Page 24 of Wild Card

“Don’t play stupid. I’m not doing this chasing thing, Scarlett. It’s not who I am.” He gives me a once over, disappointment in me etched in his features.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Now I’m pissed.

“You couldn’t wait two seconds for me to come get the keys and you fucking press the close button instead of waiting for me when I yell for you? Not very mature.”

The last bit stings hard.

“Um… I was just dropping off the keys. I didn’t know I needed to wait. She said you were getting dressed, so I assumed I was interrupting. And I did not hear you call when I shut the elevator. I was just trying to get out of there.”

“Interrupting what?”

“Don’t play stupid, Tobias. You were obviously fucking her. And the rosé? Jesus. Do you at least change up your bit or did you have a gummy telegram set up for her too?”

His tongue wets his lower lip, and he runs his teeth over it in the wake, his lips pulling up in a smug little grin.

“Jealous much?”

This fucking prick. I can’t believe I fucked him. Or that I thought he was different. That I’d misread him.

“Over you?” I force a laugh. “Get a grip.”

His arm darts out faster than I realize it’s happening, and he pulls me with him, smashing into the crash bar again and pulling me into the dark stairwell. His fingers tighten around my pulse point, and he backs me up against the cinderblock wall. His hand encircles my throat and his thumb brushes gently under my chin.

“Enough for you, or you want it tighter?”

“Tobias—” His thumb shifts up and presses hard against my lips.

“Nah, Spitfire. I just ran down sixteen fucking flights of stairs on a travel game day to catch you before you walked out. The least you can do is admit you were fucking jealous.”

I dart my tongue out and lick the pad of his thumb, his brow raises with the action, and he swipes the dampness over my lower lip. I use the opportunity to bite down hard on the tip of his thumb. Because fuck this man and his ego.

But he just grins and watches me, leaning in when he whispers.

“That’s not gonna have the effect you want, sweetheart. We haven’t gotten that far yet, but I like that kind of play. Biting me? Makes me hard as fuck watching your teeth sink in like that. Draw blood, and we’ll stain those pretty fucking lips with it before you wrap them around my cock.”

“I hate you. This was agiantfucking mistake. I think we just need to go back to how things were before where we tell each other to fuck off and keep our distance.”

“We could do that.” He tilts his head to the side. “Or you could admit you’re jealous. Then I can explain how I was getting dressed because she’s my stylist and helping me pick out something for a media event tomorrow. And she’s drinking champagne because her husband moonlights as a sommelier and we like to compare collections. She didn’t know I was saving it for you and apologized before she left.” His brows raise, and he stares at me pointedly.

I close my eyes, feeling my stomach churn with embarrassment.

“I don’t bring women back to that condo, Spitfire. It’s just my place near the stadium. Business only.”

It’s my turn to give him a pointed look.

“Admit to the jealousy.”

“It wasn’t jealousy. It was just… soon. And new. And you let me borrow your car. I don’t know what we’re doing.”

He takes a deep breath and raises his brow impossibly higher.

“Fine. I was a tiny bit jealous.”

FOURTEEN

Tobias

“Good.Because I can’t get you out of my fucking head either.”