I didn’t bother to hide my suspicion. The entire idea of Willow in Six Forks again was like a bad omen. It wasn’t what I expected to feel whenever I entertained the idea of ever seeing her again.

“No. You shouldn’t.” The air left my lungs as I bent in half. Fire spread from my groin where her knee violently connected to my brain. I was forced to take a knee as I attempted to breathe through the pain shooting through my dick.

She was out the door before I could recover, but I wasn’t worried. There was a code on the elevator, which she must have just figured out if her shriek of anger was anything to go by.

I was standing upright and had gained controlled of my anger by the time she came stomping back.

“Open the elevator.”

Unfortunately for her, I hadn’t gained control of my anger. I seized her wild, red hair in my fist and dragged her to me. “Bitch.”

I forced her further into the apartment, and for the first time since she fell back into my life, she had nothing to say. It had lasted only a heartbeat before she started kicking and swearing.

“Watch your mouth.”

“Watch your hands,” she countered. When her foot nearly connected with my still aching dick, I hauled her luscious body over my shoulder, and because I couldn’t resist, I slapped her ass once, twice, three times.

I shouldn’t have enjoyed the sound of pain she made, but for some strange reason, it made my dick harder than ever before.

By the time I made it to my bedroom, I was ready to fuck. I threw her on my king size bed and watched her scramble. As soon as she was on her knees, I was on her, forcing open her knees and settling between her thighs.

It felt like home.

I didn’t bother to conceal the sound of pleasure that tunneled it’s way from my chest and up through my throat.

“Dasher, stop.” She should have sounded stern, but her protest was little more than a moan.

“Why? It’s been a long time. Too. Fucking. Long.”

She pushed herself up on her elbows bringing her lips just a breath away from my own, and because the temptation was too great, I seized her lips with mine. When her lips were nice and red and pouty, I pulled back. I needed more. “Open your mouth.”

“No.”

My fingers dug into the outer skin of her thigh, and I slammed her against my growing erection. “Open.” I followed the order with a bite of her lip.

“Dasher, please.” Her eyelids lowered with lust, and I could practically feel the heat emanating from her skin.

“I love when you say my name.”

“Don’t get used—” I cut off her statement when I began sucking on her tongue for the split second it took to seize her wrists in my grip and completely take over her lips. Her protests died into whimpers, but then quickly increased to throaty moans. She was delirious by the time I let her up to breathe. Her eyes were shut tight, and I could hear my heart pounding. I listened to her struggle to catch her breath and fight back tears.

“You’re going to make this up to me.” The words and the force of them were unexpected. It didn’t matter. I meant every word.

“What am I supposed to make up?”

I made sure I had her undivided attention, wanting her to hear the promise in the threat.

“Everything.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

WILLOW

I didn’t see or hear from Dash again the rest of the night. He left me alone in his bedroom after violating me with his lips. When I awoke the next morning, I was still reeling from the force of his kiss as if he were still there covering me with his hard body and kissing me brainless. I groaned when my mind decided to replay just how much of a fool I briefly became for him all over again.

It always starts with a kiss. So innocent and simple without promises or commitment.

I shook off the bitter reminder of what almost had been and managed to catch the sound of his brusque voice delivering orders to no doubt one of his lackeys.

I was not to leave.

He shouted the order making it clear it was meant for me to hear. I wondered how he could know I was awake. I quickly sat up and looked around for my purse but didn’t see it in sight. I needed a phone, and I needed money because, despite his orders, I was leaving.

I left the comfort of his large bed and raced to the front room where he stood alone. It gave me pause as I wondered whom he had been speaking to, after all. When he turned to face me, I found a new reason to lose my thoughts. He looked completely devilish in a dark gray, two-piece suit complete with a crisp white shirt and blood red tie.

“What is it, Willow?” He shot me an impatient look and glanced at the large watch on his wrist that I was sure cost more than my mother’s house.