“What the fuck are you doing here?” I growl.

Fucking growl. Like a goddamn bear.

She doesn’t respond, but she also does a shit job at hiding the hurt that flashes in her eyes.

Shit.

“Don’t be a jerk,” I hear my sister yell.

I lift my gaze and narrow them on her. “You had better watch it before your nose is in the corner for a much-needed time the fuck out, Danielle Cage.”

She rolls her eyes, and I make a mental note to deal with her later, looking back down into Ember’s pissed face.

“You shouldn’t be here.” The second the words are out of my mouth, I feel regret slamming into me. Fuck yeah, she should be here, my mind keeps screaming over and over. “You don’t belong here,” I continue to speak. I can’t stop the words coming out of my mouth, and I know the second my heart starts to pound at an unnatural speed that I’m fucking up major here.

“You’re a son of a Bieber’s biscuit!” I hear a drunken screech from my side and look over to see Ember’s best friend, Nikki, reach out to poke me. “Son of a Backstreet Boy,” she oddly screams next and brings her offending finger to her chest to cradle it as her brow furrows in pain.

Weird girl, that one.

I take a deep breath to fill my chest with the smoky, raw air around me, before doing what I should have done in the first place. I bend, and before Ember can react, she is over my shoulder and I’m stalking back to the stairs that will lead to my office. My hand splays out against her backside so that the short-as-shit dress she’s wearing doesn’t give a view to the room that should be for my eyes only.

My eyes only? Where the hell did that thought come from?

I feel her small fists beating on my back, but I ignore her as I climb the stairs, trying my best not to think about the heat of her pussy against the palm of my hand. The second I slam my office door shut, closing us in the room, she launches herself off my shoulder. Luckily for her, I was near the couch, so when she stumbled on those heels, she landed on the soft leather with an oomph.

“What the hell is your problem, Nathaniel!” she screams, launching herself up to stand and pushing me with both hands against my chest. “You have no right!”

Taking her tiny wrists in my hands, I bring them down and trap them behind her back. She struggles and my eyes drop to her chest as each heaving breath makes the material drop a little lower.

“How the fuck is this even staying up,” I fume. Switching my hold so I have both wrists in one hand, I bring up one finger to pick at the thin fabric strap going over her shoulder. My eyes roaming over the exposed skin of her neck as I trail my finger down the thin strap until I hit the deep V exposing the silky smooth skin between her tits. All it would take is one real deep breath and her nipple would be on display.

“N-nate,” she stutters, and I lift my gaze from the valley of tan skin to look into her eyes. The anger is still there but it has dimmed, and in its place is pure fucking lust.

“No one should see this much of you. Not one fucking person but me.”

“I’m not yours,” she fumes, and I can see that the fury is winning over the lust.

“You’re fucking wrong, babe,” I respond without thought.

She snaps back and pulls one hand from my hold before I can even process her movement. In the next blink, that same freed hand cracks against my cheek and I feel a red-hot burn.

“I am not your fucking babe!” she shouts.

“I’ll give you that one, but only that fucking one, Ember.”

“I’m not yours, Nate. You had that chance, and you didn’t want it.”