living under your roof?” My voice raises with every vehement word.
“What the fuck did you just say?”
My cheeks flame hotter, the shame scarring me.
He stalks forward. “Don’t you ever talk about yourself that way again.”
“Why not?” I stand my ground, trembling in fury. “Fucking is the only job I’ve had. It’s all I’ve ever been good at. The only thing I’ve known. Yet, for some reason, I’m not enough for you.”
“Stop it,” he warns.
“You know it’s true. I don’t know why you can’t admit it. I can do your cooking and cleaning. You can even waste your time watching stupid movies with me, but I’m not good enough to fuck.”
“I said, ‘stop it,’” he snarls. “I’m not joking.”
“You did this,” I accuse. “You’re the reason I ran, because apparently you can’t get away from me fast enough.”
I throw Sarah’s words at him, hoping he’ll finally admit the truth. Or at least stop being angry at me.
The opposite happens.
His jaw tenses. His hands clench. He keeps stalking forward, towering over me until I’m forced to backtrack into the wall.
God, I wish I was scared of him. Even just a little bit. But the intense emotion taking over me is something different. Something starved for attention.
It’s hatred.
I hate how much I feel for him.
Hate that he doesn’t feel it back.
“You’re right. I couldn’t get away from you fast enough.” He looms over me as I press into the cold plaster, foot to foot, almost nose to nose. “Because you’re in my fucking head, Penny. You’re under my goddamn skin. I can’t help you when I’m like this.”
Every inch of me thrums, wanting to attack and succumb in equal measure. “I’m sorry I’m such a burden.” I grind my teeth. “But I’ve been saying that from the start.”
“Stop.” He growls the word, so close to me. So painfully, agonizingly close his breath brushes my mouth. “You drive me fucking crazy.”
He stares at me, the intensity climbing into my chest. Every part of me reacts. My heart. My pulse. Everything except my mind which goes blank.
I’m dumbstruck over what to do, caught speechless under the heavy weight of yearning.
I want too much from this man. His guidance. His attention. I want it all.
“Mindless,” he murmurs as he swoops forward, smashing his lips against mine.
I gasp into the kiss, my palms instinctively pushing his chest, my nails digging deep to stop the attack. But as fast as my panic arrives, it flees, allowing a crazy clarity to sink in.
My pushing turns to grabbing. My digging fingers cling. I scramble to find a stronghold to withstand the madness, yet all that remains is warmth and frightening exhilaration.
He punishes me with his mouth, his hands clutching my hips.
I’ve been forced to kiss before. But I’ve never kissed like this. Never when my body demanded more connection than the force could provide.
I should hate this. Instead, it feels like home. I revel in his warmth. I succumb to the hard press of his chest against mine and the determined lashing of his tongue.
Then, as forcefully as his kiss arrived, it vanishes.
He retreats. One step after another. Again.
Revulsion consumes him just like it did the last time. I can see it.
I slump back against the wall, my fingers raising to my lips as if the touch will soften the burn. “Did you do that to shut me up?” I ask, breathless.
“For the love of sanity, Penny. You’ve got no idea what’s going on here.” He rakes his hands through his hair. “Don’t you get it? This is why I left.”
He stalks back toward me, body tense.
I shrink into the wall, a little nervous. A little scared. But it’s not of him. Never of Luca. I’m frightened of how much I want him.
“This is exactly why I had to get out of here. Because you’re still petrified of me.” He shoves his hands against the wall at either side of my head, caging me, the rapid rise and fall of his chest animalistic. “Because all I can think about is wanting you more than my next breath, yet you scamper away from me.”
“I don’t scamper—”
“Yeah, you do. And you should, because what I want to do to you is far from good, Penny. I want to fuck you within an inch of your life. If I had my way I’d shatter all your progress by taking what I want. What I need. So don’t for a goddamn second think I want you out of here, because having you near me