“Um…”
His chest pressed deeper into mine. “Tyra,” he rumbled his warning.
“Can we continue this conversation maybe, erm… standing up?”
“I tried that, didn’t work. Now I’m tryin’ something else so talk to me.”
I sucked in breath as I stared into his eyes.
Then I whispered, “No.”
His eyes blazed into mine when he warned on a scary whisper, “I told you not to test me.”
“And I told you my problem was none of your business.”
“If it isn’t my business then keep a hold on that attitude, babe, and don’t make it my business.”
“Okay,” I thought it prudent to agree.
“I’m thinkin’ you don’t get this but when you turn off Broadway into Ride, you drive into my world. My world is different than the world you live in. Unless I allow the parts of it I like, you don’t get to live like you live in your world when you’re in mine. And when I’m in yours but you’re with me, you live like you’re in mine. Do you get me?”
I didn’t, actually, not at all. I still nodded.
He examined my face then with a suddenness that I again lost my breath, his body was gone. He yanked me to my feet, tugged my skirt back down then turned away.
I sucked in another breath then nearly choked on it when his eyes hit the computer monitor and they narrowed. Then his head turned toward the printer, his arm reached out to nab the paper on top, he turned it over and in about two seconds, I watched his jaw turn to stone.
Uh-oh.
“Tack –” I started on an exhale and then he was on me again, this time he rounded me then moved in. I retreated fast, bumping into my chair which rolled away and then bumping into the wall where he pinned me with his body.
“I don’t accept,” he growled into my face.
I stared up into his and stammered, “Wha… what?”
“Your resignation, Red.”
Oh boy.
“Tack –”
His hand came up, his palm warm against my jaw, his fingers curving around my ear and neck and his face got even closer.
“You gotta learn,” he told me.
“Learn what?” I whispered.
“We play this my way.”
“Honestly,” I was still whispering, “please hear me, honestly, Tack, I don’t want to play.”
“I got two Saturdays, Red, two Saturdays that prove that a lie.”
I clenched my teeth and stared into his eyes.
His fingers tensed and lifted up, pulling me closer.
“Gave you four days to play it your way. Don’t like the way you play so we play this my way,” he rumbled.