Beneath This Man(147)

'Ish?' he asks.

'No, fine.' I sound stroppy.

He lowers himself to his knees a couple of steps below me so we're on a more equal level, but he still looks down at me. He plants his hands on the top step, either side of my body, and I glance up from my feet to look at him.

'I'm crazy mad, Ava.' His voice is soft.

'I wasn't drunk'. I affirm sharply. Damn it! I wasn't even remotely drunk.

'I told you not to drink at all. I knew I shouldn't have let you go out.'

'I'm curious as to why you think you can dictate what I do.' I challenge bravely. 'I'm a grown woman. Do you expect me to live a life with you where my every move is controlled?' My voice is quiet, but firm through my dryness. He has to see my point.

His lips form a straight line and I can hear the cogs start whirling into action. 'You are mine.' he grates. 'It's my job to keep you safe.'

I drop my eyes on a sigh. Yes, I'm his, but his objectives with regards to keeping me out of harm's way are too ambitious. 'You said you were close. Close to what?' I pull my face up.

He searches my eyes. He must know that I heard. He looked directly at me after he uttered the words. 'Nothing.' he answers.

'Nothing?' I can't help sounding disbelieving. 'You want a drink, don't you? That's what you need to deal with this f*cking mess.'

His eyes widen. 'Will.you.watch.your.f*cking.mouth!' he spells out the words. 'We're in this f*cking mess because you went out and completely defied me.' He pushes his face up close to mine. 'We would not be in this situation if you'd f*cking listened to me.'

'I'm sorry!' I spit angrily. 'I'm sorry for not listening.' I stand up, leaving him kneeling on the stairs. 'I'm sorry if you feel the need to drown in vodka because of me! I'm obviously bad for your health. I'll put your out of your misery.' I pivot and stalk into the bedroom, physically shaking with anger. I heard with my own ears his confession to John. If I go he'll probably have a drink and if I stay he will also probably drink. I'm between the Devil and the deep blue sea. Why can't he see that it's his own unreasonable expectations that are pushing him to complete madness, not me.

'Crazy mad, Ava.'

I turn and find him stalking towards me with a face like thunder. I back up slightly, and then mentally curse myself for not standing my ground. He stops in front of me, his chest puffing, breathing his minty breath all over me. 'Kiss me.'

What?

'No!' I cry incredulously. The bloody man is deluded! He gives me a royal ticking off for disobeying him, and then starts making more unreasonable demands. I'm not kissing him.

His eyes darken and narrow. 'Three.'

He must be joking. 'Are you mad?'

'Crazy f*cking mad, Ava. Two.'

He is completely serious. Oh my God!

'One.' he whispers. I scan the doorway past him and disregard that option completely. I'm not getting past him, that's for sure. 'Zero.'

Fuck!

I bolt across the room and over the bed. It's no surprise that I'm captured and pinned under him before I make any significant distance. I'm on my back with my arms pinned above my head with one of his. His jean clad leg rest over my thighs, restraining me. I'm completely immobile and exhausted from trying to break free. You would think I would have learnt by now. I pant in his face as he breathes down on me, tracing the line of my stomach with his finger, and then up the centre of my body to my mouth. He rests the tip on my bottom lip before letting it travel back down my body. The bastard is unleashing that craving for him again. It will never go away.

I run my eyes down the length of his bare torso and to his spare hand tracing light, feathery circles in the hollow void above my hip. 'I'm putting your resistance down to the drugs.' he says quietly and critically. 'I'm giving you another three seconds to make the right decision.' He lowers his lips so that they hover over mine, as close as possible without touching. 'Three.' he breathes over my mouth.

I wriggle and try to fight myself free, as well as fighting the traitorous response my body is having to him. I am incredibly weak and desperate. I open my eyes and find unmoved, puddles of green desire, fanned with his glorious lashes.

'Two.' he whispers and moves his gaze to my lips.

He gets no further. I lift my head and capture his mouth, my craving for him just way too powerful to fight back. He pushes his mouth down, forcing me to rest my head back on the bed as his glides his hands over my stomach.