Page 7

7

ARTHUR

One Week Later

“ Y ou’re late.” It sounds so stern. So serious. Like our training is some life or death matter.

“Ease up, Captain. It’s only a few minutes,” Eva says, sipping at a long green straw sticking out of a plastic cup. A drop of the pink, creamy milkshake stays on her lip as she moves the straw aside. What I wouldn’t give to lick it up. “Needed a sugar rush to keep up with you on the field.”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s by a minute or an hour, late is late.”

Stop, Arthur. She isn’t one of your soldiers; she’s a woman with a whole life outside these sessions.

Reprimanding myself doesn’t work. Of course, she has things to do that don’t involve me. But it makes me itch. Irritated. Afraid of not being good enough.

Desperate and pathetic doesn’t look good on me.

“Punctuality is key in everything we do. Missing time, missing your mark, leads to trouble,” I add. A bullshit lecture for my own peace of mind.

Eva smirks and speaks with devilish sarcasm. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

It knocks the wind from my lungs and makes my cock twitch in unimaginable delight.

“What did you just say?” I choke on the sentence.

“I’ve been a naughty girl. Missed my curfew. Don’t be angry at me.” She pouts, continuing the false upset act.

“Stop it.” It’s more for me than her. I managed to stay in control this long; I’d hate to lose it all because of a few well-picked words.

“Or what? Your mouth’s saying no, but your eyes…” Eva wrinkles her nose, and her tongue runs over her lip to lap away the milkshake. “They’re begging for a yes.”

“Don’t make me punish you. Pull you onto my knee, rip off your pants, and spank you the way your Daddy should.”

No. Stop. Don’t play into it. A little voice whispers in the back of my head. It stills the sound of my heart thumping in my ears.

“Trying to threaten me with a good time?” Eva leans in closer to me. She turns her eyes to the house as if checking to see if anyone’s around.

My hard facade breaks, the corners of my lips curling into a wicked smile. “No one’s home, Eva. They went out for the day. So don’t expect anyone to save you if you keep pushing me.”

“Maybe you’re the one who needs help,” she whispers into my ear.

I gulp down a hard swallow. Damn fucking right, I need help. I’ve been in a spiral since we kissed, with no signs of finding my footing on the horizon. Eva’s using it to toy with me. Break my spirit.

She knows it’s working.

“Rubbing against me. Practicing our wrestling while you strip me naked with your beautiful eyes. I can’t blame you for wanting?—”

I don’t let her finish the sentence, swinging my hands under her ass and hoisting her up into me. To hell with it. I’m already indulging this lunacy, so why not lose myself to it completely?

Eva squeals as her feet lift off the floor, and she clings to my shoulders for dear life. She starts giggling frantically when she’s steady in my arms, and one of the hands clawing my shoulder moves over to cup my cheek.

“We’ll be doing groundwork.” I inch closer, my eyes pinned to her lips. Don’t even know why I’m pretending this is still a lesson at all. There should be no surprise as to what comes next.

“Why did I have a feeling you’d say that?” Her hot breath tickles my nose.

“Rules are simple. Since you’re still dressed in your breakfast best, you’ll have to stop me from taking it off.”

“Don’t think you’re getting out of it that easily. I’m gunning for those jeans.” Eva smirks, pecking my lips. “It’s about time I get to see the spear that’s been prodding me all week.”

“Fine. To the victor go the spoils,” I add, with no thought to what it actually means. I’m lust-drunk and ready for wherever this day takes us.

I pull her tightly against my chest, this time, smashing my mouth into hers and losing myself to an intense embrace. As it breaks, I release her from my grip.

But Eva wastes no time. She doesn’t give me a second to gather my thoughts, and as her feet hit the grass, she pounces like a tigress stalking a deer. Low down, hands finding their way behind my knees, using the techniques I taught her to drop me flat on my ass.

The game’s on, and I’m not going to lose.