Shades of Grey by Natalie Dae and Sam Crescent Page A

that’s exactly why I can’t do what I want to do?”
    She had an answer for everything, he’d give her that. Christ, her mind was sharp. “No. Listen, please, we have to talk this through. Will you just give me a minute?” She didn’t answer, so he pressed on, keeping his tone low and soft. “If you’re thinking of going to Macy Jo’s bar, then maybe you ought to let me come with you. Clark goes there on a Friday to get rat-assed, you know that. Rodney Dukes will be there, as well as all his other freaky friends. None of them will stand in Clark’s way if he turns on you. He broke in here without making a sound—neither of us heard, anyway—so, if he’s stealthy enough to do that, think what he’ll do if you piss him off with your accusing finger and threatening tongue!”
    Sarah stiffened, staring at him as if she teetered on the brink of giving in.
    Please let her see sense. Just once…
    “Macy won’t let him hurt me.” She lifted her chin defiantly.
    “But what if Macy steps out a while? What if John Baines is the only one behind the bar? That guy is almost as bad as Clark with his wild ways at times. I worry about you, Sarah. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
    She huffed out a blast of air. “You only worry because if something happens to me you’ll be short on wages.”
    Ouch.
    “What the hell’s gotten into you? You really think so little of me as to believe that? I don’t give a shit about the wages! I give a shit about you! ”
    Fuck. Aww, fuck.
    She gawped at him, blinking rapidly, high colour staining her cheeks. “No, no you don’t.” She backed away, unable to get far with his grip on her wrist. “Let me go. I must see to the men.”
    “Sarah?”
    “What?” She gritted her teeth.
    “Didn’t you hear what I just said?”
    “Of course I did, I’m not deaf!”
    “So me telling you I care about you means nothing?”
    He didn’t want an affirmative answer, but, hell, he had to know one way or another. If she said his affection meant jack shit, he’d pack his bags and get the hell out of town. Staying here when she didn’t want him would hurt too much. He could start again—he’d done it countless times before when people started getting too close to finding out what he was—but he was fucked if he’d ever forget her.
    “It means nothing,” she whispered. “Now let go of my goddamn wrist and move the hell away!”
    He’d sworn he’d never push himself on a woman, but instead of letting her go he pulled her to him, holding her clamped to his chest. Leaning down, he pressed his mouth to hers, sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips, praying she’d open up for him. If she didn’t, then he’d have a firmer answer than that she didn’t want him.
    She closed her eyes and parted her lips, flicking her tongue out to invite his inside. Fierce longing overtook him, and he held her closer, tighter, showing her the best way he knew how that she meant more to him than being just his boss. A low whimper left her, reverberating on his tongue, and he took it as a sign she was eager for more. Braver now that she’d melted a little, he closed his eyes and trailed one hand up her back, caressing the swell of her ass cheek with the other. Fuck, but she felt good, moulded to him the way she was, as though she’d been made just for him.
    She raised her hands between them, smoothing her palms up his chest and over his nipples. Sensation rocketed through him, goosebumps spreading right along with it. Excitement pooled in his belly, transferring from there to the root of his cock. He moaned, holding her tighter still, fingertips digging into the soft flesh of her ass. His cock twitched, growing so damn fast he almost lost his breath. He canted his hips, gently pushing into her lower belly so she could feel his need.
    Sarah broke their kiss, gazing up at him, all anger erased from her eyes. He felt for her, for whatever reasoning she had going on in that pretty little head of hers