Dad didn’t care whether I wanted to be used like that or not. The only aspect of me he cared about was the debt I owed him for being the cause of Mum’s death.
A debt I had no choice but to try and repay, even though it wasn’t my fault.
But I had a choice now.
I could try and escape, or I could choose to be ruined by Ajax King, Dad’s most hated enemy.
Dad would be so pissed.
It was perfect.
‘Okay,’ I said thickly. ‘Do you want me to do those things now? Or should I wait till we get to your place?’
He blinked. Rapidly. ‘You did hear what I said, didn’t you?’
‘Uh, yeah. A bit difficult not to hear, to be honest.’
‘And you understood what I wanted you to do?’
‘Of course. I’m not stupid.’ I swallowed, my throat dry. Oh, I wanted to touch him. Feel that hard chest I’d been held against, test all that delicious muscle with my hands.
I had a whole folder of hot guys on my computer at home, inspiration pics for when I got too lonely. But having the reality right in front me...
He was so intent, studying me as if he’d never seen anything like me in all his life. ‘This doesn’t frighten you at all, does it?’
‘No,’ I said honestly. ‘I’m sorry, but it doesn’t.’
His straight black brows drew down. ‘Why not? It should.’
‘Well, it might if I didn’t want to do it. But...’ I stopped, belatedly self-conscious about what I was admitting to. I was attracted to him, but he might not feel the same way about me. After all, he didn’t know me from a bar of soap. ‘It’s okay, you know,’ I went on in a rush. ‘You don’t have to ruin me if you don’t want to. I mean, you might not actually want me and I don’t have any experience and—’
‘Quiet,’ Ajax said for the second time that night, the note of authority in his voice making me fall silent. ‘You really have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about. If you think playing with a man like me is a good—’
‘Playing with you?’ I interrupted yet again, shocked. ‘I’m not playing with you. I just don’t know—’
Ajax took my chin in one hand, his thumb silencing me the way he had earlier. And, just like earlier, I swear I could feel every single whorl of his thumbprint on my lips. As if I were a lock and he the only key.
‘Listen,’ he said quietly. ‘First, you need to shut up and do as you’re told. Second, I’m not ruining anyone in the back of a bloody van. I’m not fifteen any more. And third, if you think I don’t want you then you’re very much mistaken.’
I ignored everything he said but the last part.
He did want me.
I shouldn’t have done it but, next thing I knew, my hands had let go of their death grip on my seat belt and were reaching out for him, my lips parting so I could taste his thumb pressed against them, the flavour of his skin salty and sharp on my tongue.
My fingertips made contact, pressing against his chest. So warm, so hard...
Ajax made a sound and I felt the vibration of it in my fingertips. And I looked and saw flames. Blue flames.
‘Little virgin.’ His voice was very soft. ‘What the fuck do you think you’re doing?’
Oh...
I looked at my hands on his chest, the heat of him burning through my fingertips. Perhaps touching him had been a mistake.
Damn. I’d been trying so hard to modify my behaviour and not simply do the first thing that came into my head. I was supposed to think things through, restrain myself, because I knew what happened when I didn’t. I’d seen the consequences. And they were terrible.
My cheeks were burning as I snatched my hands away, a combination of shame and embarrassment gripping me. ‘I’m sorry,’ I muttered against his thumb. ‘I didn’t mean to. I just...wanted to t-touch you.’
His grip on my chin tightened.
And, before I knew what was happening, his head bent, his mouth brushing lightly over mine.
I’d never been kissed on the lips before, and for a second my brain simply ceased to function. There was softness, a fleeting pressure and heat. Lots and lots of heat.
A current of electricity crackled over my skin, goosebumps following along in its wake, and my hands were lifting once again, reaching for him, but he was gone, my fingers closing on empty air.
Panting, I realised that the sudden darkness meant my eyes were closed, so I opened them to find his wintry blue gaze staring into mine.
‘You kissed me,’ I said stupidly. ‘Why?’
His beautiful mouth quirked. ‘How else was I going to shut you up?’
‘I wasn’t—’
‘And to get a taste of what we’re working with here.’
I couldn’t think. What was he talking about? ‘I don’t understand.’
‘Of course you don’t.’ That quirk became a smile, satisfied and somehow very male. ‘But you’ll find out.’
‘What do you mean?’
He didn’t answer. He merely straightened up and sat back in his seat, getting out his phone and looking down at the screen.
Dismissing me.
A million questions swarmed but, perhaps for the first time in my life, it was easy to stay quiet. Because I could still feel that kiss, the imprint of his lips on mine, tingling, burning...
I’d only known him half an hour. God.
Turning away, I stared sightlessly out the window of the van at the neon of the city outside, not even thinking about how cool it was that I was out without an entourage, on my own for the first time in my life.
Out from under my father’s thumb.
My own woman at last.
No, all I could think about was Ajax bloody King and that kiss.
And, for the second time that night, I wondered if maybe I was in way over my head.
Ajax
I SAT BACK in my chair on the big stone terrace that looked out over the sea, nursing an espresso. The sun was warm on my face, the ocean busy throwing itself against the rocks below the house I’d claimed after Dad had gone to jail.
Last night I’d shown Imogen to the bedroom I’d set aside for her and she’d gone quietly, without peppering me with any more questions.
Satisfied she was secure for the night, I’d then sent texts to my two brothers, telling them that I wouldn’t be around for a week or so and that they were to handle any emergencies that might crop up.
Luckily their personal lives had settled down recently with two lovely women keeping them on the straight and narrow. God knows it was about time someone other than me stayed on top of things, and I was appreciative.
It certainly helped me now when I had to concentrate all my attention on a lovely woman of my own.
A strangely fascinating young woman, who was not in any way what I’d anticipated.
The virgin part, yes. The questions and the excitement and the sheer vibrating energy of her, not so much.