loves me. She still fucking loves me.
Gut churning, heart pounding, and emotions erupting like geysers, I scrubbed a hand through my hair and hauled ass to my dressing room. I needed a few minutes alone to sort out the last words Mia had sung to me…about me, from the depths of her soul. Though I still hated that scathing song, the change she made to the last lyrics made me fucking ecstatic.
“Hellcat on your six.” Ross smirked as he headed my way, nodding over my shoulder.
Turning as he hurried past me, I saw Mia rushing my way, face twisted in rage.
What the fuck?
How the hell had she gone from kitten to tiger in five fucking seconds?
“Wait right there, mister. I want to talk to you,” she barked.
I froze in place as she stomped toward me on those sinful fuck-me pumps. My brain was already stripping that naughty outfit off her wicked body, wrapping those long legs over my shoulders, and claiming her for fucking life.
“I just spilled my soul to you on stage. You don’t get to turn and walk away. Oh, but of course…I forgot. That’s what you do best, isn’t it…walk the fuck away?”
Her rapid mood swing gave me whiplash while her venomous tongue flayed my flesh. Clenching my jaw, I tried to harness my temper, but it was useless. Mia was purposely pushing buttons to get a reaction from me.
Fine. You want to fight? Bring it on, baby.
“You want to know why I walked away the first time? It was to keep you from launching your career off my back the way you did with Nigel, sweetheart.”
Mia’s eyes flashed wide in shock, then narrowed as her face pinched in fury. Quick as lightning, she raised her hand and slapped my face.
“You fucking prick! I never tried to use you, and I certainly didn’t use Nigel.”
The sting slid down my neck as I gripped her wrists, raised her arms above her head, and pinned her against the wall.
“Don’t ever slap me again, or I’ll turn you over my knee and blister your ass until it’s black and blue.”
“That’s going to be a little hard to do when you’re constantly running away.”
“Jesus,” Ross drawled from behind me. “I’ve never seen two more hardheaded people in my life. You guys are going to keep waltzing around that fat elephant in the room till he passes out from exhaustion and flattens you.”
“Mind your own damn business.” Mia scowled.
“Ozzy is my business, princess,” Ross sneered. “You guys need to take this shit somewhere private and work it out once and for all.”
“Fuck off,” Mia shrieked.
Ross shook his head with a sardonic smirk as he turned to me. “If I were you, I’d tie her up, spank her ass, and fuck her senseless.”
“Wonderful idea. Thanks.”
In one fell swoop, I plucked Mia off the floor and tossed her over my shoulder. While she screamed, kicked, and tried to sink her teeth into my back, I hauled her to my dressing room and kicked the door shut behind me.
As I set her on her feet again, Mia growled and pinned me with a death glare.
“Settle down, sweetheart. We’ve got some issues to straighten out. And if you think about kneeing me in the balls again, I will tie you down, beat your ass, and fuck you senseless.”
“Fuck you. I hate you.”
“I don’t believe you. A minute ago, you told me and the whole world that you loved me.” I caught a glimpse of longing flicker in her eyes. But she quickly masked it with rage. Lowering my voice to a low growl, I slowly backed her up against the door. “Now you say you hate me. Which is it? You can’t have it both ways, sweetheart.”
“I’m not your sweetheart.”
“Answer my question, Mia.” I leaned in and brushed my lips to hers.
The little hellcat opened her mouth, captured my lower lip, and bit me hard. Though I tasted blood, I didn’t relent, merely sucked in a hiss, bound her arms over her head again, and kept right on pushing…pushing her the way she’d pushed me so long ago. Easing my aching lips to her ear, I flicked my tongue over the shell. “You love me, don’t you? It’s okay. You can say it. In fact, I’d love to hear you say it again.”
“Why? So, you can turn your back on me and walk away again?”
“Is that what you’re afraid of?”
“No. It’s what I know you’re going to do.” She bucked and writhed against me, trying to