I stopped pushing against his shoulders and glared at him. “Of course I am,” I stated sarcastically. “You want to say something, you say it. You want to do something, you do it. And who gives a shit what I want? Is that the jist of what you were about to say?”
His eyes held mine. “Not exactly.”
“Right, well, carry on, Tack. You’re going to anyway.”
“I see you’re pissed –”
“Mm hmm,” I cut him off. “Good call on that, handsome.”
“Babe,” he murmured and I could swear his mouth was moving like he was fighting a smile.
Oh. My. God!
“Do you find something funny?” I snapped.
“Well… yeah,” he answered.
“Interesting,” I replied. “See, I don’t find anything funny. Because, this afternoon, I was innocently working and the next thing I knew, I was on my back on my desk. That is not cool, Tack. That scared the holy hell out of me.” I ignored his face changing, his eyes changing and what the way they changed communicated to me and kept right on talking. “And just now, I was innocently intending to walk to my kitchen and refill my wine and I find myself flat on my back in my bed, something else that’s not cool.”
“I needed your attention then and I want it now,” Tack returned.
“Well done, handsome, you found a definite winner. You got my undivided attention then and you have it now.”
“You pissed me off earlier, Red, and you been pissin’ me off for a while. It wasn’t a good play to take your shit out on me this afternoon.”
I stared up at him a beat then asked, “I’ve been pissing you off for a while?”
“Yeah.”
My head tilted on the pillow “How?”
“Jesus, Red, don’t act stupid and don’t think I am.”
Um… what?
“Pardon?” I asked.
“I don’t know how it works in your world but I’m guessin’ in your world you can lead a man around by his dick by actin’ sweet then turnin’ on the freeze and ignoring his ass for days. Then you think you can shovel shit at him and he’ll eat it for a chance to get another taste of your sweet pu**y, but baby, I’m tellin’ you now, that’s not how it works in my world.”
“Ig… Ig…” I stuttered, “Ignoring your ass?”
“Ignoring my ass.”
“I… I don’t even know what to say. That’s insane.”
“Red, you got my numbers in your phone, all ‘a them. And your car has been at my garage for days and I haven’t once seen your face until I walked into our office today. I left you sweet and smiling in this goddamned bed and I don’t see you or hear your voice for four days? Then I walk into your office and you give me attitude and tell me to kiss your ass because you’re in a pissy mood about some shit you refuse to share? No. You gotta know, darlin’, that shit don’t play with me.”
“Well, Tack, that goes both ways because you showed and were all about biker charm and warm looks and then I got nothing from you for four and a half days. Then you walk in my office and tell me to buy you a sandwich! No. You gotta know, handsome, that shit don’t play with me.”
He studied me a few beats, his eyes flashed then his thumb swept my lower lip again and he murmured, “Well, f**k me.”
“I see the light’s dawning but I don’t care,” I announced. “Too late. I don’t understand the rules to your game but what I do understand, I don’t like. You have got to listen to me, a game is supposed to be fun and this is no fun for me. This isn’t fun at all. When it isn’t infuriating, it’s frightening and I don’t like either of those. I like your kids. They’re good kids so what I’m going to say next reflects on you, not them. I want you to let your kids finish their movie and then I’d appreciate it if you’d get yourself gone and take them with you. And, by the way,” I finished, “I don’t care if you accept my resignation or not. I won’t be in tomorrow and I’m not coming back. Now, please, get… off… me.”
“Listen to me, baby,” he said gently.
“No,” I replied sharply.
“Tyra, listen to me.”