Chapter 18: That Body Is Mine

••~~CORIAN~~••

I swear my entire bones twisted when I saw her body slung over Ausley’s shoulder like some naughty little backpack.

Hands on her butt?

Oh hell no.

That body is mine.

Every muscle in me turned rigid. I saw red. My vision tunneled until it was only him and her. I couldn’t breathe straight knowing some other man’s palm was pressed to something that belonged to me and me only. My jaw locked so tight I swore I heard my teeth grind.

“Put her down,” I growled, stepping in like I was about to swing.

I could’ve decked him. Hand-to-God. One swing, and his skull would’ve made a new piece of art against my wall. My knuckles were already curling, begging for it, my blood heating in my veins.

Ausley looked like he’d seen a ghost. His eyes darted, his whole body jerking stiff. “I’m sorry Mr. Van Halen… she was not very cooperative.”

He dropped her like hot coal.

Good boy.

“Leave.”

Because if he didn’t, he was gonna be part of the goddamn floor. His bones would have decorated my marble, and I’d have slept like a baby after.

He scurried out, tail tucked, and there she was…. Maddison Summers.

My new headache, my temptation, my walking problem.

Messy hair falling over her face, sloppy shirt sliding off her shoulder like she did it on purpose. And her nipples? Poking out like they had an agenda and zero shame about it. My throat went desert-dry, my chest heavy like a stone sat on it.

Fucking hell.

“Mr. Van Halen, always so bossy… don’t do this, don’t do that, don’t go there…” she slurred, wobbly as hell, but still trying to sass me. Her words dragged out, tongue heavy, but every syllable hit me right in the chest.

That sass was gasoline, and I was the goddamn flame.

She took one wobbly step too far and I caught her mid-fall.

Her weight fit too perfect in my arms. Like her body had been carved to fall into me, to rest there, to never leave.

“I see you haven’t learned your lesson,” I said, but my eyes couldn’t stop looking at what was right there in front of me.

Her nipples.

Clear as day.

Waving like…. hey Corian, miss us?

My throat locked.

My thoughts immediately ran wild. How many men saw her like this? Did they touch her? Did they stare? Did they even dare? The images made my veins boil, made my fists itch for a fight.

How the hell was I supposed to breathe when she was flashing the entire world like some free show?

I dragged her closer, voice sharp. “You really went out like this?”

She looked down at herself. Shrugged, careless. “I hate those things…,” She belched, half laughing, half choking on her own drunk air.

“You hate wearing a bra?”

Wait, was that a real thing?

She nodded twice, giggling. “Super restrictive….”

I almost blacked out.

“Oh you must be fucking kidding if you think I am going to let you walk around flashing your tits to anyone who cares to notice.”

Her arms wrapped around my neck like she owned me. Like she could climb into me and take over. Her fingers pressed into my skin, nails teasing.

“And what do you care? You left with Shawny. Belly ring Shawny.”

Ugh.

The way she said it. All slurred and jealous and drunk.

And why the hell did it feel like she had a point?

“Oh baby girl,” I leaned in, voice rough. “Jealous girlfriend is not in the contract. I can do whoever, whenever.”

Her face twisted up, jerking away from me like I’d spit in her drink.

“So you get to have your women and I just… sit here? Wait? Count time?” she snapped, all glossy eyes, and fire lips. Her words were a mess but her anger was loud, and damn if it didn’t light me up.

Her anger was delicious.

I smirked, because I liked her mad. “You’ll wait. You’ll smile. You’ll clap. You’ll park that pretty ass at home and be right there when I walk back through that door. Because I pay damn well for that ass.”

Her jaw dropped, hanging there like she forgot how to shut her mouth.

Yeah. I hit low and I knew it. But she needs to understand exactly what kind of relationship we had going on here.

Her face turned crimson, fists shaking. “You’re a jerk.”

Then she started throwing these tiny little fists at my chest.

So cute.

So damn irritating.

“That’s enough.” I snatched her hands mid-air and threw her over my shoulder.

Upstairs. Fast.

Straight to her bedroom.

I dropped her on the bed like a sack of trouble.

She was mad. Then giggling. Then mad again. Her emotions were a damn mess, like a carousel with no brakes.

Down on one knee, I held her face. My thumb brushed her cheek without me meaning it to. “Drinking on an empty stomach eh?”

“I had lemons…” she giggled, fingers showing me tiny circles. “The things on the glasses…”

She was laughing and my brain couldn’t tell if I wanted to scream or bend her over. My insides were twisted tight, heart banging against ribs.

“You’re in trouble.” I rasped, pinning her with my gaze.

She bit her lip. “You wanna teach me a lesson don’t you…”

Oh I did.

I grabbed her knees, forehead pressed to hers. “You have no idea.”

She trembled and my hands itched to break the one promise I made. My lungs pulled in her scent, sweet and sharp, making me dizzy.

Then she looked at me.... really looked at me. Her playful giggles were replaced with glossy eyes and a serious face.

“Are you dying?”

The hell?

I blinked. Didn’t expect that.

My chest did a thing.

A tight weird thing.

Like somebody reached in and twisted something they had no business touching.

Fuck.