mean to ‘fuck you up’, as you’re saying,” she said, confused, still standing with her back pressed against the door. “It’s just that I love you so much, and I can’t control how I feel about you.”
“Damn it, when it comes to you, I have no sense of control,” he thundered, shaking his head. “For pity’s sake, look at me now. Downstairs, there’s a room full of criminals and vultures, and our entire lives could be usurped at any moment. But, all I can think about is sheathing myself into your heat and losing myself in you. Doesn’t that prove that I’ve reached a new level of crazy?”
“I’m sorry, is wanting me that much so wrong?” she whispered, blinking back tears. “You think that you’re the only one that feels that way? I’ve spent the last weeks of life in pure hell, and all that I could think about was being with you.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “Being with you now makes me realize how lost I’ve been without you. This is the only chance that we can ever be together again. Neither of us knows what tomorrow will bring, especially with Matt and his threats.
“And the son-of-a-bitch is going to pay for every bit of pain that he’s caused you,” Jarrod muttered, and his wild anger flared again. “That’s why we have to take a step back right now and focus. As much as I want to make love to you right now, I can’t. This isn’t the time or the place.” He cupped the back of her nape again, and once more his eyes smoldering with dangerous, sensual intent. “When we’re long and far away from here, we’re going to have our time. All day---all fucking night, I’m going to touch you, taste you, and make love to you until neither of us can think straight.” He pressed a soft kiss along her forehead. “But, right now, I’m going to get you out of here. Then, Addison and I can end this game, once and for all. It’s been a long time coming. Only one of us will be left standing at the end. Get dressed.”
His words were enough to sober her, and again, she faced the stark reality of their situation. In a flash, her fear returned for his safety and Meghan’s.
And the reality was they both stood to die as long as they were near her.
“No,” she said adamantly, and again a sense of desperation claimed her. Pulling free of his hold, she moved from the door. She faced him in the semi-darkness. “I’m not leaving---I’m going to stay. This is my life now. It’s time that we both accept that.”
“What?” he asked in disbelief. “You want to tell me what just happened here- --what’s with the 180? You tell me you love me… that you want to make love to me…hell, you practically stripped me naked. But now, a split second later, you’re all about marrying that son-of-a-bitch? No, it doesn’t add up, Olivia---”
She lifted her chin. “Matt and I are getting married in a few months---”
“The hell you are,” he cursed, and his green eyes seemed to blaze in the darkness. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Well, you can’t stop me!” she fought back, turning from him, and was already stooping down to pick his clothes from the floor. “And I don’t know what I was thinking, saying that I loved you, asking you to make love to me---I mean, I am an engaged woman---”
Before she could get the words out, he whirled her around, and she gasped in surprise. She held the crumpled clothes between them as defense.
“What is that bastard threatening you with?” he demanded, gripping her upper arms. “What has he said or done to make you this afraid?”
“Nothing,” she lied, pulling free of his hold, and looked away from him. “The truth of the matter is that he is my fiancé. You’re not. Our time together was nothing but a lie, and I suppose that by seeing you again, I just got caught up in the fantasy again. And that’s what we are,
“Damn it, when it comes to you, I have no sense of control,” he thundered, shaking his head. “For pity’s sake, look at me now. Downstairs, there’s a room full of criminals and vultures, and our entire lives could be usurped at any moment. But, all I can think about is sheathing myself into your heat and losing myself in you. Doesn’t that prove that I’ve reached a new level of crazy?”
“I’m sorry, is wanting me that much so wrong?” she whispered, blinking back tears. “You think that you’re the only one that feels that way? I’ve spent the last weeks of life in pure hell, and all that I could think about was being with you.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “Being with you now makes me realize how lost I’ve been without you. This is the only chance that we can ever be together again. Neither of us knows what tomorrow will bring, especially with Matt and his threats.
“And the son-of-a-bitch is going to pay for every bit of pain that he’s caused you,” Jarrod muttered, and his wild anger flared again. “That’s why we have to take a step back right now and focus. As much as I want to make love to you right now, I can’t. This isn’t the time or the place.” He cupped the back of her nape again, and once more his eyes smoldering with dangerous, sensual intent. “When we’re long and far away from here, we’re going to have our time. All day---all fucking night, I’m going to touch you, taste you, and make love to you until neither of us can think straight.” He pressed a soft kiss along her forehead. “But, right now, I’m going to get you out of here. Then, Addison and I can end this game, once and for all. It’s been a long time coming. Only one of us will be left standing at the end. Get dressed.”
His words were enough to sober her, and again, she faced the stark reality of their situation. In a flash, her fear returned for his safety and Meghan’s.
And the reality was they both stood to die as long as they were near her.
“No,” she said adamantly, and again a sense of desperation claimed her. Pulling free of his hold, she moved from the door. She faced him in the semi-darkness. “I’m not leaving---I’m going to stay. This is my life now. It’s time that we both accept that.”
“What?” he asked in disbelief. “You want to tell me what just happened here- --what’s with the 180? You tell me you love me… that you want to make love to me…hell, you practically stripped me naked. But now, a split second later, you’re all about marrying that son-of-a-bitch? No, it doesn’t add up, Olivia---”
She lifted her chin. “Matt and I are getting married in a few months---”
“The hell you are,” he cursed, and his green eyes seemed to blaze in the darkness. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Well, you can’t stop me!” she fought back, turning from him, and was already stooping down to pick his clothes from the floor. “And I don’t know what I was thinking, saying that I loved you, asking you to make love to me---I mean, I am an engaged woman---”
Before she could get the words out, he whirled her around, and she gasped in surprise. She held the crumpled clothes between them as defense.
“What is that bastard threatening you with?” he demanded, gripping her upper arms. “What has he said or done to make you this afraid?”
“Nothing,” she lied, pulling free of his hold, and looked away from him. “The truth of the matter is that he is my fiancé. You’re not. Our time together was nothing but a lie, and I suppose that by seeing you again, I just got caught up in the fantasy again. And that’s what we are,
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