dressed.”
“You don’t have a romantic bone in your body, do you?”
“Romance? Is that what you’re looking for?”
“Hell, no. Not from you.” She mentally kicked herself for bringing it up. “I don’t normally meet a man for sex. This place feels like a hotel, and…never mind.”
He stopped stroking himself and tossed the condom in the trash. She gasped when he started getting dressed, figuring he was mad. Well, she was just being honest. After rolling to the other side of the bed, she found the bathroom and cleaned up. When she came out, Duke held her pants and her panties. She slid into them quickly, but he left the bedroom the second he handed them over.
She found him in the living room leaning against a wall and drinking a beer. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” Her stomach sank in disappointment. After one round of great sex, he was ready for more. She had blown even that much pleasure by running her mouth, but she refused to apologize. On the other hand, Duke never said he cared about her, and she hadn’t made any stupid confessions either. That didn’t change the fact that her feelings were hurt.
At her house, she opened the car door to get out, but he stopped her. “I’ll get my own place by end of week. I can’t guarantee any more than a bed being inside it. Is that acceptable?”
She blinked. “What? You want to do it again?”
His strong fingers caressed her cheek. “I told you once has never been enough, and your body makes me want it a lot more.”
She swallowed and glanced down. The front of his pants was tented. He was still horny, but he denied himself for her. Duke wasn’t all bad, but that didn’t mean he was right either. She hesitated.
“I’m not sure if I should—I mean want —to see you again. I’m sorry I kind of threw a bucket of cold water over everything.”
He leaned over and nuzzled her lips then leaned back grinning. “You can make it up to me by being at my mercy for an entire night.”
“You’re impossible to deal with.”
“That’s a part of my charm.” He reached past her to open the door. “Go in. It’s late. Next time, you’ll arrange to stay with me all night.”
She rolled her eyes at him and stepped out of the car. “Good night!”
Duke peeled off down the road. The man was so infuriating, self-centered, bossy, arrogant, a whole host of irritating qualities that she hated. None it changed the fact that the hurt feelings she’d felt thinking he had dismissed her had evaporated. Now she had the nerve to be hopeful and was anticipating when she could see him again.
“The idiot will be at Marquette’s tomorrow. That’s soon enough.” She walked up the steps to her tiny house and let herself inside. With Duke’s coarse personality, there was no reason to think she would ever fall for him, so maybe she could have sex with him one more time. She would play it by ear and see how things went.
Chapter Seven
D uke stepped through the doorway , which was more a wooden frame that shaped the space for a door. Debris was everywhere, and men hammered, sawed, and nailed all over the place. He scanned the interior of the room and spotted his cousin.
“Stefan,” Duke called.
Stefan looked around and flushed. Duke read the guilt all over his face. His cousin took his time standing and waited until Duke reached him before speaking. “How did you know about this place?”
Duke snorted. “Are you kidding? You haven’t been as secretive as you think.”
“Does Creed know?”
“Not yet.”
Stefan spread his hands. “Come on, Duke. You understand what I’m doing, right?”
“For your wife.”
“Not just for Talicia.” He sighed. “I love to perform. Marquette’s is fantastic, but the kind of music I performed at the club, that was my heart and soul. I want to start again with Talicia. Creed doesn’t get it.”
“I guess he doesn’t.” Duke ran a hand over the back of his head as he took in the surroundings again. “At least it’s not
“You don’t have a romantic bone in your body, do you?”
“Romance? Is that what you’re looking for?”
“Hell, no. Not from you.” She mentally kicked herself for bringing it up. “I don’t normally meet a man for sex. This place feels like a hotel, and…never mind.”
He stopped stroking himself and tossed the condom in the trash. She gasped when he started getting dressed, figuring he was mad. Well, she was just being honest. After rolling to the other side of the bed, she found the bathroom and cleaned up. When she came out, Duke held her pants and her panties. She slid into them quickly, but he left the bedroom the second he handed them over.
She found him in the living room leaning against a wall and drinking a beer. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” Her stomach sank in disappointment. After one round of great sex, he was ready for more. She had blown even that much pleasure by running her mouth, but she refused to apologize. On the other hand, Duke never said he cared about her, and she hadn’t made any stupid confessions either. That didn’t change the fact that her feelings were hurt.
At her house, she opened the car door to get out, but he stopped her. “I’ll get my own place by end of week. I can’t guarantee any more than a bed being inside it. Is that acceptable?”
She blinked. “What? You want to do it again?”
His strong fingers caressed her cheek. “I told you once has never been enough, and your body makes me want it a lot more.”
She swallowed and glanced down. The front of his pants was tented. He was still horny, but he denied himself for her. Duke wasn’t all bad, but that didn’t mean he was right either. She hesitated.
“I’m not sure if I should—I mean want —to see you again. I’m sorry I kind of threw a bucket of cold water over everything.”
He leaned over and nuzzled her lips then leaned back grinning. “You can make it up to me by being at my mercy for an entire night.”
“You’re impossible to deal with.”
“That’s a part of my charm.” He reached past her to open the door. “Go in. It’s late. Next time, you’ll arrange to stay with me all night.”
She rolled her eyes at him and stepped out of the car. “Good night!”
Duke peeled off down the road. The man was so infuriating, self-centered, bossy, arrogant, a whole host of irritating qualities that she hated. None it changed the fact that the hurt feelings she’d felt thinking he had dismissed her had evaporated. Now she had the nerve to be hopeful and was anticipating when she could see him again.
“The idiot will be at Marquette’s tomorrow. That’s soon enough.” She walked up the steps to her tiny house and let herself inside. With Duke’s coarse personality, there was no reason to think she would ever fall for him, so maybe she could have sex with him one more time. She would play it by ear and see how things went.
Chapter Seven
D uke stepped through the doorway , which was more a wooden frame that shaped the space for a door. Debris was everywhere, and men hammered, sawed, and nailed all over the place. He scanned the interior of the room and spotted his cousin.
“Stefan,” Duke called.
Stefan looked around and flushed. Duke read the guilt all over his face. His cousin took his time standing and waited until Duke reached him before speaking. “How did you know about this place?”
Duke snorted. “Are you kidding? You haven’t been as secretive as you think.”
“Does Creed know?”
“Not yet.”
Stefan spread his hands. “Come on, Duke. You understand what I’m doing, right?”
“For your wife.”
“Not just for Talicia.” He sighed. “I love to perform. Marquette’s is fantastic, but the kind of music I performed at the club, that was my heart and soul. I want to start again with Talicia. Creed doesn’t get it.”
“I guess he doesn’t.” Duke ran a hand over the back of his head as he took in the surroundings again. “At least it’s not
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