The Arrangement Anthology 1(217)

Sean leans in for a kiss, and it kills me, but I manage to turn my face to the side. He lingers, allowing his hot breath to move across my skin before backing up. “Tell me.”

It’s such a simple request, two words and no more, but I can’t do it. Besides, what am I supposed to say? ‘I’m over you, Sean Ferro. Go away.’ Like that’ll ever happen. I’m not over him at all and I’m rather thrilled to be under him at the moment. Fuck. I’m so mental. “I want you, but…”

Sean grins and backs off, sitting down beside me. Rubbing his hands over his face, he sighs. “Now you have morals?”

Darting upright in the bed, I’m wide awake and ready to chew him out. “Excuse me? I’ve always had morals!”

Sean glances over at me, like he’s trying not to laugh. “Are you serious? You signed up to be a call girl. If you didn’t walk into Black’s and sign on the line—”

“I’d already met you by the time I did that. I saw your picture, and then I signed.” Oh shit. That didn’t sound right. My face scrunches as I turn away from him and try to hide under the sheet.

Sean swats the thin fabric away. The lights aren’t on and the TV is still playing that video. I can see my splayed legs behind his head, glowing like a pair of sexy antlers. “Come again?” he says, leaning closer to me. “Did you just say that the only reason you became a call girl was to get dates?”

“No!”

“Then what was it?”

“To sleep with you, loser. Weren’t you listening?” I shove his arm, hard, but Sean barely moves. “I have morals. I do. I’m a very moralistic person.” Sean’s smiling at me and has a funny look on his face. It makes me squirm. I can’t tell what he’s thinking at all and that concerns me. I push his shoulder again, and say, “Stop it.”

“I’m sorry. I stand corrected. You have morals. They’re a very strange set of idealistic codes, but you have them. Apparently I’m the only one in this relationship who is devoid of scruples.”

“You’re not devoid of anything. You just put them away for a while.” I look down at my hand when I notice the reddish sticky substance on my palm. It wasn’t there before I shoved him. There’s more blood on his sleeve. My eyes flick up and lock with his blue gaze. Holding up my hand, I ask, “Is this blood? Tell me that you didn’t kill someone tonight. Because I’m pretty sure this isn’t yours.”

Sean takes my bloody palm and pulls me off the bed. “I didn’t kill anyone. Someone was… You know what, forget it. It’s taken care of and I’d like to help you clean this off, if you’ll let me.” There’s a question in his tone.

I don’t like this. I don’t know where he went or what he did. There are a few spatters of something dark on his shirt, at least it only seems like a few, but I can’t see very much with the lights out. Maybe I don’t want to know, and at the same time I do, because if Sean kicked someone’s ass it assures me that he can take care of me no matter what happens.

I nod. It’s all the approval Sean needs.





CHAPTER 6




He nods curtly and heads to the bathroom to turn on the shower. When he returns, he walks toward me like he knows exactly what he plans to do. Sean’s hands reach for the hem of my shirt, where they pause as he looks up into my eyes. My breath catches in my throat as my heart explodes, racing even faster than before. Not knowing what he’s doing, combined with that look, knocks the breath out of me. I can barely stand as he strips me.

First, the shirt comes over my head and I fold my arms over my chest. I don’t mean to do it, but I can’t help myself. Sean is intimidating when he has this look in his eyes. It’s like he’s found a mouse to bat around and plans to keep the poor creature in play long enough to take what he wants. There’s a carnal side to him that scares me, because I know what he wants—what he needs. Sean’s taken it from me before and doing that again terrifies me. I wonder exactly what I just gave him permission to do.

Sean’s thumbs hook into the sides of my panties, as his eyes rake over the swells of my breasts, half hidden by my arms. He slips the fabric over my hips, making me suck in a sharp breath as he tugs them.

Why can’t I tell him no? I can tell Marty no. No. Say it, Avery! Tell him that he can’t have you! But I want him. And that’s the truth. I want this to be real so badly that I’m willing to pretend, even if it’s for a little while. Maybe I’m not totally mental, I mean stripping isn’t the same as sex and he’s already seen me naked. This body should be old news to him, right?