Wicked Nights by Lexie Davis Page B

a simple thank you goes much further than silence in the respect category.”
    “Noted.” His lips quirked. “But you are my woman. After the nonsense you pulled tonight, you almost have to be.”
    “Fuck that. There’s no ring on my finger.” Addison admired her hand then held it up. “Do you see a ring on my finger?”
    Mason reached for her hand and brushed her ring finger with his thumb. “Do you want a ring on your finger?”
    Their eyes met. He looked completely serious, which scared her a little. “If that is your proposal, it was terrible.”
    He leant back in the booth. “Always bustin’ my balls.”
    “You’ve got an inflated ego. Someone needs to knock you down to size.”
    His legs framed hers. “And you’re the perfect person for the job?”
    Addison shrugged, not liking where the conversation was going. Mason had a way of making her completely vulnerable without really doing anything.
    “The club knows you’re my woman. Do I need to buy you a ring to get you to admit it?”
    “I’m not your woman. You don’t care about me.” Addison stared at him. “You’re forgetting that I deal with criminals every day. You want what you want and you don’t care what you have to do to get it. I’m a pawn in your game. As long as I’m useful, I’m your girl. Once you find someone better, who the hell knows? Shit, you’ve probably already had a groupie service your needs today. What the hell do you want with me?”
    “So I’m just a criminal client to you?”
    She busied herself with glancing out the window at the traffic of Tampa. “You know I don’t.”
    Mason tilted his head to the side. “You like me and you’re afraid I don’t like you back.”
    She laughed. “Hey, Lila said that sucking cock is the way to get status. If that’s what it takes to be with you, then stick to your groupies, Mason. They ask for that lifestyle. More power to ya. It’s not me.”
    “No, I think I’m on to something.” Mason held his finger out, obviously drawing conclusions about something. “That’s what the fight was about. You want my undivided attention and pout when you don’t get it.”
    Addison scowled at him. “I do not pout.”
    “Yes, you do.” Mason reached across the table and rubbed his thumb along her lower lip. “You stick your lip out, and everything.”
    She slapped his hand away. “My fight with Kinsey had nothing to do with you.”
    “Oh, Addy. Now, you sound like the groupies.” Addison stood and Mason grabbed her arm. “Don’t. I will make a scene if you try to walk away from me.”
    Addison knew he probably would. Since this was her favourite restaurant, she didn’t want to be kicked out indefinitely. She jerked her arm from him and sat back in her seat.
    “For the record, I do like you. I took you to my house, which says a lot. I’ve known Kinsey a lot longer than I’ve known you and she has never been to my house. I let you sleep in my bed alone, which says the most. I’ve never spent the night with Kinsey, or any other bimbo, for quite some time.” He held eye contact. “I do not do that for anyone, let alone some stuck up lawyer I’m going to dump the next day.”
    She tried not to get offended by his comment. “You’ve made me your obligation.”
    “No, sweetheart. My obligation is to keep you safe. I could leave you with my brothers and party the fucking night away.” He moved his hands back when the waitress brought them their food. “Instead, I took you to my home, let you sleep in my bed while I slept on the fucking couch with a hard-on.”
    Addison rolled her eyes. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
    “You didn’t shut up about riding on my bike in a skirt.”
    He had her there. “Touché.”
    He cut into his steak. He looked too relaxed. She supposed good sex did that. She felt pretty relaxed herself, but she’d also had some shots, mixed with the orgasm and now wine. Like everyone else, she just blamed the