“Do I trust you? I haven’t decided yet. If you follow my rules and you are still breathing when this is all over, I’ll say I trust you. As for telling you my name or who I truly am, it’s not a question of trust, so don’t bang on that closed door. I don’t need saving, I’m not broken. The deal is off, you stay here for six months and take care of Gage when he comes back from fights. This discussion is over.”
He stood with a snarl. Somehow, she had pushed all his buttons, even if she didn’t know what they were yet. She was drawn to him on so many levels, it was different to anything she had experienced before in her life. Her heart went to out her patients, but she needed to stay alive, so she needed to consider his terms.
Pushing herself up, she put her hands in her pockets. “Here’s the deal. I want to be involved in shutting Luther down. I want to know what you’re doing, every single thing. I need to call the hospital, and a few friends to tell them I’m okay and taking a vacation. Before you howl, everyone I know was begging me to take a break, so I doubt I’ll have opposition. Also, I want our arrangement to be for one month only, no matter how many times we have sex in a day. However, I’m an equal opportunity kind of gal, so I suggest a one-for-one orgasm plan.”
He’d been listening with his back turned to her, but the mention of sex seemed to pique his interest. “You’re in no position to negotiate.”
His low menacing voice could have shaken a weaker soul, but not her.
“In that case, I want to thank you for saving my life, but I’ll go on my merry way.”
Shaking his soapy hands, Locke turned. “You can’t leave without me unlocking the door.”
“Am I your prisoner?”
The hesitation spoke volume until he answered. “No, you’re not. Are you so eager to die or become one of those you’ve tried so hard to save?”
Tessa knew how to play dirty too. “Are my terms so unacceptable?”
Locke was obviously considering them, although he was a man used to having his way. “I don’t know that Luther won’t be a danger in a month.”
“We better work fast in that case.”
Locke frowned, not pleased at being pushed or rushed. “Are you always so bossy?”
Tessa shrugged. “I am who I am. It’s kind of difficult to change me.”
It was only a flicker, but his mouth quirked up. “That’s debatable. But I accept the deal.” When he offered his hand, something settled deep inside her, but the calm was quickly replaced by simmering heat.
Her first instinct was to kiss him, but instead she reached for his waistband.
Locke quirked an eyebrow but didn’t stop her. “Feeling impatient to start I see, Doctor.”
But his smile turned to smoldering heat when she fell to her knees in front of him, pulling his pants down. “Yes, Mr.Locke. Impatient and hungry.”
