“Don’t do that. You know what I mean. The threat to Ashton.” But instead of keeping the distance I thought I wanted, it’s me marching those five steps to him and poking my finger into his bare chest before he can answer me. “Why am I off limits?” I question him, and I can feel the heavy breathing coming from him now that I’m that close to his face, and his chest is heaving up and down under my hand that is now pressed flat on his chest. “Tell me, Forrest, tell me… the real… fucking… reason.” Now I can feel my own heart hammering against my chest, and the heat from his body is running all over me too.

“You don’t want that answer,” he growls at me.

“Tell me!” I yell, and he cracks and can’t hold back any longer.

Grabbing me around the waist, he pushes me back against the wall, his body pressed against mine but not so hard it hurts. Enough pressure that he has my attention as he makes me understand where he stands.

“You are mine, and I protect what’s mine.” His voice is pure sex, and no matter what either of us think we want from each other, it doesn’t matter.

Because right now, in this moment… we both want this… need this.

Neither of us says a word, our actions are all the permission we need.

The moment our lips touch, I know I’m going to regret this, but that’ll be tomorrow’s problem.

Tonight is all about this fantasy.

Chapter Eight

FORREST

Every rule I gave myself, every barrier I tried to put up, is crumbling before me. All because of this feisty woman who just won’t back down.

If I thought seeing her last night, so vulnerable, was a struggle to walk away from, then looking at her right now full of fight, I know I’m not going anywhere.

This fire that is running through her veins is so damn sexy.

I want her to see what I see between us. We are something more than just a night of sex, but she’s not there yet, and nothing I say will make her see it. So, I’m going to give her this small win in her mind, in the push-and-shove battle we are having over the sexual tension in the room.

She may win the battle, but I will win the war.

Sometimes you need to give a little ground but then make the sideways move and come around at them again from a different direction.

Harper is going to be like that.

Tonight, she will be happy with a one-night stand as she sees it, but I can tell her right now, this may be the first time I fuck her, but it certainly won’t be the last.