“Nothing,” I covered quickly.

She knew I was lying.

“Well, you’d love Boston,” she finally said.

Silence lingered between us. I felt something crawl into my chest and spread out, like it was trying to fester through my whole body. I didn’t know what the f**k was wrong with me. I liked this girl. That has to be it. I was completely out of my element. I’d f**ked spoiled princesses whose parents had too much money. I hadn’t discriminated against who landed in my bed. But this…this felt f**king different.

“You have something on your mind,” she whispered finally.

“Yeah.” I drew her into me and kissed her hard on the mouth. Maybe I could drown out my own thoughts.

Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she wound her fingers through my hair. She shivered in my arms, and I wasn’t sure if it was from our kiss or the crisp air as winter rolled in on the boardwalk, but I just kissed her harder, more desperately. I didn’t care who her father was or how much money they had or how much better than me she probably was. She was kissing me back. Whether I deserved it or not, Ari wanted this, too.

As always, Ari pulled away first. Her dark blue eyes met mine, and she giggled against my lips. Since I’d known her, she had always worn such a stern expression with a particularly prominent scowl, so her giggle made me smile.

“Something funny, Princess?” I asked, pulling back to look at her.

She shook her head. “No. I’m just surprised I’m having a good time with you.”

“Ouch,” I said, bringing a hand to my wounded heart.

“Oh, no…I didn’t mean it…” She trailed off and bit her lip. “Sorry. I have a problem with spewing the first thing that comes to mind.”

“It’s not a problem,” I told her quickly.

Actually, I liked it. She knew I was an ass**le, and she had still gone on a date with me. I hadn’t given her any other option, but still…

“Well, I’m not one to sugarcoat,” Ari said.

“Me either. That’s why when I told you that I wanted you in my bed, I meant it.”

“Oh, I know you meant that.” Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. “But what I didn’t know was if all of this was just an excuse to get me there.”

Huh. As much as I wanted to f**k this girl, that hadn’t been in my game plan, not the way that she was thinking at least.

“And?” I finally asked. “What do you think?”

She took a few steps away from me and leaned her elbows against the railing of the boardwalk, facing out to the ocean. My body responded to the beautiful sight of her body pressed into the wooden railing and her tight little ass sticking out. She glanced over her shoulder and saw me checking her out.

“Well?” I prompted when she said nothing.

“I think you want me there, but you like me here, too.”

Well, if that isn’t the damn truth.

I closed the distance between us and turned her to face me. My hands slid down the sides of her dress as I whispered in her ear, “I want you any way I can have you.”

She cleared her throat as I felt her body reacting to my nearness.

“I’ll be sure to remember that.”

Her words sounded like a promise, and I wondered what I’d gotten myself into.

When we arrived at Ari’s house right before midnight, I walked with her up to her door, all the while restraining myself from pouncing on her. Physical restraint had never been my strong suit.

Images of Ari—her lips on mine as I’d pushed her through her open doorway, her body wet from the rain, her nestled against my chest, her laughing on the boardwalk—all hit me with a fresh wave of desire. I wanted to be near her, with her, in her—and I wanted it f**king bad.

When we reached her door, I kissed her pleadingly. Please let me stay. Please let me show you everything I can do to your body. Please let me give you what we both want right now.

I wasn’t going to walk away without trying.

She whispered something so softly that I hadn’t even heard it in the breeze.

“What?” I asked.

Ari turned her head away from me, a red blush touching her cheeks and the tips of her ears. “Nothing. Sorry. Stupid of me.”

I took her chin in my hand and forced her to face me again. “What did you say, Ari?” My pulse was keeping time in my ears.

Her blush just deepened. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“If I don’t want to what?”

“Come inside…” she said quietly.

I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. Fuck yes, I want to come inside. That wasn’t the only place I wanted to be coming in right now.

Aribel fumbled with the key before opening the door and leading us into her place. I’d been inside before, but it was a different experience to actually be welcomed. She shrugged out of her jacket and tossed it across the back of the couch. She teetered from one foot to the other, not making eye contact with me from across the room.

“Which room is yours, Princess?”

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t answer. I could see what was written on her face—I’m not going to have sex with you.

“I know,” I told her.

She startled as if I’d read her mind. “Grant…”

“Which one?”

She nodded her head behind her. When she didn’t move, I walked across the room and guided her back toward it. I could take control. That was fine with me.

Once we were in her room, my lips found hers, and my mind went on autopilot. I needed her. I needed this.

I pushed her back until her legs met the large bed in the center of the room. It was one of those fancy-ass beds that was too high to sit on comfortably. A million useless throw pillows lay on top, and I reached out and wiped them all from their neat arrangement. Then, I grabbed her by the backs of her legs and set her down effortlessly. Her blue dress bunched around her upper thighs, and I hardened at the sight. My hands slid up under the material, and she shivered against my touch.

“Grant,” she whispered.

I thought she’d meant it as a hesitation, but it had come out as a moan.

“St-stop.”

“Ari, please.” My voice was hoarse. I wanted something, anything at this point.

“I’m not going to—”

“I know. I know.” I held back my irritation. “I’m just going to make you feel good.”