I touch her wrist, stopping her. “We’re married.”
“It’s hardly worth the paper they printed the certificate on. We both know what this is.” She still won’t look at me. “It’ll last as long as we need it to, and then it’s over.”
No.
I have to concentrate to keep my body relaxed, my expression even. Bundling her up and telling her that I’ll never let her go is the surest way to get her to bolt. “What if it’s never over?”
Finally, finally, she turns back to me. She’s stopped shaking, but her eyes are still too wide. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Come now, you have to know. All I needed for this plan was you as my wife. The rest isn’t required.” I smile a little at the way her jaw drops.
“You mean the rest like me screaming your name while I come on your cock?” She arches her brows, though something vulnerable still lingers on her face. “Pretty sure you just told Peter that.”
I snort. “Beautiful girl, it’s only a bonus that it’s true. I’m not so pure that I am incapable of lying when it suits my purposes.” I can actually see her shutting down and rush on. “Not to you.”
“Please.” She yanks her wrist out from under my hand. “Don’t act like I’m someone special. I used to be his, and now I’m your willing pussy. That’s all.”
I sit up straight. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“Don’t I dare what?” She shoves off the edge of the bed and spins to face me. “Don’t speak the truth? You just got done telling me how you lie to suit your purposes. But apparently not with me?” She laughs bitterly. “You already fucked me, Hook. You don’t have to play the sweet card now.”
I drag my hands through my hair and strive for calm. It’s a lost cause. It’s always a lost cause where this woman is concerned. “How about this for some truth? I love you, you infuriating, amazing woman.”
She freezes. “That’s not funny.”
“Who’s laughing?”
“You can’t just …” She’s blinking too rapidly. “You just said… What the fuck, Jameson?”
It hasn’t slipped my notice that she only uses my first name when she’s completely undone. I’m not sure that it’s a good sign she’s using it now, but at least she’s listening. I move to the edge of the bed but don’t try to touch her. “I love you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Tink.” I wait for her to meet my gaze. “You are mighty and fierce enough to get your way at anything you set your mind to, but even you can’t change the way I feel just by telling me not to feel that way.”
She points a shaking finger at me. “I don’t know what game you’re playing—”
“Yes, you do. You’ve known it from the start.” It takes effort to hold still, to maintain my position instead of launching to my feet and pacing like I want to. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you.”
She looks like she wants to strangle me. “You don’t even like me.”
“Wrong again.”
“What kind of sick fuck gets off on fighting all the damn time?”
I give her the look that statement deserves. “There are two of them in this room right now.”
She makes an angry teakettle noise. “I don’t love you.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t.”
“That’s fine.”
She practically vibrates with rage. “Stop being so calm.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, beautiful girl.” I’m provoking her, and I don’t care. She’s not thinking about Peter right now. She’s right here in this room with me. Nothing I’ve said is anything but the truth. I don’t particularly like this truth any more than she does, but I’m not one who will shy away from it. She’s mine. I love her. I don’t know what the future can even look like with the two of us, but we’ll figure it out. One way or another.
Tink takes a menacing step forward. “You … You …”
I smirk. “I’m right here. No reason to mince words. Tell me what you really think.” I love it when she’s like this. A warrior woman who will take down anyone in her path with a few choice words. I must have a bit of a masochistic streak when it comes to Tink, because the meaner she is, the more I love it. The more I love her.
I am so fucked.
She marches up to me and presses her hands against my bare chest. “I cannot believe your cock is hard right now. What the hell is wrong with you, Jameson?”
I cover her hands with my own, careful not to press down so she doesn’t feel like I’m trapping her. “You’re the only one who makes me like this.”
“Lies,” she hisses. Tink places one knee on the bed next to my hip. “You’ve been lying to me from the very beginning. You didn’t need to fuck me. You just needed to marry me.”