CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Jacob fought the urgeto kiss Leilani. Which was insane, given he'd fucked every orifice in her body and licked every surface.

As had Carter.

But kissing her as they stood in front of the Isaiah Zagar mural felt...

Like a date.

Shit.

He hadn't meant for it to be like this at all. Yet her beautiful, vulnerable face peered up at him as he ran his thumb over her sexy as fuck lips and the same desire and need to be with her enveloped him once more.

"I could fuck you right here," Jacob growled.

"What? No, you couldn't." She gasped, and he grinned at the challenge.

"Princess, don't underestimate me. The only thing stopping me is knowing someone would sell the security camera footage to the media."

"Good. That's...no. I wouldn't let you," Leilani said firmly.

"You sure about that?" He slipped a hand down the back of her sweatpants and cupped her ass. Then leaned into her hair. "One finger inside your wet pussy and you'd be begging me."

He heard her small groan as he straightened.

"Is everything about sex to you?" She tried to push him away, but the effort was pathetic, and he easily withstood it.

"No. Yes. When I'm near you." He shrugged.

"And at your sex club."

"You weren't complaining on Friday." Jacob took her chin. Dilated eyes finally found his. "Tell me why you are upset."

Instead of replying, Leilani held his gaze for a long moment, then said, "No."

Jacob tilted his head, the movement itself a question.

"Tell me why you're upset," she added.

Well, played princess, well played.

Jacob smirked, released her, then took her hand. "Come on, let's go see the rest. I paid eight hundred dollars for this."

Which he couldn't care less about. He had wanted to be inside this insanely busy space so his brain would stop working.

To silence the noise.

They walked around the exhibits, which had changed since he was last there many years ago. They took photos and selfies, and as the sun went down, even played an adult version of hide and seek.

Jacob snuck up behind Leilani, drawing a whole-body giggle from her.

She made him feel more alive than he ever had. He hadn't been joking when he'd said he had grown up with privilege. All the Dufort's had. Now the older he got, the more he was coming to realize how selfish it had made him.

Self-focused.

That on its own wasn't a terrible thing. One should be self-aware.

But it felt selfish.

He had more money than one human would ever need. Most of the people in his life were also wealthy for one reason or the other. Even those at the club were uberwealthy. They lived to play and push boundaries, looking for a way to stimulate their lives.

Then his had come crashing down a few weeks ago when he learned about his birth father. For some reason it had shaken his foundation and was now making him question things.

Leilani was supposed to be a distraction.

Yet as he twirled her in his arms, while she giggled away, and slid down his chest with those big glassy eyes of hers, Jacob realized he wanted more of her.

And that was fucking new.

"Jacob." She slapped his chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Her laughter began to stutter as she noticed his serious eyes. She cleared her throat, and her smile faded from her lips.

Fuck, he needed to kiss her.

"Tell me why you were sad," he demanded.

"No."

"I need to kiss you. I mean, really kiss you, but I don't want to."

"This conversation isn't making sense." She frowned.

"I don't want to kiss you. Not the way I want." Jacob grit his teeth.

"Then don't," Leilani replied, but he could see his words had hurt her.

That wasn't what he wanted. Not at all.

"Tell me not to kiss you, damn it." He cupped the back of her neck.

"Don't kiss me," Leilani whispered.

Damn her.

Jacob's mouth slammed down on hers as her arms wrapped around his neck. He pulled her hard against him as their passion exploded. Her sweetness filled his senses, and he hungrily took from her with every sweep of his tongue.

Jacob had never kissed a woman like this.

Yes, it was full of lust and need, but also a different type of need. One laced with emotion and vulnerability. One very similar to the last kiss he'd had with Jenny Winthrop...

Jacob ripped away.

Fuck, what was he doing?

Leilani drew in a breath, panting. Her eyes were wide with question.

"You should have run," Jacob said, palming the side of her face.

"I know," she replied, glancing away.

Her reaction and those two little words stabbed him in the chest. Leilani had no romantic notions about the two of them being together. She knew who he was and what he could offer.

Dark wild sex with multiple lovers.

That was all.

"Why did you come with me tonight?" he asked, sliding his hands down her body to hold her hips.

She shrugged. "I don't know. We were both unhappy, and I guess I wanted to see you again after Friday night."

"Do you regret it?" Jacob asked.

"No."

"Would you do it again?" he asked, knowing the answer but needing to hear it.

"No. But not for the reasons you think," she said.

God, what was it about this woman?

He hated that she saw him as this bad, wild man. A character of himself he'd created to protect himself from rejection.

He wanted to kiss her again.

Wanted to show her who he really was.

That he could love, that he could be nice, and maybe, just maybe, someone like her could love him for that.

You should have run.

I know.

She had already decided about him. He was exciting and forbidden. Someone she would tell her husband about one day and they'd laugh.

Unless he bared his soul and asked the one question on the tip of his lips. A question that would change both their lives, because if she said yes, he wasn't sure he would ever let her go.

Come home with me.

He ground his teeth, forcing the words back.

"Time's up folks," the man from the front desk called out.

Saved by the bell.