“Because I’ve been watchin’ you for the last two hours.”
Silence.
“Uh. Georgia, we had a great time tonight, but we’ll see you later.” Leah made the universal hand signal for call me and their boots were smoking, they took off so fast.
Traitors. Leaving her with a pissed-off Tell.
“Put me down.”
“If I put you down, I’m putting you over my knee.”
“Try it and I’ll rack you,” she snarled.
“Tough girl, are you now?”
“Caveman, are you now?” she mimicked.
His response was a low-pitched warning growl.
She thrashed, smacking her hands into his butt as he carried her to God knew where.
“That’s it!” Tell flipped her around and set her on her feet. Then he pulled her blouse over her head and down to her wrists, tying some cowboy knot that immobilized her arms from hands to elbows.
“Are you f**king serious? You tied me up with my own goddamn shirt?”
“Yep. And if you keep bitching at me, I’m gonna gag you with your bra too.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Tell was right in her face. “Try me.”
Shit. His don’t f**k with me male thing was a total panty-dampening turn-on.
What the hell is wrong with you?
That made her rally. “If you think for a second I’ll let you—”
“Hush.” He rested his hands on her shoulders and placed his thumbs over the pulse points in her neck. “Two things. First: do you really think I’d hurt you, Georgia? Out of anger? Because if your answer is yes, well, then the second thing don’t matter.”
Her eyes searched his. Tell might push her boundaries, but he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want him to. “No, I don’t think you’ll hurt me.”
“Good. Second thing: we’re gonna air out our differences.”
“Will I be tied up during this discussion?”
“Do you wanna be?”
She opened her mouth to deny it, only to have Tell’s mouth on hers. Kissing her with such potency she felt her resistance melting into a warm puddle alongside her sanity.
The longer he kissed her, the more she understood the different ways he could communicate everything about the way he felt, just with his wicked mouth.
He released her mouth in tiny increments, smooching, nibbling, nuzzling, leaving tiny love bites until they were both breathing normally again. “Now, see? Ain’t it better that I didn’t gag you?”
She sighed.
“But I am gonna keep you trussed up for a little while yet. Gives me all sorts of interesting ideas. Hang on.” He swept her into his arms, carrying her to the passenger side of his truck. “And you might as well relax, ’cause it’s gonna be a long night.”
Chapter Twenty
Once they were in Georgia’s house, Tell made his move. Before she turned the lights on.
Not that she could with her hands tied.
Good thing she couldn’t see his smug smile about that fact.
They probably oughta talk, because unresolved issues hung between them, but talking wasn’t his strong suit. He always said the wrong thing, which made the situation worse. Or he cracked the wrong joke at the wrong time. When he tried to be serious, no one took him seriously—another drawback from being known as the fun-lovin’ jokester. Everyone expected him to be that way all the time.
He crowded her against the wall, bracing his hands by her head. Then he began the seduction, whispering, “Close your eyes,” into her ear.
“Umm. What happened to us talking?”
“I said we were gonna air out our grievances.” He nibbled on her lobe.
“Without words?”
Tell pressed an openmouthed kiss behind her ear. “Actions speak louder than words, don’t they?”
She shivered.
“The words will come after.”
“After what?”
“After I touch you.” He rubbed his mouth over her skin. “After I taste you. I’m dyin’ for you, Georgia.”
Another shiver, followed by a moan.
“Arch your neck.” He trailed sucking kisses down the cord straining in her neck. Stopping to sweep his lips across her collarbone. “Be honest. Me goin’ caveman on you turns you on.”
No response.
He bit down on the skin between her neck and shoulder.
Georgia’s entire body vibrated.
“Answer me.”
“Yes, you jerk. You know it does.”
“How does knowin’ what you like make me a jerk?”
“Because whenever you use that bossy tone and then put your mouth on me, I lose any rational train of thought. And I’m mad at you.”
“I’m mad at you too. So maybe it’s not my mouth you oughta be worrying about, sweetness, but my hand.”
“What?”
“Remember when I warned you that anything you did to me, I’d do to you? Do you have any idea how many times your hand connected with my ass tonight?”
She immediately stiffened. “No! And even if I did, they shouldn’t count because I was under duress!”
“Duress?” he growled. “Hot lips, I was under duress seein’ you drinkin’ with them wild women, wondering what all you were tellin’ them about us.”
Her eyes locked defiantly to his. “I had four drinks over two hours. And I didn’t tell them anything. What goes on between you and me stays between you and me. I don’t kiss and tell, Tell.” She snickered, but her humor faded when he didn’t laugh. “You still look surprised that I’m not blabbing far and wide, so you really must think the worst of me.”
“Georgia—”
“Why are you here if I’m such an untrustworthy blabbermouth?”
He rubbed his jaw along hers. “You know why.”
“No, I don’t. Especially not after you accused me of taking advantage of your family because we are…whatever this is.”
Looked like it was up to him to define it. “Whatever this is…is a relationship. Although neither of us wanted to name it, that’s what it’s been since day one.” He eased back and peered into her eyes, half-afraid she’d deny it.
“You’re good with that?” she asked carefully.
“Yep. Are you? If we continue to keep it casual?”
Georgia lifted her chin. “Just sex?”
He shook his head. “It’s been about more than just sex for us since day one too. I can admit that now. Can you?”