“Fine. I want you,” he bit out with a triumphant look at the cat.
“Bullshit. You only think you do because Alejandro had the balls to say he did first. What if he left right now? Would you still say that?”
Would he? If the cat were gone tomorrow, and he didn’t have to worry about Francine in the arms of another, could he go back to his life the way it was? Turmoil free?
“Time’s up. Wrong answer.”
“But, I didn’t say anything,” he protested.
“Exactly,” she said. “I’m done. Alejandro, take me home.”
Turning, she stalked toward the parking lot, and the cat shot him an exultant smile before springing to his feet and following. A red film descended over his eyes, and Mitchell jumped to his feet, ready to charge the bastard again when Jenny, in a blonde fury, stepped in front of him.
“She’s what you ditched me for?” she screeched. “That tubby orphan Annie wannabe? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I am a hundred times better than that slut. That…”
Mitchell tuned Jenny out as he watched Alejandro open Francine’s car door to seat her then slide into the driver’s seat. He ignored her until the red taillights winked out of view, then came back to himself and actually heard the invectives Jenny kept hurling about Francine.
“Shut the fuck up, you anorexic slut,” he snapped. His rebuke made her recoil, but it did nothing to wipe the rage from her twisted features.
“I will not. Since when do you want that redheaded cow?”
“I don’t want her,” he answered automatically.
“Oh, please. Everyone in the club could see you watching her, staring at her like you wanted to eat her up.” Jenny sneered. “But the great part is it looks to me like she doesn’t want you.”
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. It’s complicated. And none of your damned business.”
She spat at him. “Fuck you, Mitchell. I can do better than you.”
Off she stalked, leaving Mitchell alone finally, and it was then he realized the answer he should have given Francine. Yes, I want you. Worse, he probably should have admitted that to her, and himself, years ago. But he’d waited too long and now the woman who tied him in knots left with another. And I’ve lost my chance.
“Are you okay?” Alejandro’s soft question snapped her from her vacant stare out the car window.
“No. I’m now wondering if I should have said or done something different with Mitchell. But, I got so mad when instead of admitting he felt something for me, he pretended the whole asshole act was to protect me.”
“It’s not easy to admit you care about somebody.”
A bitter laugh slipped from her. “So I’m noticing. I think I’m going to forget our plan to make him jealous. It’s worked too well. The only problem is while he’s jealous, he still doesn’t want to do anything about it. Make that, he wants nothing to do with me.”
“Mitchell’s an idiot. So forget the dog. Let’s make the act reality.”
Puzzled, she turned to look at him. “What are you trying to say? You want to keep pretending we’re a couple?”
“Not all of us were faking it,” he said in a wry tone.
“I don’t understand.”
Stopped at a red light, Alejandro banged his head off the steering wheel. “God, for a smart woman, you are so freakn’ clueless sometimes. I’m saying I’m not faking it, baby. I feel things for you. Intense things.”
“You’re horny. I get that. So am I. If you want to fuck, just say so. I could use a bit of stress relief.”
A groan escaped him. “You talk about Mitchell being dense. I. Want. You. Not just your body, all of you, dammit.”
Surprise made her gape at him. “You do?”
“Why do you sound so shocked? Did you really think the whole thing was an act? Mitchell was only our audience for little bits. And I wasn’t exactly subtle.”
“I thought that was what you did with all the ladies. You know, flirting being akin to breathing for you.”
“I am a flirt. I don’t deny that. But I don’t make women dinner, or breakfast. I smile. We fuck. I leave.”
“Ooh, now that sounds fun. So once we fuck,” she repeated crudely, “you’ll leave.”
“No. I’m not going anywhere, baby. It’s not the same with you.”
“And why would I believe that?”
“Because everything about you is different.” They pulled into her driveway, and he turned to her, tugging at her hands until he held them clasped in his warm ones. “It might have started out as a ruse, but the more time we spend together, the more I want to be with you. And not just naked. I want to cook for you and hear that delightful noise you make when you eat something you like. I want you tease me mercilessly and make raunchy innuendos. Waking up beside you, picking you up from work, dancing cheek to cheek, running through the woods. All things I want to share with you, and only you.”
Blinking seemed about the only thing she could do while he spoke. Heck, she couldn’t even breathe while he said the words she’d waited so long to hear someone say. It no longer mattered that it turned out Mitchell wouldn’t say them first or at all. Alejandro, man and cat, drove her wild, and not just with lust. Funny thing was, she wanted to discover all those things about him too, plus some. But could she trust him with her heart? Despite what Naomi, and even he said, could she believe that he’d find contentment with her, and only her? Could she afford to not try?
“That’s a long list. Are we going to have time for screwing? Because I really like to screw. Oh, and suck cock. And-”
He placed his hand over her mouth. “Enough, you evil brat. I swear you’re trying to make my balls explode.”
She mumbled something against his hand. He took it away. “What did you say?”
“No, but I’d like to make your cock explode.” His strangled moan made her giggle. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I want your furry ass too, and not just for a spin atop your cock. You intrigue me. But, I have to say, letting you get close scares me too.” She decided to speak with him honestly.
“You’re afraid of losing Mitchell.”
“No. I’m afraid of losing you. My biggest fear is after a few days or a week, you’ll tire of me and move on. I don’t know if I could handle that, Alejandro.” Heck, she lacked the ability to make her own parents stick around, and they were supposed to love her. How could she manage to intrigue a man like Alejandro for a life time?
“If I make a promise to you, I will keep it. If say forever, it will be for an eternity.”
How I want to believe. She reached up a hand and placed it on his cheek. “Can we start with just tonight?”
“So you don’t want me to mark you?” He seemed saddened by it.
“Not yet. I’ve known you what now, thirty-six hours? That’s pretty quick to make a decision that lasts a lifetime.”
“It happened to my brother and Ethan.”
“And yet it still took them a week to convince Naomi. Don’t I deserve the same? I promise to not try and rip your balls off like she tried with Javier.”
“Ah, but I’d love for you to get rough with them,” he said with a leer and a chuckle.
“Pig.” It came out as a term of endearment, and finally, he leaned forward to touch his mouth to hers. It started out as a slow, sensual kiss, but Francine wanted, make that needed, more.
She curled her arms around his neck and yanked him tight to her, grinding her mouth against his, sucking his lower lip before biting it, not hard enough to break skin, but with enough pressure to excite them both.
The horn honked and they sprang apart, him with a curse, her with a giggle.
“Shall me adjourn somewhere more comfortable?” he asked.
“Think we can make it to a bed?” she challenged, hopping out of the car. In a flash, he’d come around to her side and swooped her into his arms.