Down and Out(52)

“Why didn’t you tell him no?” The deceptively quiet question sends shivers up my spine, because I hear the barely restrained wrath lurking beneath its surface. Declan’s so pissed I think they might have to invent a new word for it.
I swallow, suddenly unable to think, and risk a glance at him. “What?”
His jaw clenches as his eyes burn into me. His gaze is hard, but not cold. There’s a subtle . . . heat burning in those green eyes as he grinds out, “When he asked you to dinner, you didn’t say no.”
Geez, exactly how long was he standing there watching me? And did he not listen to me at all when I told him he’s the only exception to my new rule of no men? Does he think I’m just going to let every guy into my pants now because I let him in?
The floodgates have not been opened. There’s no goddamn free-for-all that’s going to take place, thank you very much, and if he doesn’t watch it, I’ll stick his ass back on the “rule” side with everyone else.
I yank a towel off the table, glaring at him as I begin folding it. “I didn’t say ‘yes’ either.”
Agitated, he shakes his head. “You should’ve said no. Right off the bat, it should’ve been a ‘no.’” Crossing over to me, he snatches the towel out of my hand and haphazardly tosses it onto the table. Before I can snap at him for being rude, he says, “I won’t share you, Savannah. I won’t.”
My mouth falls open as I stare up at his looming presence, ire quickly burning through me. “Share me? I’m not some f*cking chew toy, you dog! You can’t just piss a circle around me and expect it to keep everyone away.”
Declan moves forward until my butt’s pressed against the edge of the table. His hands rest on the lip of the cold steel as he leans in, making me bend back to keep what little space remains between us.
That space is vital. It’s the difference between keeping my head or doing something incredibly stupid, like kissing him and rubbing myself all over that fine body of his.
His gaze is completely unflinching. “You’re mine. Make no mistake of that, Kitten.”
“You don’t own me.” I’m glad my voice comes out so steady, because I feel anything but. The heat of his stare is seriously starting to melt my panties.
“Your body says differently,” he murmurs. The rough cadence sends chills through me, making my skin prick and my nipples harden. Reaching up, he plays with the ends of my hair, twirling a curl around his finger. “Whose name do you moan when you come?”
“God’s,” I retort, swatting his hand away.
He glowers at me. “It’s my name you say, baby girl, don’t even try to lie.”
Anger sizzles in me, but there’s something else burning just behind it.
Fear.
Declan expects me to be . . . monogamous? I haven’t let myself think that far ahead, and to be honest, I’m a little out of my depth. An ongoing sexual relationship is not something I’ve ever really experienced. I’m the queen of one-night-stands and drunken mistakes, so monogamy hasn’t really crossed my mind. Now that it has, I’m kind of freaking out.
Any way you slice it, monogamy equals relationship.
“Shove it,” I say, gritting my teeth as I stoke the anger inside me, trying to get it to singe up my fears until they’re nothing but dust.
“Open your mouth and I will, Kitten. Gladly. I’ll do damn near anything to get you to shut your friggin’ trap right now, because you’re pissing me the f*ck off.”
My glare matches his for several long seconds before I drop my eyes to his black and white skull t-shirt. I know it’s some kind of band logo, but I can’t place it. The thought’s lost as my eyes roam up the cage of skin and ink surrounding me. I want to run my fingers over every inch of his tattoos, until I memorize every curve, color, and letter.
Will I admit any of that to him? Hell no.
Jutting my chin out, I say, “What if I say ‘yes’ to Mike, hmm? What then? Are you gonna be able to walk away from me?” I won’t, but it’s not because of this little tantrum he’s throwing right now. It’s because Mike doesn’t appeal to me nearly as much as Declan does.
Hell, Mike doesn’t even register compared to Declan. But again, I’m not about to tell him that.
His head’s big enough as it is.
Plus, I kind of just want to see what he says.
To my surprise, his mouth curls up in a crooked grin. “Probably not, but Mike’s not gonna be able to walk away from you either after I break his legs.”
I roll my eyes and push back on his chest. He doesn’t even budge a millimeter.
“Your ass is mine, Kitten, whether you like it or not. And if you’re not ready to admit it right now, well that’s fine, but just you wait and see.”
He leans in, leisurely brushing his nose along my jaw before kissing the sensitive area of skin just under my ear. My breath dies in my throat as my eyes slide shut, fireworks erupting behind my tightly squeezed lids. It takes every available neuron in my brain that hasn’t exploded into orgasmic death to remain still, when all I want to do is lean into him and rub my cheek against his like I’m some cat in heat.
That resolve weakens when his tongue flicks out and teases my earlobe before his hot mouth envelops it. Tingles erupt in all the right places, my knees going weak. His teeth nips at my ear as his stubble grazes my cheek, and I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, imagining that wicked tongue and rough stubble between my thighs as I ride that pretty face of his.
His voice is low and his breath’s hot on my skin as he murmurs, “I’m gonna f*ck you so good, so thorough, that you’re never gonna let anyone else inside you. You know why?”