fraying composure.
“It’s not funny .” Kate lashed out at him. “If that’s what you’re into, get yourselves another costumer. Rule number two is in place for this very reason.”
“Rule number two?” Ramsey asked.
“No rock stars,” Syon filled him in. “We rank just below ‘no drugs.’”
Ramsey frowned. “That’s low.” His voice had deepened, turning cold. He pushed off the sofa and jumped down the steps, disappearing outside.
Syon wasn’t happy either. She could see the injured pride in his eyes.
“I wasn’t the one out of line here,” Kate defended. “I’m not going to say I’m sorry for pissing off your band buddy when he just sat down and asked to join in. Maybe you don’t like my rules, but at least I have some standards.”
“You were just as hot for me.” Syon drew a deep breath. “Claim you weren’t and what you are is a liar.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t hot.” The words were past her lips before she realized she was making an admission. His lips thinned with renewed hunger before he came up off the sofa after her.
“No.” She jumped down the hallway to get out of his reach and had to quell the urge not to turn and run. “If I’m here as a team member, fine, but I am not going to be your sex pet.”
He captured her wrist and tugged her to him. She ended up smacking into his chest. He closed his arms around her, imprisoning her, the feeling of his hard body threatening to make her senseless again.
“You haven’t tried being mine,” he growled against her ear before he nipped the lobe.
She was losing her wits again. Heat surged through her, overpowering everything else. She ached for him. Her body was liquefying into a molten pool of need.
“Do you even recall the name of the last woman you kissed?” she demanded. “Before me? Or is it all a blur?” She was lashing out, flailing in an attempt to regain control. Under different circumstances, she would have been mortified.
He lifted his head, locking gazes with her. There was something in his eyes that chilled her. It was hard and wounded.
“Yes.” His tone was clipped and subarctic. “It’s been two years since I kissed another woman. Her name was Jen.”
“Yeah, right,” Kate scoffed, but she wanted to believe him. She had no business being possessive. No reason to notice the sincerity in his eyes.
He released her, backing away, and it felt like he was emotionally pulling away from her too. Almost as if he was wounded by her disbelief.
“Come on. Your buddy is all ready to jump into a ménage with us twenty minutes after I show up, but you expect me to believe you haven’t had sex in two years?” she asked.
“I didn’t say I haven’t had sex. I said I haven’t kissed a woman in two years,” he said. “I can’t risk getting cold sores or some other shit in my throat. I don’t put my vocal cords in jeopardy. Especially when I’m on a tour that I’ve put up half the money for.”
“Oh.” She felt a ridiculous little zip of excitement go through her. “I guess that holds water.”
A whole lot of it. It gave him layers. Made him less two-dimensional.
His attention lowered to her lips. “You’re trouble.”
“You kicked in my door, dude.” The excitement died. Why in the hell did it hurt to hear him rejecting her? She wanted to reject him, so what did it matter?
His expression changed, became more distant, more professional. All business again.
“We need a leather specialist. When it comes to the show, there is nothing I won’t go after if it is the best. I checked around; there’s a reason you don’t have an assistant. You can’t find one with your talent.” His gaze settled on her mouth again. “So I want you.”
She ended up nodding and conceding the point. There was a standing opening at the shop, and a whole lot of people had tried to fill it. None of them had the touch.
“Ramsey is just about the only human being on this planet who understands me. We’ve bled
“It’s not funny .” Kate lashed out at him. “If that’s what you’re into, get yourselves another costumer. Rule number two is in place for this very reason.”
“Rule number two?” Ramsey asked.
“No rock stars,” Syon filled him in. “We rank just below ‘no drugs.’”
Ramsey frowned. “That’s low.” His voice had deepened, turning cold. He pushed off the sofa and jumped down the steps, disappearing outside.
Syon wasn’t happy either. She could see the injured pride in his eyes.
“I wasn’t the one out of line here,” Kate defended. “I’m not going to say I’m sorry for pissing off your band buddy when he just sat down and asked to join in. Maybe you don’t like my rules, but at least I have some standards.”
“You were just as hot for me.” Syon drew a deep breath. “Claim you weren’t and what you are is a liar.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t hot.” The words were past her lips before she realized she was making an admission. His lips thinned with renewed hunger before he came up off the sofa after her.
“No.” She jumped down the hallway to get out of his reach and had to quell the urge not to turn and run. “If I’m here as a team member, fine, but I am not going to be your sex pet.”
He captured her wrist and tugged her to him. She ended up smacking into his chest. He closed his arms around her, imprisoning her, the feeling of his hard body threatening to make her senseless again.
“You haven’t tried being mine,” he growled against her ear before he nipped the lobe.
She was losing her wits again. Heat surged through her, overpowering everything else. She ached for him. Her body was liquefying into a molten pool of need.
“Do you even recall the name of the last woman you kissed?” she demanded. “Before me? Or is it all a blur?” She was lashing out, flailing in an attempt to regain control. Under different circumstances, she would have been mortified.
He lifted his head, locking gazes with her. There was something in his eyes that chilled her. It was hard and wounded.
“Yes.” His tone was clipped and subarctic. “It’s been two years since I kissed another woman. Her name was Jen.”
“Yeah, right,” Kate scoffed, but she wanted to believe him. She had no business being possessive. No reason to notice the sincerity in his eyes.
He released her, backing away, and it felt like he was emotionally pulling away from her too. Almost as if he was wounded by her disbelief.
“Come on. Your buddy is all ready to jump into a ménage with us twenty minutes after I show up, but you expect me to believe you haven’t had sex in two years?” she asked.
“I didn’t say I haven’t had sex. I said I haven’t kissed a woman in two years,” he said. “I can’t risk getting cold sores or some other shit in my throat. I don’t put my vocal cords in jeopardy. Especially when I’m on a tour that I’ve put up half the money for.”
“Oh.” She felt a ridiculous little zip of excitement go through her. “I guess that holds water.”
A whole lot of it. It gave him layers. Made him less two-dimensional.
His attention lowered to her lips. “You’re trouble.”
“You kicked in my door, dude.” The excitement died. Why in the hell did it hurt to hear him rejecting her? She wanted to reject him, so what did it matter?
His expression changed, became more distant, more professional. All business again.
“We need a leather specialist. When it comes to the show, there is nothing I won’t go after if it is the best. I checked around; there’s a reason you don’t have an assistant. You can’t find one with your talent.” His gaze settled on her mouth again. “So I want you.”
She ended up nodding and conceding the point. There was a standing opening at the shop, and a whole lot of people had tried to fill it. None of them had the touch.
“Ramsey is just about the only human being on this planet who understands me. We’ve bled