fucked tonight.

I waited until Scarlett went into the back and snuck in after her while Tammy was occupied with a customer.

I crept past the cooks and found Scarlett in the storage room, reaching for a bottle.

She didn’t notice me until I closed the door with a soft click.

She spun to face me and arched a brow. “Tammy has rules.”

“I don’t care about Tammy’s rules.” I stole the bottle in her hands and returned it to the shelf. “I have my own fucking rules to go over with you.” Grabbing her hips, I pushed her against the wall.

She gasped, hooked her arm around my neck, and stretched on her toes to kiss me.

I planted my palm on her chest and pushed her back. “Ground rules first.”

“Ground rules?” She wrinkled her nose. “Really?”

“I agree we shouldn’t need them, but apparently we do.”

“You’re such a baby. Collin is a good person, and he was kind to me. If I want to have a three-minute conversation with him because we happened to be at the same place, that’s my choice. I can talk to whomever I want.”

“Not him.”

“Ryker, that’s bullshit and you know it.” She crossed her arms. “You’re doing that thing again. Trying to control me. Telling me what to wear and who I can talk to. It’s not okay. If you want to hook up with me, you have to respect my decisions about what I do.”

I frowned, clenching and unclenching my fists. I hated when she was right. I promised her I’d be better, that I wouldn’t be an asshole. It wasn’t that I wanted to control her. It was that I was selfish when it came to her and didn’t want to share.

I refused to fuck up again, so I took a long breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” I swept my thumb over her lower lip. “But no more flirting with the fucking customers.”

She flicked her tongue across the pad of my thumb, that mischievous glint in her eye back. “Why?”

“Because you’re mine .” I kissed her. Hard. I wanted her lips to be swollen when she walked out. I wanted it clear she wasn’t available.

She moaned and circled her arms around my neck, but I caught her wrists and pinned them above her head. She let out a delightful sound that made my rapidly hardening cock stiffen.

“Listen and listen good.” I bit her lower lip until she hissed, then released it. “You aren’t going to flirt with customers anymore.”

“You don’t have a say.” She licked her lips. “I’m not yours.”

I slid my hand under her skirt and cupped her pussy. “You’re not mine?”

She gasped and rocked her hips into my hand.

I nipped at her neck and rubbed her through her underwear. “Yes, you fucking are, Scarlett.” I touched her until her thighs quivered around my hand.

Hooded eyes gazed up at me with all the power to fucking undo me. “You think I’m yours?”

I released her wrists and closed my fingers around her throat. “I know you are.”

She flattened her palm against my cock and stroked me through my jeans. Her other hand covered mine and she squeezed, tightening my hold on her throat. Fuck , I loved when she did that. “Prove it.”

I did not need to be told twice.

“You’re mine, Scarlett. These are mine.” I groped her breasts.

She moaned, and I moved to her ass, gripping both cheeks and pulling her roughly against me.

“This is mine.” I drew away from the wall to smack her ass.

She whimpered, and I returned to her pussy, pushed her underwear aside, and plunged a finger into her. “This is definitely mine.”

“ Ryker. ” She threw her head back, expression twisted with pleasure I was about to take away.

Snatching her jaw, I planted my mouth on hers. She melted for me, grinding against my hand, my fingers pumping in and out of her.

“This mouth is mine,” I murmured, grazing my fingers over her lower lip. “My lips to kiss.” I set my hands on her shoulders and pushed her down. “My mouth to fuck.”

Lips parted and cheeks flushed, Scarlett sank to her knees eagerly. My cock twitched in anticipation.

I undid my belt, and she fumbled with my jeans. “You should’ve told me you saw him.”

“I didn’t want you to be mad.”

Whose fault is it she’s worried about that? I forced myself to consider the part I’d played before responding. “I promised you I’d be better, Scarlett. How can I be better if you don’t give me a chance? Would you like it if I saw Nat and didn’t say anything to you?”

“No.” She tugged my jeans and boxers down, freeing my cock. “I’m sorry.” Big, brown eyes staring up at me, she swirled her tongue around my tip. “I’ll make it up to you.”

Sexiest woman in the whole fucking world. I wrapped my fist around her hair. “Damn right, you will.”

She opened her mouth and sucked me in. Panting, I tightened my grip on her hair to keep her in place while I sank my cock down her throat. She gagged. I pushed deeper until she was stuffed full of me.

“You won’t do that again, will you?” I eased back until only my tip remained in her mouth before I shoved back in.

She peered up at me with watery eyes and shook her head.

“Good girl.”

I rocked in and out of her mouth, savoring the sound of her taking every inch of me. Her tongue gave special attention to the underside of my cock and sent me over the edge. Several quick thrusts later, I came down her throat, and she swallowed every drop like the good girl she was.

Pulling out of her mouth, I lifted her to her feet and set her hand over my cock before it softened.

My other hand curled around her neck, and she blinked at me, mouth parted and mascara running.

“This is mine.” I petted gentle circles against her neck.

“And this is yours.” I curled her hand around my cock.

“And this is yours.” I guided her hand along my length, then under my shirt to my chest. “This is yours.” I curled her arms around my head and kissed her.

She let out a soft mewl and knotted her fingers in my hair, deepening our kiss. I tugged on her ponytail so our lips parted and our eyes met.

“Don’t fucking tell me you’re not mine, Scarlett. I’m yours, and you’re mine, sugar. All mine. So, go finish your shift quickly because I’m taking you home to pay for your shit tonight, and the longer you make me wait, the more creative I’ll get with what I’m going to do with you.”