to kiss.
“I get that,” he said. “But you sure put up a good show. Let’s see if you can manage an encore.”
He crushed his lips around hers. Lauren’s first instinct was to push away from him, but as his tongue mingled with hers, she wilted and sank into his kiss. Blake’s arms surrounded her waist, and he pulled her closer. Lifting her hands to his face, she intensified her pursuit, her arms clinging to his neck. Blake moaned as he left his mouth, and she felt her face and her cunt on fire as she stared into his eyes.
“Not bad,” he said.
His finger traced the line of her mouth, and he let out a light laugh.
“So how about you just stay the course and be what I need you to be?”
Any and all tenderness fell away from her heart.
“And I’m the liar?” she challenged.
“From where I stand.”
“I thought you wanted to keep me safe,” she said. “Would you have said that if you didn’t… if you didn’t care?”
Blake’s eyes clouded over, and a small part of her hoped that he would admit what he felt, what she felt when he was in her arms and they were alone in the darkness.
“I care,” he said. “I care about my possessions.”
Rage clawed its way up her throat. Lauren wanted to rail into him, to scream her fury into the sky and let it rain down to the core of his soul. But her tongue tied in her throat. Unable to speak, her palm tensed, and she slapped her hand across his surprised face.
“Hey!” he drew back and grabbed his cheek. “What do you—?”
“So that’s all I am to you,” she said. “One of your toys?”
Lauren thought she saw a look that passed for pain pouring through his eyes. Was he lying now? Or was the lie lumping her in with his other trinkets and pretending that she barely counted for as much as that?
“We’ll talk about this when we get back,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Blake tried to grab her arm, but Lauren shied away from his touch.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said.
“You sure as hell—”
“Don’t touch me!”
Lauren wriggled in his hold, but Blake’s grip was more than she could fight. As he dragged her back to the bike, she kicked and spit and tried to break free. Bringing her nails to his face, she scratched his skin. Blake winced and groaned, but he held her fast until a set of headlights and a roaring motor started towards them.
“Get behind me,” he ordered.
“What’s going—” The rest of her words were choked out as he closed his hand around her mouth.
Drawing his gun, Blake aimed at the approaching driver, and Lauren’s breath accelerated as she feared Eric or Nate or one of the other Demon Dogs having a change of heart. Of course they would choose this moment, when it was just the two of them, to renegotiate the impromptu contract and take her for their own.
And if Lauren had to be a toy, she’d rather stay at Blake’s than fall back into that nightmare.
“What the hell are you two waiting for?”
Paul’s familiar form rode into view. Blake sighed as he lowered his gun, and Lauren relaxed behind him.
“Sorry, man,” Blake said as he concealed his weapon in his pants. “Didn’t know it was you.”
Paul dismounted, and he cocked his head to the side as he looked at Blake’s face.
“What happened there?” Paul asked. “Someone get a little rough?”
Even in the moonlight, Lauren could see Blake’s cheeks turn scarlet. Satisfied that she had gotten one over on him, she was ready for him to point the finger in the direction of her shaking hands when Blake simply shrugged and barely looked at her over his shoulder.
“She’s a little rattled.” Blake said. “Been that kind of night.”
Surprised by and thankful for his lie, Lauren nodded at Paul.
“Sure that’s all it is?” Paul’s stare was only for her, and Lauren bowed her head and spoke