Page 114 of Hate You Up Close

“No strings attached?” he rasps, barely audible. His eyes dart between mine. He presses the tip of his nose against mine, faintly brushing our lips together.

My chest is heaving up and down with heavy breaths, matching the motion of his. He’s saying he wants to do this…withme.

“No strings attached,” I whisper, nodding my head.

“Okay,” he exhales a relieved breath, cupping my jawbetween his palms and pressing his lips to mine. It’s just a peck, but it means so much more.

We’re doing this.

“Are you sure?” I ask, needing to hear him say it. I need confirmation that this isn't all in my head.

“I’m sure, Rox,” he nods. “I want you. And if this is the only way that I can have you, at least for now, then I’ll take it.”

“I want you too,” I breathe out a shaky breath, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him to me. My core heats when I feel his hardening erection press against my lower belly. “I want you so much, Elliot.”

So much that it hurts. So much that I’d risk it all for you.

“You have me, baby,” he rasps, lowering his hands to my ass and tugging me closer.

“So…We’re doing this?”

“Mmhmm,” he groans, lathering my neck with wet kisses. “I just have one rule.”

“And what’s that?” I ask breathlessly.

He pulls back and stares down at me with a serious gaze.

“No one else fucks you,” his nostrils flare. “No one else touches you. Hell, I don’t even want another man to look at you. Only me.”

I arch a brow, my lips turning up in a smile as I eat up his possessiveness.

“That sounds a lot like a relationship to me,” I smirk.

“This is my one rule, Roxanne,” he bears down. “Take it or leave it.”

I only ever want you to touch me.

“Fine,” I nod. “But the same goes for you. No one else but me.”

God, I love saying that. I love knowing that I have some kind of claim over Elliot, even if it’s only sex.

“Just you, Rox,” he replies without hesitation.

I reach for him at the same time he lunges for me. Our lips connect and simmering embers ignite. He curls his arms beneath my legs and picks me up. I part his lips with my tongue as I wrap my legs around his waist and dig my heels into his ass.

Day one of our agreement has started, and it’s so fucking sweet.

TWENTY-THREE

Elliot

“Great. I’ll get the loan package put together and sent over to you by Friday,” I say into the phone.

I finish wrapping up the first of my Monday meetings and reach for the untouched coffee sitting on my desk.

It’s only two hours into the morning, and my day is already off to a busy start. Which is kind of a good thing because it’s temporarily taken my mind off of the weekend with Roxanne.

Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time in San Diego. It was hands down one of the best weekends of my life, but I also feel like shit for agreeing to her delusional plan.