Macy stopped and tugged at my grip, but I kept going until we reached the porch and then used my fob to unlock the door and usher her inside. “First of all,” she sputtered. “How the hell are they getting my car without the key and what makes you think they won’t steal it? Second, I don’t need a babysitter. I’ll get myself to and from work all by my itty bitty self.” She ended with her tone dripping in sarcasm.
I pulled her into my embrace and stared down at her face, momentarily stunned silent by her beauty. When she started to wiggle, attempting to get free, I broke out of the fog. “First of all,” I mimicked without snark. “I completely trust the person retrieving your car and as for how they’ll get in, don’t worry about it. Second,” I hurried on when she attempted to speak. “No way in hell am I letting my woman work at a place like Dirty Players without making sure she is safe.”
Macy rolled her eyes, but a sweet shade of pink tinged her cheeks. “I’ve done just fine for the last year, Rhys.”
I bowed my head and brushed my lips over her forehead, nose, and cheeks. I carefully avoided her lips, afraid that one taste would snap my control and I wouldn’t be able to stop. “But, you weren’t mine for the last year. I protect and cherish what’s mine, angel.”
Her jaw dropped a little as she stared up at me, her blush deepening. “Yours?” she reiterated. Her eyes melted into liquid emerald and I scooped her up into my arms before I did something stupid, like kiss the fuck out of her until she agreed to let me take her to bed.
“Yes, angel. Mine,” I confirmed as I stalked into the den at the back of the house and took a seat on one of the grey, soft leather couches. I shifted her carefully, trying to keep her from sitting on the hard bulge in my pants.
“This is crazy, Rhys. I just met you a few hours ago!”
I shrugged, completely unconcerned about her argument, then my lips turned up to form a naughty smirk. “You’re the one who is consumed with thoughts of fucking.”
Macy gasped in outrage. “I am not!”
“Your smartass comment about conjugal visits said otherwise.“ Before she could rebut my logic, I changed the subject since who she belonged to wasn’t up for debate. “I’m assuming that working at Dirty Players is not your dream job. What would you like to be doing?” An idea sparked. “You could come work at my company, you know. I’d find a place for you.”
Macy’s head reared back so she could look me fully in the face. “There you go again, putting me in the ‘paid companion’ category. I will not be your booty call with a salary.”
I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration. As much as I loved the fire inside her, I didn’t want it aimed at me. “I didn’t mean anything of the kind, Macy.” It was clear that she disliked her job. We both had the same goal—to get her away from it. So why was she balking when I offered a perfectly reasonable solution? I knew she was sensitive about how people perceived her because of her employment, but it clearly ran deeper than I’d initially thought. “I won’t pretend that I don’t love the idea of having you close every day, knowing you’re safe.” I grinned, hoping to lighten the mood. “Nor will I pretend that I didn’t picture fucking you on my desk.”
Her mouth quirked up in a half smile, humor returning to her eyes.
“But, since you have burst my little fantasy bubble,” I quipped. “Tell me what your plans are.”
Her gaze slid away and that pretty blush returned to her cheekbones. I was going to take full advantage of that tell, she wasn’t very good at masking her emotions and her fair skin gave away a lot when it colored.
I took her chin between my thumb and index finger, turning it back to me. “You can tell me, angel.” I smiled encouragingly.
“Um, I want to be a writer,” she muttered. “Young Adult.”
The minute she said it, I could see how right it was for her. With her fun and spicy personality, I could only imagine the stories she would come up with. And something told me that I wouldn’t be surprised how talented she was once I got to read something of hers.
“Have you finished anything?” I was genuinely interested and it seemed to unlock a door she’d been hiding behind. She immediately launched into an animated explanation of the books she had completed. Her expression fell a little when she admitted that she had received rejections for one book and she’d been waiting months to hear about another two.
I soaked in every word, not only because I wanted to know everything about her, but because I loved listening to her talk. When her eyes started to look heavy, I checked my watch. It was after one in the morning. I hated to move from my very comfortable spot, but I reminded myself that we had the rest of our lives to cuddle and get to know each other.