What kind of woman throws a tantrum over children being shown too much attention? A bitch.
A hand slipped around my waist from behind, and I stiffened for a second, before I recognized the touch.
“You’re not as jumpy around me, my darlin’,” Kelly said, his warm breath in my ear.
“My bones were getting sick of jumping out of my skin whenever you snuck up on me.” I grinned. “You’re on my radar now.”
Though I didn’t think I’d ever get used to him. When he appeared, it was like I was stuck in a storm, and during a strike of lightning, the form of a massive cat appeared of out the darkness. His power was the shock of it, time and time again.
“Good bones,” he murmured against my overheated flesh, though my arms showed goosebumps. Then he inhaled. “That scent you’re wearing lingers. All. Fucking. Day.”
Yeah, because it’s yours and mine, mixed together.
My heart rose and my stomach dipped at the thought, and the sound of his voice made my eyes lower. I could spend forever listening to it.
The hold on my waist became tighter, constricting, and I had to fight the urge to move out of it. “Another man was breathing in my scent. Making mine laugh. Enjoying my heaven.”
He was sending a message— I knew about those, because he usually sent them in the bedroom, when he was fucking me. I should’ve been afraid, but it turned me on. A fierce ache grew between my legs and a moan was stuck in my throat.
“If it happens again.” His voice was ice cold. “He’ll be in hell.”
The pressure released and I breathed in deep.
The warmth behind my back moved to face me. A gun was tucked behind his suit jacket. “You hungry for something special?” He casually gestured to a menu sitting on the bar, like he hadn’t just said those words.
I couldn’t answer. I pushed his glass of whiskey toward him, and then grabbed for mine, taking a deep drink. His mouth came against mine a second later, and our tongues twirled, fire between them.
When we parted, he said, “Special reserve of whiskey just for me. The best in the fucking world.”
I licked my lips and then motioned to the seat next to mine. “I wanted to talk to you in private.”
He looked around and grinned.
I smiled, tucking a wayward curl behind my ear. “Not around everyone in the house.”
“That’s why we have a private room, darlin’.”
“Just sit, Kelly.” I nodded toward the seat again. This had to be done out in public, or maybe I wouldn’t be able to say all that needed to be said. In our “private” room, it was hard to keep my hands to myself. I wanted to jump his bones as soon as he walked into the house.
He nodded to the guy two seats from me, and after the guy nodded back, he took his beer and claimed a table by one of the windows. Kelly took the seat I’d offered after he did.
We faced each other.
I went to take another drink of my whiskey, but he stopped me with a hand. “Speak what’s on your mind.”
I nodded. Fixed the damn curl again. “I want to call a truce.”
He tilted his head a little. “With who, darlin’?”
It took me a second to cool my temper. Was my fight with him so insignificant that he didn’t even notice? “Unlike you, Kelly, I don’t have enemies banging on my door every day. A truce between us.” My hand waved between our bodies, and he caught it, placing a kiss on my ring finger.
“All right.” He nodded. “A truce. Between us.”
I watched his face for a moment. It showed nothing but a rugged handsomeness that few possessed and could pull off. “You have no idea what I’m talking about.” I realized that he never felt resistance from me, because compared to what he was up against on the streets, my temper was insignificant.
“To a degree.” He fixed his tie before he looked me in the eye. “I stole your heart without your consent, and you wanted to get even. Now you’re seeing this as something that has the potential to be real between us, and you want us to give our marriage the respect it demands. The chance it deserves.”
For whatever fucking reason, his words stole the breath from my lungs. “Yes,” I barely got out. “You have the essence of it.”
He tapped the center of his heart with his middle finger once. “No heart.” He tapped