Beneath This Man (This Man, #2)(66)

‘Even after today?’

Oh good. Is he acknowledging that he was a challenge today? This is progress. ‘You mean after you stalked me all day?’

He pouts playfully and shifts his arms under his head to elevate it slightly. I dribble as his muscles bunch and flex. ‘I was worried about you.’ he protests, and I raise a mocking eyebrow at him. ‘I was.’ he argues.

He wasn’t worried about me at all. He had an unreasonable and unwarranted attack of possessiveness. ‘You were over-the-top and stupidly possessive. My challenging man needs to relax.’

He scoffs. ‘I’m not challenging.’

‘You’re challenging and in denial.’

His brow furrows. ‘What am I in denial about?’

‘Being challenging and unreasonable. Your performance today was way off the scales of unreasonableness.’ I need to know he won’t hijack every business meeting I have with a male client. He said it would be only Mikael, but then followed it up with and all other male threats. His idea of a threat is a million miles away from my idea of a threat. He’s going to trample all of my male clients, I know it. My work diary is going to be padlocked and so is my mouth. I’m not telling him anything.

He looks at me with a little scowl. ‘He would have made a move on you and then I’d really have to trample him.’

I laugh lightly. Like he didn’t make a good enough job of that already? He doesn’t need to know that Mikael has already made his move. I will be keeping that snippet of information to myself. ‘Well, I think you made your point pretty clear. It was embarrassing.’ I grumble.

‘It was necessary.’ he mutters, and I roll my eyes, making a dramatic display of my exasperation.

‘You should run more.’ I say. ‘Oh, the bath!’ I jump up and run into the bathroom.

‘No, I need you more.’ he calls to my back.

‘Don’t you have me enough?’ I flip the tap off. He’s had me here all week. He calls me, texts me, sends me flowers and gets John to drive me to work. It’s all some form of contact or control. I bet he couldn’t go a whole day without some form of trample or intrusion on my working day. Would I want him to not interfere? I like the flowers and the messages; it’s the tramples I have an issue with. Would he be tempted to have a drink to try and get through the day? Could I risk it? My relaxed brain begins to ache…again.

I make my way back into the bedroom, finding him still sprawled on the floor. He is just too delicious. I walk over and settle myself back on his hips.

‘Have you enough?’ he asks. ‘No, I don’t. I need you every second of the day, just like you need me.’ He reaches up and pinches my nipple, and I jerk on top of him, catching a full on rub from his erection. He gives me his roguish grin.

‘What if you couldn’t have me all day?’ I ask. There will be times in the future when he might actually be on a real business trip. Or, perhaps, I will.

His grin disappears instantly and is replaced with a glare pointed straight at me. ‘Are you going to try and stop me?’

‘No, but there may be situations when you can’t have instant access to me. I might be unobtainable.’

A fleeting look of panic flies across his face and his bottom lip disappears between his teeth. He’s considering what I’ve suggested, and it’s now I realise that he absolutely meant it when he said he’ll have me wherever and whenever he wants. Now that really is unreasonable. I’ve seen the result of a few missed calls on my part – he was frantic.

‘Would you make a grab for the vodka?’ There, I’ve said it.

He laughs, and I frown. What’s so funny?

‘I promised you I will never have another drink. I meant it,’ he says surely. He sits up and rests his hands on my hips. I jerk, and he smiles. ‘Bath, I want your wet slippery skin all over mine.’

‘Your confidence is commendable.’ I mumble sarcastically as I ease myself up and put my hand out to him.

He looks at me with narrowed eyes and reaches up to take my hand, yanking me forward and spinning me onto my back. He rests his big body all over me and drops his lips to mine in a long, lingering kiss. ‘It is all very easy because I have you. Unravel your knickers, lady.’

Ha! Easy for him to say. I’m dealing with a neurotic madcap. ‘So, tomorrow I’ll be undisturbed all day?’ I ask. He will never be able to leave me alone all day, I know it.

He pulls his head back to look at me, the cogs starting to spin wildly as he chews his lip again. ‘Lunch?’

I knew it. He can’t do it. ‘I’m meeting Kate for lunch.’ I dismiss his request.

He pouts. ‘Can’t I come?’

No, he can’t come because I need time with Kate to talk about him and his challenging ways. ‘No.’ I state firmly.

‘I think you’re being unreasonable.’ he complains.

I throw my head back on a laugh. He really is thick skinned, but then I jerk and buck as his grabs my hipbone and squeezes. ‘Stop!’ I screech.

‘No!’

‘Please!’ Tears jump into my eyes as I try to fight him off. I can’t bear it.

‘Lunch?’ he says calmly, as he continues tickling me.

‘Absolutely not!’ I cry through my uncontrollable laughter. This isn’t fair. I’m not submitting. No way!