role as Dom.
The women who had really turned him on, the ones he had to try harder not to have feelings for, were similar. His thoughts traveled to Julia. Julia and Grace looked very different, but they were cut from the same cloth. They were both fuck-you-up-and-take-names-later females, hardened and powerful. They were an irresistible pursuit, and he made it a personal challenge to tame women like them. Discipline them. Take them and make them want to submit. Oh, fuck yes. He wanted Grace to submit to every fucking whim he had.
He was going to get what he wanted.
Chapter 4
Her heart hammered as she paced back and forth in the cool dimness of the shelter. What the fuck? That grab had come out of nowhere. He had startled her, and she didn’t like to be caught off guard. It diminished her control, took the firm grasp she always had on her environment away from her.
Inhaling deeply through her nose and releasing the breath slowly out of her mouth, she calmed herself, and took inventory of her emotions. Her murderous reaction was just that, a reaction. No thought process. Just the basic get-your-cock-off-of-me reflex.
Grace’s stomach fluttered. His cock had been hard.
Oh, no. The flutter thing needed to go away.
Grace lowered herself into one of the chairs at the dinette close to the bed.
This was all too much to process. She wrestled with the events of the past twenty-four hours, trying to categorize and compartmentalize the life-changing circumstances and associated feelings. She was so not good at this. Her dad had equipped her well with so many skills, but processing emotions was not one of them. Being emotional, especially when it came to men, was completely contrary to her stability.
She had to cool it. Just had to adjust, find her bearings. Grace took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, collecting herself. After a few minutes, she stopped her random pacing with the realization that she didn’t need his help. She didn’t need anybody. It was time to pull a Dorothy, click her heels together and go home. Her dad had raised her to be self-sufficient and independent, not a clinger. Not a pathetic woman who needed a man to “save” her. She would not only survive on her own, she would thrive. Without a doubt, she knew she could do it. She would make her dad proud.
When she heard Sarge opening the secret cubby door and coming down the stairs, Grace stood. “I’m leaving,” she said determinedly. Her hard stare dared him to argue with her decision.
“Why?”
She raised her eyebrows in disbelief, but stayed calm. “Really? You’re going to play it that way?” She paused, giving him a chance to answer, but he didn’t. “I’ve known you less than a day, and you’re already grabbing me and rubbing your dick against me.”
“And If I promise not to rub my dick against you, you’ll stay?” he asked with a low, throaty voice.
She ground her teeth together in an effort to keep her exasperation in check. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t need to be here.” She faced him, confident in herself.
“No, I agree, you don’t.” He stepped closer to her. “But passing the time could be much more…fulfilling here with me.” The low rumble of his words sent a waft of alcohol-scented air in her direction.
“You’re drunk.”
“No, not yet. Would you like to join me?” He held his bottle of tequila in her direction. His coal-black eyes danced in anticipation of her response.
Damn, he was a dangerous threat to her resolve. The devilish glitter in his eyes when he raked them up and down her body started a cascade of physical reactions that washed over her. An awakening of her desire moved through her, warm and intimate. Her mouth watered even as she tried to moisten her suddenly dry lips. Her heart raced. Her nipples hardened, and she could see the slight movement of her tank top from the pounding beat of her heart. Nervous butterflies flitted around inside her torso. This man