“You’ll what?” I challenged when she trailed off. I wanted her to push back. Wanted to meet in the middle in a tangle of anger and lust.
“Why are you doing this?” she hissed, shoving her fingers into her hair.
“Wish I knew, sweetheart.” But I did know. She could lie to me. She could put herself in danger. She could avoid me or hate me. But I still wouldn’t be able to leave her alone. Because I wasn’t done with her.
I hated myself for how much I wanted her.
“I don’t belong to you. I didn’t break the law. The only thing I was in danger of was bruising my ego taking this idiot down. So unless you want to abuse your authority and detain me, I suggest you let me do my job.”
“I don’t want to care, you know.”
“Poor Nash. Are you being forced to play the hero for the villain?”
I pinned her against the car with my hips. Her eyes dilated. Her delicate nostrils flared like a doe scenting danger. But her hands had a mind of their own. They gripped me by the shirt and held on tight.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Angel.”
“From where I’m standing, it looks like you’re the only one who’s going to get hurt,” she shot back.
I was standing on the side of the road caging an angry woman against a fast car. My heartbeat hammered in my head, a steady thrumming that matched the throb in my cock. She wasn’t the safe choice, the smart choice. But for some electrifyingly stupid reason, my body thought this woman who lived her life in the gray area was the right choice.
I cupped her jaw and ran my thumb over her lower lip. The light in her eyes changed from fury to something just as dangerous. I was vibrating with need. I couldn’t trust myself to be this close to her.
But just when I’d nearly talked myself into pulling back, she nipped the pad of my thumb with her teeth.
The tiny zing of pain shot through me, down my spine, and zeroed in on my balls.
I could feel her heart racing against my chest.
We both moved at the same time. I dipped at the knees just as she spread her legs, making room for me.
This. Now. Her.
My blood demanded more. Any performance fears I had evaporated into the night, burned off by the heat of lust. I needed to make her mine. To prove to her she belonged to only me. Sliding my hands under her knees, I yanked up and out, spreading her legs until my erection nestled at the juncture of her thighs. Even fully clothed, the feel of her body welcoming mine was almost too much to bear.
“I need you—”
“I don’t want to need you, but I do,” I said, nuzzling my face into the silky smooth skin of her neck.
“Damn it, Nash,” she breathed. “I need you to back up and let me breathe.”
I stilled against her but didn’t move back. I couldn’t. The pulse in her throat fluttered just beneath my lips.
“Nash. Please? Just back up and let me breathe.”
It was the please that damned me. I would give her anything, as long as she gave me everything.
I bit out a curse and stepped back, letting her slide to the ground.
“If I’m not going to be your emotional support fuck, I sure as hell won’t be your hate fuck.”
“Angel.”
She held up a hand. “We’ve already proved we can’t trust each other. And I’m pretty sure we just proved we can’t trust ourselves to be anywhere near each other.”
“I don’t know how long I can fight this,” I confessed.
She leveled me with a look. “Try harder.”
“I am trying. I’m furious with you. You betrayed my trust.”
“Oh please,” she scoffed. “I was more honest with you than I have been with anyone. You just refuse to acknowledge that there’s a whole world out there beyond the black and white.”
“As I was saying, I can’t stop thinking about how mad I am at you. But all I want to do is get down on my knees and bury my face between your—”
She slapped a hand over my mouth.
“Don’t finish that sentence. We’re dangerous to each other. I can’t keep my head on straight when you’re touching me. We’re the worst decision we could make. And if I’m the one saying that, it means something.”
But for once in my life, I wasn’t worried about consequences. I wasn’t thinking six steps down the road. All I knew for certain was that I wanted her. Even though she’d lied. Even though she’d hurt me. Even though she wanted to fight me on everything.
I wanted Angelina Solavita.
“Excuse me? I know you two are in the middle of a fight, but I really have to pee.”
“Shut up, Melvin!”
I rode the ass of the red Charger the entire way to the station, not giving her an inch of breathing room. When we arrived, I was out of my SUV, opening the door of her car before she’d even shut off the engine.
“Back off, hotshot,” Lina warned.
But I was already hauling the scrawny felon out of the back seat. “Let’s go, asshole,” I said.
“I feel like the name-calling is uncalled for,” he complained.
“What’s uncalled for are bruises on her face,” I said, spinning him around to look at Lina. Seeing her hurt unleashed something ugly inside me. Something that wanted to sweep all her infractions under the rug. Something that wanted to keep her close so no one else could get near her.
“I told you, she’s the one who tackled me after the brunette hit me with dog poop and the blond showed me her boobs. It’s not my fault she got banged up.”
I shot a look at Lina. She shrugged. “Naomi and Sloane,” she said by way of explanation.
“Listen, I’m really hungry,” Melvin whined. “I ran out of my cousin’s place before dinner. You think I could get some crispy nuggies or maybe some of those smiley face mashed potato things? You know, comfort food. I’m feeling pretty stressed out.”
Christ. Did his mom still cut the crusts off his bread too?
“If you apologize to the lady for assaulting her, I’ll feed you.”
“I’m sorry your face ran into my elbow, Lina. Honest. My mom would kick my ass if I even thought about hurting a lady.”
“Apology accepted,” Lina said. She turned to me. “Now give me the receipt.”
“Let’s go,” I muttered, pushing Melvin ahead of us.
“Damn, gorgeous. What the hell happened to you?” Grave asked Lina when we trooped inside.
“Pointy elbows,” she explained.
“I got them from my dad. Most of his body parts are sharp and pointy,” Melvin announced. “So about those nuggies…”
I shoved Melvin at Grave before I was tempted to jam one of my elbows into his face. “Do me a favor and take care of this. I’ll deal with the paperwork.”
Lina looked like she was about to laser me in half with her eyes.
“I have to make a call,” she said and stalked out into the hallway.
“Got a pretty good limp,” Grave observed as if I hadn’t already cataloged her every move.
By the time Lina came inside, hiding her limp as best she could, I had her paperwork ready.
“This is for Murtaugh,” I said handing the first slip over. “And this is for you.”