Marry Screw Kill(25)

James walks over and wraps his arm possessively around my shoulders as I watch Sin walk out of the room toward the garage. Now, it’s just the two of us, James and I. I hate confrontations, but I can’t overlook what he said any longer. I turn to face him and try to ignore my sweating hands.

“I heard what you said.” My voice is a little more than a whisper, but I know he can hear the hurt. “How could you talk about me like that? And especially with Sin? He’s family.”

James’ ice blue eyes are wide as he stares back at me. He appears to be shocked that I’m questioning him, but he owes me an answer.

“Honey, that was stupid locker room talk. Don’t be so sensitive. You know how us guys are.” He takes a deep breath and draws me closer to him, but I move just beyond his reach. And guys? He fails to realize he was the lone “guy” talking shit.

“Okay, but tell me why. What possessed you?” I straighten my robe and quietly demand to know the truth.

Looking me straight in the eyes, James begins to talk, and I pray he’s honest. “Jealousy.” He stops his answer short, thinking this will satisfy me, but I need more than a lousy one-word answer.

“Jealous? Of Sinclair?”

Even though I speak with conviction, there is no denying a spark of something forbidden exists between Sinclair and me. I’m not willing to admit it is anything other than a simple attraction, even if I’ve never felt this pull to another man before.

“Yes, I’m jealous of Sinclair, and all the other men I see staring at you, wishing you were theirs, undressing you with their eyes. My only salvation is that you’re oblivious to them.”

I’m amazed James confesses his feelings, finally letting me see inside his fear-driven thoughts. Saying he worries about me being around other men causes something inside my brain to click.

“Is your jealousy the true reason you forbid me from going anywhere alone? Or is it really some worry about Tony’s family harming me?”

“The detective did tell me there was a concern.” His eyes dart away from mine as he speaks and I’m convinced he’s likely lying. It’s the first crack I’ve ever seen in his armor.

“Then let me go to the club today by myself. I’m safe there from Tony’s family. Emma wants to see me and I miss her.” I have no idea where my fight is coming from, but part of me feels like Sin would be cheering me on from the corner of the room.

“I don’t know, Harlow …” James takes a couple steps toward me and cups my face. He gently rubs his thumbs over my cheeks and his normally icy blue eyes are dark with desire. “Where did this brazen woman come from?”

“Maybe hearing you talk about me like you did to Sinclair.” I stare back up at him as he presses himself against the front of me. His arousal hits my stomach and I close my eyes, knowing where this encounter will lead.

“Forgive me?” he trails kisses down my neck and I decide to press him about the club.

“Yes, but let me go meet Emma. I’ve only seen her once since my mother was killed.”

“Well ...” He pauses and looks down at me with a darkened stare. “You want to bargain?” I inwardly brace myself for where he’s going with this.

“Depends.” I need to talk to Emma, but unfortunately, he holds the keys right now—literally. To the car, house, and any money I have in my pockets. Even my cell phone is a gift from him. If I walk out the door, I’m going by foot.

“Remember those restraints?” He curls his lip into a devious smirk and it’s clear where this conversation is headed. He wants to tie me up.

Shit.

Sexual bondage has been a sore subject since a package arrived in the mail a few weeks ago. He handed it to me, and with a sly grin, instructed me to open it. I thought he was giving me another gift, maybe a pair of shoes, since it was the size of a shoebox. Instead, it was a gift for him, a kinky set of bondage restraints with a photo of a woman bound to a bed covering the top of the package.

I asked who they were for, and he said, “You.” I tossed the package on the kitchen table like it felt deadly to my touch. He laughed while I shook my head and told him no way. He took his kinky sex contraption from the room, and he hasn’t mentioned it since. But of course, he never forgot, and now he has found the perfect opportunity to get me to cave to his wishes.

“I remember them.” A shiver runs the length of my body as he looks at me with expectant eyes.

“Here’s the deal.” He slowly rubs his hands together and my heart begins to race. “Let me tie you to the kitchen table and f*ck you, then you can go meet Emma for lunch at the club.”

It’s come down to this. I’m making a devil’s deal and losing a part of my soul, but I need to see Emma today. She’s the only friend who cares enough to tell me the truth about what she thinks is best for me. I want her advice.

I begin to rationalize, giving into his option. How bad could it be to give into his desires this once? He’s never been violent or hurt me. Odd to think being tied up would later give me freedom.

“You know I have no desire to have this type of sex with you.” Honestly, after hearing him talk about me today, I have no desire to have sex with him now—kinky or otherwise.

“Please?” he begs with pleading eyes. The power between us shifts while he awaits my answer. For the first time since he has stepped into my life at the hospital, he sits in the palm of my hand.