"You told him to shred his test? Why?" Her voice reached him, brushing across his skin and leaving his heart racing.
His facade was in place, but he was willing to strip it away the minute he got her alone.
"Because he cheats, and he's an asshole. He's not going to make it in accounting. Period." Kendal glanced over at him and extended his hand as he approached. "Hey buddy. Glad you could make it."
"Yeah, thanks for the invite." Damon shook his hand and moved to put his arm around Bethany's shoulders. He leaned down and kissed the side of her head, squeezing a little. "How are you, beautiful? Long week?"
"Yeah. Too long." She glanced up at him, but turned her attention back to Kendal. "You didn't tell me you invited Damon."
"I sort of invited myself." Damon released her and moved to the bar, getting a beer and returning to find Bethany alone. Kendal was far too good of a friend.
"I'm not sure what you're expecting from me, but-"
"Nothing." He lifted his finger and pressed it to her lips. "I don't want anything from you tonight, but for you to have fun. I needed a beer and called Kendal. I have very few friends, and he's one of them. I asked if I could join you guys. Besides, I wanted to see you."
He ran his hand down the side of her throat and gripping her lightly. "Fuck, you're beautiful. I don't tell you enough."
She nodded and lifted her beer to her lips. The fire he'd seen over the last three weeks had all but died out. She looked at him like she would Matt, or she was playing it off well.
He released her and took the seat next to her. "So you decided to stay on Zarpeth with us? I'm a little surprised."
She turned and finished her beer before responding. "I've never let anyone push me away from something I wanted. This time is no different."
"And what do you want, Beth?" He reached out and gripped her hand, pulling her a little closer.
"A solid job and a good future. What most women with a head on their shoulders want." She tugged her hand free and turned as the bartender stopped beside them. "I'll take a shot of patron and another beer."
Damon glanced over at the guy, not surprised to find him eye-fucking Beth. Any man in his right mind would.
"I'll take a shot as well." He turned back to her and gripped her belt loop. "You can't be mad at me forever. You still have my ring. Right?"
"It's somewhere. I keep forgetting where I've laid it seeing that I can't act like a normal woman who's supposedly found the love of her life and said yes to his promise of forever." She was being sarcastic, ugly, bitchy.
"Then wear it when you want to. If someone asks about it, tell them what you think is best." He pulled her closer. "Maybe I was wrong."
"Maybe I was." She glanced down as his heart constricted in his chest.
"No, not at all." He slipped his hand into her long dark hair and brought her down for a probing kiss that she fought against. Her tight lips were in a tight line, her body stiff and unyielding to his subtle demand. "Open up for me."
"No." She pulled back as the liquor showed up. "I can't."
"Are we not together anymore, Beth?" He bit his tongue on telling her that as an adult, people usually dealt with childish shit and got over it. She didn't need any more coaching or training, and he needed her beneath him. She had a few more minutes of him playing nice guy before he toted her from the bar over his shoulder.
She lifted the shot and handed him his. "To what we should have been."
He tossed it back and stood up, pulling her to him as he leaned down and pressed his nose to hers. "I'm not the one giving up."
"I don't want to give up, but what choice are you leaving me?"
"I'll change." He hated himself the minute he said it. It was a lie and they both knew it. He'd wake up in the morning and decide that there was nothing to change. He liked who he was most days of the week, and would come to resent her if she changed that. "Come home with me."
"And what? Ride your dick until we both pass out from pleasure?"
"Yeah. That sounds about right." He nipped at her aggressively.
She gripped the sides of his neck as her breathing got off. "I hate you right now."
"Then take it out on my body. Don't deny at least one more night before you destroy me."
Chapter 20
Bethany
His hands felt so damn good gripping her tightly as she stood pressed to the front of him. Damn Kendal for setting them up. He had no clue what he'd done. She had worked all week at pulling herself from wanting to fall at his feet like a weak, needy bitch and here he was, in her face, forcing her to beckon to his lust. It was consuming, a fire in the middle of a blizzard. Only a fool would deny the sexy bastard another night trapped beneath him.
"One more night." She lifted up and pressed her lips to his as the liquor warmed her core, adding fuel to the fire he started the minute she was made aware of his presence. They needed so much more than one more night together, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen.
He hated her. He had to. Maybe it was because she had a bit of power over him, or because she'd forced him to consider a normal future with marriage and god-forbid kids, but either way... he hated her. That was the only logical explanation.
"Come on." He gripped her hand and turned, half pulling her out of the bar. It reminded her too much of their night on the dance floor at Masquerade when everything began to spiral out of control.
Him hiring Christa's sister to Lord over her was the straw that broke the camel's back. And why the fuck would he hire Philip to join the Zarpeth team? Was he hoping that she would cheat on him and thereby allow him to break things off and get back to his unattached life?
He handed the valet his ticket and turned, pulling her tightly against him as his strong arms wrapped around her. The smell of his cologne left her dizzy.
"I'm going to remind you how good we are together tonight. If you can walk away from me after what I plan to make you feel... well, fuck it. I deserve to lose the best thing in my world." He kissed her several times and licked at her lips, leaving her legs weak.
"Don't make this about me leaving, or I'll go home now. You left me the minute we landed in Dallas from our trip to Jamaica." He started to protest, but she pressed her fingers to his lips. "No. I don't want anything from you but your body tonight. That's all I can handle right now."
He nodded and moved her hand slowly before leaning in for another kiss. "Then it's yours."
Warmth spread through her like electricity as he kissed her deeper, forcing her to open up and let him explore her. She groaned and tightened her grip on his shirt, needing more of him and not wanting to wait until they got back to his place.
"Let me get you home." Damon opened her door and helped her in before walking to the other side of the car and getting in. He buckled up and reached for her hand, kissing it a few times before starting the car and pulling out into the darkness of night. "You look so good, Beth. Those jeans fit your ass beautifully, baby."
"Thanks. You look good too." She leaned her seat back a little and let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know about this, Damon. We're so far from where we were just a week ago."
"No more talking about our fucked up situation. Undo your pants and let me touch you."
She turned her head to study him, falling in love all over again, though she hated herself for it. "Let's wait until we-"
"It wasn't a request, Beth. Do what I said, baby." He touched the side of her face and licked at his lips. "Let me feel you against my fingers."
She nodded and worked her jeans open before lifting her ass and tugging at them.
"No. Leave them on." He shifted toward her and slid his hand down her stomach before working his way into her panties.
A shiver raced through her and she moaned loudly, the liquor forcing her to comply much more than she wanted to. His fingers brushed down the top of her sex and worked to spread her lips, teasing and rubbing softly before pressing lower.
"So fucking silky, Beth. Hot and wet just like I like you." He rolled the tip of his finger along her entrance before pressing in a little.
"Shit," she groaned and pressed her hand to his on the outside of her jeans, forcing him to push in farther. Pleasure danced between her thighs as her nipples budded and heart began to race. "Be rough."
"Anything you want, lover." He jerked the car over to the side of the road, pulling his hand from her and put it in park. "God, I love you. I don't care what the fuck is going on with us. I want you so bad."
He moved halfway into her seat, pressing her to the comfortable leather chair and slipped his other hand into her panties, penetrating her and working two of his fingers deep into her as he brushed her hair back and made love to her mouth.