ARSE!

The door opens wide, the light from the open landing gushing in. I watch his silhouette grow larger as he closes in on me. What’s he going to do now? Pump my stomach?

He bends down and scoops me into his arms without a word. If I thought it would get me anywhere, I would fight him off. But I don’t. I let him carry me into his bedroom and place me in his bed.

I roll over onto my front, burying my face into a pillow, closing my eyes and pretending not to relish in the comfort of his scent all over the sheets. I’m mentally exhausted and grateful it’s the weekend. I might sleep for the whole of it. I hear the shuffles and movements of Jesse getting undressed. He better stay on his own side!

The bed dips, I’m grasped around my waist and pulled, with minimum effort, into the hardness of his chest. I try to bat him away, ignoring the warning growl emanating from him.

‘Get off!’ I snap, peeling his fingers away from me.

‘Ava,’ His tone is seriously lacking patience. It just incenses me further.

‘Tomorrow…I’m out of here.’ I spit, heaving myself away from him.

‘We’ll see.’ He almost laughs as he yanks me back into him, squeezing me to his body.

I stop fighting, it’s a fruitless endeavor. Besides, I can’t help the immense contentment I feel with his arms wrapped tightly around me, his hot breath in my hair.

I’m still boiling mad, though.

Chapter 33

‘Rise and shine, lady.’ His nose is touching mine as I open my eyes.

I give my brain a few moments to kick into gear and my eyes time to adjust to the light. When my focus eventually clears, I find he’s looking down at me with bright green, twinkling eyes. I, on the other hand, want to sleep some more. It’s Saturday, and not even my need to rip a strip off of him will get me out of this bed any time soon.

I push him away, rolling over. ‘I’m not talking to you.’ I grumble, snuggling back down into my pillow. He gives my backside a swift slap before flipping me back over and pinning my arms down. ‘That hurt!’ I scowl at him. The corners of his lush lips are twitching, but I’m in no mood for roguish Jesse this morning. Why is he so happy? Oh, yes. I know damn well why. He’s shredded the taboo dress and he’s got me before eight o’clock.

I’m swathed from head to toe in him as he gazes down at me, running his eyes all over my face. I should bring my knee up and catch him where it counts!

‘Now, today can go one of two ways,’ he informs me. ‘You can stop being unreasonable and we’ll have a lovely day together. Or, you can continue being a defiant little temptress, and I’ll be forced to handcuff you to the bed and dig you in the tickle spot until you lose consciousness. What’s it to be, baby?’

Me? Unreasonable? My jaw falls open as he watches me with interest. Does he seriously think I won’t challenge him on that little proposal?

I lift my head so I’m right up close to his stubbled, irritatingly stunning face. ‘Fuck…off.’ I say, slowly and clearly. He recoils, his eyes widening at my brashness. I’m pretty ashamed of myself too. But he brings out the worst in me with his unreasonable ways.

‘Watch your fucking mouth!’

‘No! What the hell are you doing having doormen advise you of my movements?’ That little memory has just landed in my waking brain. But if I’m right, and he’s arranged for bouncers to monitor me, then I’ll boil over.

‘Ava, all I want to do is make sure you’re safe.’ He drops his head down, starting to chew his lip. ‘I worry, that’s all.’

He worries? He’s known me for less than a month, and he’s getting all protective and possessive? He tramples everywhere, derails me, cuts up my dresses and prohibits me from drinking.

UNREASONABLE! ‘I’m twenty six years old, Jesse.’

He returns his eyes to mine. They’re dark again. ‘Why did you wear that dress?’

‘To piss you off,’ I answer honestly, wriggling a little in complete vain. I’m not going anywhere.

‘But you thought you weren’t going to see me.’ His brow furrows. Does he think I was wearing it for someone else?

‘It’s principle,’ I mutter. I wanted the upper hand, even if he didn’t know it. ‘You owe me a dress.’

He smiles, nearly blinding me. ‘We’ll put it on our list of things to do today.’

What list would that be? Right now, I want to go back to sleep. Or, he could wake me up another way. I squirm underneath him, his eyebrows jumping up in surprise.

‘What’s all that about?’ he asks, blatantly trying to hide a grin.

Okay, now I know exactly what his game is. He’s going to deny me, just like he did last night and just like he did before I went out. That’s going to be his punishment for me defying him. He’s cute. It’s the worst thing he could do.

‘You don’t need to keep me safe.’ I gripe, worming my way free from under him. He can set the gauntlet all he likes.

‘That’s how much I care about you.’ he calls to my back, as I leave him lying on the bed.

Care? I want him to love me, not care. I walk across the bedroom to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. He cares about me, like a brother or something? I feel my heart slowly cracking.

I go to the toilet and wash my hands before placing myself in front of the huge mirror that spans the back of the vanity unit. I sigh wearily. What am I going to do? He cares. If caring means poking up with this, then he can devote his care elsewhere.

I wash my face and make a grab for Jesse’s toothbrush, only to find my own in the holder with it. Huh? I cake it in paste on a frown and set about brushing my teeth, glancing in the mirror to the shower and spotting my shampoo and conditioner on the shelf, along with my razor and body wash. Has he moved me in? I carry on brushing my teeth, opening the door back into the bedroom, finding Jesse sprawled on his front with his face buried in the pillow. I walk past him into the walk-in-wardrobe, nearly choking on my toothpaste when I see a selection of my clothes hanging there.

He has moved me in! That’s a bit presumptuous, isn’t it? Did I not get a say? I might very well love him, but I’ve known him for a few weeks. Moving in? What does this mean? Does he want me here to take care of me? Well, if so, he can sod right off. Control me, more like.

‘Problem?’

I swing around, my toothbrush hanging from my mouth, to find Jesse filling the doorway of the wardrobe, looking slightly apprehensive. It’s a look that I’ve not seen on him before. My eyes drift down his torso, delighting in the flex of his muscles as he braces himself on the door frame with both hands. But I quickly re-focus my attention away from his distracting chest, suddenly remembering why I’m in the wardrobe. I garble a load of inaudible words around my toothpaste and brush.

‘I’m sorry, run that by me again.’ His lips twitch at the corners as I yank my brush from my mouth.

He bloody well knows what’s wrong with me. I garble again, my words a little more comprehensible with the absence of my brush, but the paste is still hindering proper speech.

He rolls his eyes and picks me up, taking me to the bathroom. ‘Spit.’ he commands as he places me on my feet.