Fool for Love (Believe #2) (17 page)

I grit my teeth as I try to ignore his finger on my lips. “What makes you think I can’t handle that?”

He chuckles darkly. “Trust me, babe. You’re too sweet for the likes of me.”

I raise my chin at him. “Try me; I might surprise you.”

“Not gonna happen,” he backtracks and starts to lean away from me, but I grab onto his wrist to stop him, digging my nails into his skin.

“Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep,” I snap. His eyes widen slightly in surprise. “I’m not a fragile little thing from a book or a movie. I make my own decisions. If or when I decide I want you, I’ll make sure you know it. But today –” I pause and move closer to his face. “Today is not that day.”

With that, I release the hold I have on his arm and stand up to leave him.

Feeling the burn of his gaze on my back as I walk away from him, I pray that he can’t see my body shaking like a leaf.

I shut the door to the bathroom as quietly as possible and lock it behind me before turning to the mirror above the sink, taking in my flushed cheeks. It’s not until this very moment that I realise that I have been holding my breath since walking away from him, and I rest my hands on the sink as I let it out on a loud whoosh.

Gulping in air, I acknowledge the shakes grabbing hold on my body. I pray to all the powers that be that Garrett will be gone when I leave the safety of the room.

I was wrong if I thought I could handle a man like him.

Dead wrong.

I vow to keep my distance from Garrett as much as possible from now on.

Seething, I ball my hands into fists and I breathe deeply several times as I try to talk myself out of walking after Suzy.

Counting to ten doesn’t help.

Neither does repeating her age in my head over and over again.

Nothing helps.

The wolf has had enough of avoiding this waif-like creature who, unwittingly, has fallen into my life at a time when I
need
something more than the occasional fuck.

I crave something else – someone else.

Someone who will submit to me completely.

I don’t know if Suzy is that certain someone, but I’m tired of waiting for my conscience to win over my desires.

It never does.

Like a flash, I stand from the couch and stalk to the bathroom door. I hear the soft padding of Rufus’s paws behind me and slow down, only to turn and point at the couch.

“Stay,” I grumble. If I weren’t so worked up already, I’d chuckle at the crestfallen gaze he gives me before turning around to do as I say. He jumps up on my temporary bed and lies down on a heavy sigh.

“Good boy,” I mumble, and then walk away.

I stop in front of the door and grip the handle, pushing slightly.

Locked. Smart girl.

Shaking my head at my loss of control, I close my eyes and lower my head to rest it on the door in front of me. I can hear the shower running, and – is she singing? The sound is off-key like hell, but hearing Suzy like this, knowing that she is comfortable in her own skin as she belts out the lyrics of
“It’s Raining Men”
makes me feel less like the fool I’ve been the past week and more like a man.

A fool pines for his desires but hesitates to go after them.

A man doesn’t. He grasps onto them with both hands.

I’m no longer a fool.

I open my eyes and lift my head as I hear the shower go off. I knock lightly on the door, not backing down, and after having waited a few minutes, I clear my throat.

“Come out, waif. We need to talk.”

I grit my teeth as she makes me wait even longer.

Stubborn. How cute.

“If you don’t come out in the next ten seconds, I’ll break down the goddamn door,” I growl. “I mean it, Suzy.”

When I hear her turn the lock, I brace myself.

There is no turning back now.

She opens the door and my breath hitches when I find her in nothing but a towel. Her wet hair stands up in tufts, her shoulders are bathed in a soft, rosy glow, and the small drops of water clinging to her collarbone make my mouth water. I want a taste. Badly.

“We don’t have anything to talk about, Garrett,” she hisses at me. My eyes meet hers. They’re spitting mad, but the fire in them only spurs me on.

“Oh, but we do,” I whisper. I take a step closer towards her, and I smirk when her eyes widen in surprise. “You see, I’m tired of staying away from you. Fucking exhausted of keeping my hands off you. This past week…”

She lifts a hand at me. “Stop right there. I’m not going to listen to this. I’ll be late for work.”

The tremble in her voice doesn’t go unnoticed, and I hesitate as I try to gauge her mood.

“You’re not afraid of me, are you?” I ask. For the first time in a long while, I wonder if my judgment is wrong.

She blinks, and her eyes soften a bit, replacing the anger for a moment.

“No, of course not. I know you’ll never hurt me.”

I nod once. “Good. Now, as I was saying –”

“I told you, we have nothing to talk about.”

“My dick says otherwise,” I grumble, taking one more step closer.

“Well, your
dick
can go to hell!” she sputters and retreats from me. My eyes zero in on the way she clutches the towel covering her up, and my dick throbs painfully in response.

Smiling slowly, I move closer. Now that my mind is made up, I’m not going to let her get away from me.

“Been to hell already, waif, and it’s not a nice place to be. But for a taste of you, I’d gladly remain there forever.”

She huffs and jumps when her back touches the cool tiles behind her. She frowns slightly, but I can hear her rapid breathing, and the way her eyes peruse my body lets me know that she isn’t unaffected by my advances.

“Garrett…You’re so confusing. I don’t know you, and I don’t want to get tangled up in anything with you while I’m here.” Her voice drips with regret, hitting me in my gut. For the millionth time since I met her, I contemplate if I should relent.

But I can’t.

I brace an arm above her head and bend down to breathe her in. The curve of her neck is fascinating to me. So feminine. So tantalising. So mouth-watering. I need a taste.

“Waif, remember what I said back there on the couch? You won’t get more than physical pleasure from me. I don’t work any other way. But…” I hesitate and finally give in to my desire to taste her, my mouth descending on her skin. She gives a soft moan, and I press my hips into her stomach, letting her feel the evidence of my arousal.

“But,” I murmur, as I trail open-mouthed kisses up and down her neck, “why don’t you let yourself live a little, Suzy? Why not use me the remainder of your stay? Why not give in to what I know your body is telling me right now?”

I lift my head and stand tall again, towering over her. If she says
‘no’
one more time, I’ll let her be. I’m not that cruel.

She licks her lips, and I can’t suppress the groan rumbling up from my chest.

“I…I’m not sure I can do that,” she whispers. Her arms fall to my hips, and the towel covering her breasts slips down slightly, causing my breath to hitch.

“Why not?” I ask her, purposely trying to soften the harshness in my voice that’s always present.

“Because…because deep down, I want the fairy-tale instead of a random hook-up. I want to be loved,” she whispers, knocking me off-kilter.

I frown and breathe deeply. If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is to respect a woman’s wishes – even if they cause me pain like Suzy’s words just did. It doesn’t matter what I think her eyes are telling me. No still means no.

With regret, I step away from her, and she lets me go.

“Then I’m sorry, Suzy. Really. I’m unable to love,” I say. The sadness in her eyes comes close to unmanning me completely.

“I won’t bring up the subject again,” I vow. I know she can hear the finality of my promise when she nods at me.

Taking one last long look at her, I smile gently.

“You deserve love, Suzy-Q. I’m sorry I can’t give that to you,” I whisper. Without giving her the chance to say more words that will no doubt cause me further pain, I turn away and shut the door quietly behind me.

I need to get away before I break my recent promise.

Before the tight leash on my control snaps for good.