“No can do, princess.”
Her palm pushed against my chest, as if that would help her. The feel of her small hand made my dick hard, but I willed it down. Now wasn’t the time to play.
“Stop calling me that.”
I flicked my gaze to meet hers. “Compared to me, you’re a princess.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m just going to go to my apartment.”
With one hand on her thigh, I kept her in place. “If you don’t give a shit about Larry, why were you going to let him fuck you?”
“Do you give a shit about every woman you’re with?” she countered, the words fired like bullets. I wasn’t going to answer that. It was a double standard with what men got away with, but this wasn’t about her sex life. It was about her safety. I had size and weight on my side, plus my ability to fight. I could protect myself. Harper was easy prey for an asshole who wanted more than she was willing to give, especially if she were the one doing the offering.
“I saw the way the girl at the pizza place was with you,” she continued. “Don’t tell me you didn’t fuck a groupie after some match and never see her again.”
“I won’t.” I wouldn’t lie to her. I’d fucked women and forgotten their names directly after. A few I hadn’t even known their names. “But you’re not me. A quickie isn’t your style.”
“Are you sure? You don’t even know me.”
“I know enough. You wouldn’t do this unless—”
I stopped the rest of the sentence because it all made sense. All at once, I knew, and I saw her in a completely different way. It wasn’t about the sex.
“It’s about the release,” I said, my voice calm. Quiet. “You want to come, to feel good, even just for a moment. To forget, don’t you?”
She looked over my shoulder, color brightening her cheeks. Her shoulders went up. Yeah, I’d hit a nerve, and that meant I was getting close to the truth.
“Had a rough day? Tell me about it.” I gave her thighs a little squeeze, ignored how soft her skin felt. How supple the toned flesh was.
“Why?”
I cocked my head, studied her. “Because I like you, and I want to know.”
“No.” I felt her body stiffen, watched as her shoulders went back. She shook her head, her hair falling in front of her face again. She ruthlessly tucked it behind her ears. “I don’t want to talk. I want to fuck, but I don’t do relationships.”
“So, Larry then. As for relationships? Good. Neither do I.”
I wanted to be honest with her. I’d kill for a relationship with someone like her, but no. I wasn’t that much of an asshole. I wasn’t going to bring her down into my world. She deserved so much more. She already was so much more.
When she wiggled her hips, I let go of my hold. She slithered back and lowered to her knees, looked up at me through her lashes. Shit. Harper on the floor between my legs was fucking hot, and my dick throbbed. The idea of those pouty lips stretched wide around it had me stifling a groan. When her hands slid up my thighs, I knew once she succeeded in her task of getting my dick out, I wouldn’t have any more control.
“No.” The word came out sharper than I wanted, but hell, she was about to touch my dick. “You won’t use a BJ to keep from talking.”
Using my fighter strength, I tugged her back up onto my lap, her skirt riding up to her hips. My hands went back to her thighs.
“No?” she asked, her brow crinkled in a frown. “You don’t want my mouth?”
“If I wanted to be serviced, I’d go to a whore. That’s not you, Harper.”
Angry fire filled her eyes, her cheeks flushing. “How dare—”
“No,” I said again. “You want my attention? You crave being with someone? That’s fine. I’ll even get you off. But not like this.”
“Fine, we’ll fuck,” she snapped.
My thumbs slid back and forth over her inner thighs. Slowly, I moved them closer and closer to her pussy which was covered in a thin scrap of pale pink silk and lace. Good thing my dick was still in my pants. It was the only way to keep from busting a nut. The fabric clung to her folds, which were clearly outlined by the damp silk. I wanted to touch what was beneath, to feel her heat, her wetness, learn how soft she’d be. But not today.
“No fucking,” I countered.