Eight

ANDREW

Fuck.

This isn’t how I saw the night panning out.

Lilah’s icy silence from the passenger seat is deafening.

What the fuck happened?

We’re still about twenty minutes from her place so I try to break the silence with some conversation. Lowering the volume of the radio, I cast a quick glance in her direction as my hands grip the steering wheel.

“I don’t think you should stay at your place tonight. With the air conditioner out, the night will probably be unbearable.”

“I’ll manage,” she responds, her eyes fixed on the scenery we pass.

My next words are brash and I don’t care. “It isn’t safe. You’ll stay in one of my guest rooms.”

“Like hell I will.” She finally turns to look at me. “Listen, I don’t know what kind of women you’re used to, Andrew. But I don’t need rescuing and I’m damn sure not going to fall at your feet. I may not be living in the lap of luxury like you, but I’d definitely feel a lot more at peace in my own place.”

A light bulb pops up over my head, shining clarity on the situation.

This is her pride speaking. Nothing else.

I’ve posed a threat to her safe little existence and she’s bound and determined to erect every wall possible to shut me out. I get it but it still won’t shake me. Her hot-tempered words just turn me on even more.

It’s going to be fun breaking her in. I want to own every ounce of fire in her. She will be mine. And willingly.

“Your place it is.”

Silence blankets the air again and just as I’m about to turn the music back up, Lilah turns in her seat to look at me.

“What do you want?” she asks, most of the anger from before gone. Curiosity and skepticism have taken its place.

“What do I want?” I repeat, not really understanding the question.

I want to fuck her brains out.

Isn’t that much obvious?

“Why are you interested in me? Are you looking for a distraction for the summer? Do I pose a challenge for you?” She probes deeper, her directness leaving me to feel a little exposed.

Of course I know my intentions where she’s concerned. And they’ll remain under wraps until I get what I want. When I check her off the list, it won’t matter what I had to do to get her in my bed. The same goes for every woman on that damn bucket list.

“Because I should tell you upfront, Andrew, I don’t do casual sex.”

She pauses to gauge my reaction but I keep my face neutral.

“It’s not my thing. I may be a flirt, but there is no sex without love. At least for me.”

My hand tightens on the steering wheel at this revelation but I’m counting on the dark interior to mask my reaction.

No sex without love?

Well, that’s my cue to run. And far.

I’ve never been in love in my life. And I’m damn sure not looking to change that any time soon.

There are some things that I just won’t sacrifice for sex. No matter how promising Ms. Tucker seems. My lust knows some bounds and love is a hard limit.

That word’s got to be one of the most repulsing words in the English language. I can’t let myself go there. I refuse.

Damn, it’s going to suck saying goodbye to her tonight. She had so much potential but I’m not budging on this one.

All this runs through my head at lightning speed and I know the decision I have to make. That is, until I shoot another glance to the passenger seat when we come to a traffic light.

Lilah is watching me intently in the wake of her words, probably trying her damnedest to read my face for a reaction.

Those beautiful eyes are trained on me and her pouty mouth is opened just slightly. She still looks good enough to eat despite what just came out of her mouth.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I should be running in the opposite direction, not making eyes at her in my car. But then she darts her pink tongue over her bottom lip and my resolve weakens even more.

“Andrew?” She speaks as I continue to stare, captivated.

That damn voice of hers sends shockwaves straight to my dick and for the second time since I’ve met her, I find myself fighting not to adjust myself right in front of her.

“Yeah?” I finally ask.

“The light is green.” Lilah’s eyes come to life with a flash of triumph and I smother a curse when I notice she’s right.

You could hear a pin drop as the rest of the ride passes us by. Thanks to my lead foot, we arrive in front of her building a lot quicker than I plan.

Nowhere near ready to say goodbye to her for good, I relax against the driver’s seat, propping my arm up on the door.

“Did you have fun tonight, Cupcake?”

She scowls, folding her arms across her chest. Just like magnets drawn to metal, my eyes find a new resting place.

“Why do you insist on calling me that?”

Memories of the scene that played out before my eyes makes my voice thick. “Because your performance at the bar is all I can think about every time I look at you.”

Even in the dim lighting of my ride, I can see her cheeks color at my words.

“Whatever, I didn’t even know you were there that night.”

“Well, I’m sure every guy in a ten-foot radius had a hard-on just watching you.”

Lilah snickers at this and the smile on her face does something funny to my chest.

What the fuck is happening here?

“How was I supposed to know you’d be on the prowl that night?”

Intrigued by her choice of words, I lean over the center console to her. She looks startled by my closeness but doesn’t move away.

I smile.

“Is that how you see me? As someone on the prowl?”

“Let’s see,” she murmurs in return, tilting her head in contemplation. “You sought me out in a crowded bar. Then you licked icing from my fingers and marked me with your tongue like a wild animal. So you tell me.”

Her words bring another smile to my lips.

Damn right I marked her. Every man in that goddamn bar was straining to get their eyes on her and I wanted to let it be known that she was completely off-limits.

She’s mine. At least I wanted her to be in that moment. Which brings me back to my dilemma.

Am I really willing to let her go so easily because of my stupid hang-up? I can’t wrap my mind around the thought of not seeing her again.

“Let’s get you upstairs.” I’m out of the car and on her side before she can fully open the door.

We take the four flights of stairs leading up to her floor after Lilah warns me about the temperamental elevator.

Jesus, is everything in this building falling apart?

Lilah turns to me as she sticks her key in the lock, her smile soft.

“Good night, Andrew. Tonight was most interesting.”

The teasing lilt in her voice is not lost on me.

Against my earlier vow not to touch her, I lean down, leaving a chaste kiss on her forehead. When I hear her secure the lock, I turn to leave with my mind made up.

That damn twisting feeling is invading my gut again. And I think I finally know why. My body physically needs Lilah.

For whatever reason I can’t leave this woman alone. And if she wants love, then that’s exactly what she’ll get. However, giving her what she wants doesn’t mean I’m wavering in my stance against the L-word. It’s just something I’ll have to work around.

But one thing’s been decided and it’s that I am going to make Lilah Tucker fall in love with me.