Reluctantly Yours(49)

This time when Chloe leans off the ladder, she removes her foot and a hand. The weight shift sends the ladder sliding to the right and catches Chloe off balance.

My heart stops when I see her nearly topple off the side.

“Chloe!”

She hugs the side railing with her arm and manages to grip back onto the step with her toes.

“Jesus Christ.” I wipe at my brow, the tension in my body now dripping out of every pore.

“I’m fine. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

Fucking hell. I’m going to kill her.

From the top of the ladder, Chloe studies me a moment, her eyes narrowing in on my clenched fists. She must see it written all over my face, the fear, because she slowly makes her way down to the bottom. I move back so she can place her feet on the floor. When she’s back on solid ground I grip the ladder railing above her head and push it, sending it screaming down the track until it hits the end with a thud.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Chloe’s eyes widen in the direction I sent the ladder.

“It was safer on the ladder,” I say, taking a step closer toward her. I fist my hands in my pockets, hoping that will keep me from touching her. From strangling her for scaring the shit out of me on the ladder, and for making me miss out on an opportunity to talk to Fred tonight.

Her blue eyes widen in shock, and she takes a step backward. “You’re mad at me? No, I don’t think so.” She points a polished red nail toward my chest. “You’re the one who’s been such an ass tonight.”

I step right into her finger. Her short nail doesn’t even press past the material of my shirt.

“I spent the majority of the night away from you at your request, then when I was in the middle of talking to Fred, I discover you’re dancing with another man. The same man whose company is also trying to acquire Voltaire.”

“Right. It’s always about business and Voltaire. Never about people and feelings, because they have them you know. Feelings. People. Me. I have feelings.” She drops her finger from between us, probably a bad move on her part. My body immediately takes the given space. “I didn’t know. I probably shouldn’t have danced with him then, but he was nice.” Her eyes lift to mine. “And he liked my dress.”

“Of course, he did.” I move my hands to the shelf above Chloe’s head. “He wants anything that’s mine.”

“You are the worst. You couldn’t give me a compliment if you tried.”

“That’s what this is about? What Hunter said?”

“No.” She looks defiant, her features pinched tight. “Yes. Maybe if you weren’t doling out compliments left and right to anyone who wasn’t me, this wouldn’t be an issue.”

“You want to know why I told other women they looked nice, or lovely or some other bullshit nicety tonight?”

Her face softens. “It wasn’t bullshit. They did look lovely.”

A puff of air escapes my nostrils, which is fitting. I’m the bull and Chloe is the red flag waving in the distance, taunting me, teasing me. Except, now she’s right here within reach. I lower my face toward hers. The scent of her shampoo mixed with hairspray and her floral perfume wraps its arms around me, pulling me in further.

“You drive me fucking crazy.”

“Same,” she says, tilting her chin up, giving me access to her full lips.

I don’t think before I crush my lips to hers. It’s what I’ve wanted to do since the moment she descended my staircase tonight. Chloe’s perfect, pliable lips on mine. She meets me there, hungry just like I am. Or it’s the natural reaction to the frustration we’re feeling with each other. Pent up anger and lust.

My hands drop to her hips, lifting the skirt of her dress to free her legs. I lift her up, pressing her back into the bookcase. Her legs wrap around my waist, aligning our bodies. Her fingers are in my hair, pulling me closer. It’s not possible to get closer. My tongue sweeps against the seam of her lips. She opens wide, letting me dive in to taste her. My hips rock into her, it’s a primal instinct to press my hardness into her softness. Chloe moans at the contact, and I nearly come at the sound of her breathy sighs.

Maybe Carl was right. I just need to be inside her, then all the madness will stop.

My fingers trace the inside of her thigh, inching toward her center when my phone buzzes in my pocket. Fuck. I should ignore it, slide my fingers beneath Chloe’s panties. That’s where I want to be, but habit has me releasing her. My fingers retreat to pull my phone from my pocket.

It’s Fred.

“Barrett.” His voice booms over the line when I answer. “I saw you and Chloe headed out early. I hope everything is okay.”

My eyes find Chloe’s. Her hair is wild from my hands, her lips swollen, lipstick smeared. Her breaths are coming out deep and heavy.

“We’re good. We wanted to get home early tonight.” I try to casually adjust my raging hard on.

I turn away from Chloe, wanting to be fully present for the conversation with Fred I missed out on earlier.

Fred chuckles. “Sorry to interrupt. Frankie wanted me to call right away. We’re headed to the Hamptons next weekend for Fourth of July. We’d like you and Chloe to join us if you don’t have any plans.”

“We’d love to,” I answer automatically. There’s no schedule to check, if Fred Hinkle is in the Hamptons, that’s where I need to be.