His to Take (Wicked Lovers #9)(35)
Author: Shayla Black

His free hand snaked under her shirt and found her braless. He enveloped the sweet mound of her breast with its impossibly hard nipple. Her moan for more half demanded and half pleaded, sending his desire soaring even higher. He couldn’t remember wanting any woman even half this much. Holy hell, she was going to be one incredible pleasure to fuck.

But if he followed through with all the sizzle and passion searing between them, would she feel as if he’d taken advantage of her emotional state? Would she hate him tomorrow?

Joaquin forced himself to tear away from Bailey’s mouth. Struggling for every panting breath, he stared down at her dilated eyes and swollen lips, seeking the answer. He almost couldn’t stop himself from kissing her again, taking her under him, and—

A phone he’d tucked away in his back pocket rang. The chime was unfamiliar, a bit like classical music, only less lilting and more provocative.

“What the hell?” he cursed and reached for the device, ready to throw it across the room for breaking the breathless mood between them.

Bailey’s blue eyes widened with distress. He’d been kissing her just moments ago, and she’d been like the headiest siren seducing him to a burning hell he would have been all too happy to endure. So how was it possible that seconds later her face could turn so wrenchingly innocent?

“Blane,” she gasped, then reached for her phone.

The sound of the other man’s name on her lips pissed him off way more than it should. “How do you know that’s him?”

The chime sounded again, and she grew more urgent to have the phone, stretching even harder toward his pocket. Joaquin kept the mobile out of her reach.

“That’s his ringtone,” she insisted. “He’s looking for me.”

“He’s going to keep looking. If necessary, Axel will throw him off your track. You can’t talk to anyone from your old life now, not until I figure out how to make you safe.”

Okay, so that wasn’t precisely true. Mostly, but . . . Bailey talking about her boyfriend while he still lay on top of her stuck in Joaquin’s craw. Not that he was jealous. Well, maybe he was. But he really didn’t need some Lothario punk messing up his investigation. And all right, he couldn’t stand the thought of this bastard near Bailey. Joaquin couldn’t imagine any way she would have kissed him with that much need if Blane had been giving it to her good and wringing the multiple orgasms from her that she deserved.

“Give me my phone!” She struggled to push him off and get the device.

That wasn’t acceptable. He pinned her to the mattress. “No. I already told you that.”

“I want my phone. Blane will just worry and—”

“Do you find the ‘N’ or the ‘O’ confusing, Bailey? Or is it the two letters together that baffles you?”

“It’s my phone. You have no authority over me.”

Her assertion made something inside him stop dead cold. “You want to test me on that?”

The chiming of the mobile stopped.

“Argh!” she grunted, pushing at his shoulders. “You big thug, get the hell off me. I can’t breathe.”

If she was screaming at him, she was breathing just fine. But her rejection stung.

With a curse, he zipped to his feet and held out his hand to assist her off the bed.

Bailey stared like she didn’t quite trust his gesture and made her own way upright. That chafed him raw, too. He really wanted to paddle her ass red until . . . what? She stopped defying him. Yeah, that would be a nice start. Until she lost the attitude? That would suit him, too. Most of all, he wanted to do it until he felt her melt against him again.

Damn it, he had to get his brain out of his dick and focus.

He pulled the phone from his back pocket and stared at the screen. Blane had left a voicemail. How thoughtful.

Joaquin ground his teeth together. Why was he letting a twerp he’d never met bug him? Oh, because the other guy had once had the pleasure of spending time in Bailey’s pussy.

Not anymore.

Yeah, being with Bailey would be dangerous for Blane and all that bullshit. But Joaquin wasn’t forfeiting his chance to experience the pretty little ballerina in his bed just because some other guy had been there first.

“I’ll be back.” He turned and stomped toward the door.

“Don’t you leave and take my phone.”

Joaquin ignored her and kept walking.

“You’re going to listen to my voicemail, aren’t you?”

He gave her credit for being smart. “Yep.”

Not only did he need to know if this guy was going to be a problem to work around, it was time to find out just how deep her relationship with this prick went.