"You should have listened."

Then I yank her against my chest hard and take her lips in a bruising kiss.

Despite her initial surprise, her lips part immediately for the thrust of my tongue. If I thought that I was going to dominate and take over, I was wrong. Rissa melts against me like whipped cream and she's twice as sweet. She leans against me using my body to support her so she can curl one leg up around my waist. Then she straddles my lap and I can't stop myself from grinding against her. I nip down her neck, breathing in her fresh scent. Just the way she smells brings up so many memories. I take her lips again and our tongues duel before she finally pulls back, her hands in the center of my chest to hold me back.

"Why are you doing this, Finn?"

“There was a time when I believed that we were meant for each other. You told me that you’d always be mine and that together, we'd make our way in the world. Well, those days are long gone but the time has come for you to make good on at least some of that. I want what you promised me. I want you to make this place a home.”

She looks horrified by what I’m saying and there’s a part of me that knows this is exactly what I deserve.

“So you’re doing this to punish me?” she gasps.

“Yes. But I'm doing this just because I want to." Then my hands travel down over her back to land on her full curvy ass. As I squeeze the round globes, she whimpers into my mouth.

The sound seems to wake her up because she pulls away and stares at me. "I wish I knew if this was real or if it’s just one more way for you to hurt me." She disentangles herself from my grip and then hustles from the room.

"I wish I knew too, angel."

CHAPTER FOUR

RISSA

Several unopened boxes of wet wipes fall from the shelves above me, pelting my arms and neck. With a curse, I bend and pick them all up before stuffing them back in their storage container. For the first time in a year, I have a chance of being able to find what I need in the crowded storage room without a map, a prayer and three wishes from a genie.

“Uh oh. You only organize like this when you’re upset.”

I pause in the act of stacking the boxes of rubber gloves by size. “I’m not upset. This place is just filthy.”

And I need to do something to take my mind off vengeful millionaires and mind-numbing kisses.

“Did Andrew call again? You'd tell me if he did, right?” Tara’s voice is hushed. It’s after six in the evening and I’d assumed there was no one else in the building. Apparently I was wrong if Tara is still here.

“No, I haven’t heard from him since I hung up on him.” I mess with the boxes again. Suddenly the need to tell someone outweighs my embarrassment at being in this situation. I turn to Tara. “Do you remember what I told you about my life before I met Andrew?”

Tara perches on the edge of the desk. “Yeah, I remember you said you had a hard time.”

I shove the eco-friendly toweling we use farther back on the shelf. “You’re being kind. I was poor. Dirt poor. Mom worked really hard but she was on her own and we considered it a step up when we moved to the trailer park.”

“And then you met Andrew.”

“But before him, there was someone else. Someone I dated in high school.”

Tara’s eyes gleam. “Wait a minute. You’ve never told me this before! You had a high school sweetheart?”

“I’ve never told anyone this before.” I pick at the edge of one of the cardboard boxes until it rips down the side. Finally I turn to face Tara.

“His name was Finn. He was from the neighborhood, too so he understood what it was like to be looked down on by the other kids. Not that anyone made fun of him.” I laugh aloud thinking about Finn in high school. “He was the type of guy who could make friends with anyone. He was so … perfect. That was how I always felt around him. Like how could this perfect guy fall for me?”

Tara makes a face. “Of course he fell for you. You’re awesome.”

“I wasn’t awesome back then. I was insecure and just … so stupid. I didn’t trust in what we had and when he went into the Army, I don’t know. It was just so hard. Finn was the type of guy that women love. And he loves them back, you know? And then I met Andy and he seemed so stable and so safe. That was what I wanted more than anything. Just someone that I could trust to be there for me.”

Tara watches me as I come sit next to her on the desk. “What happened, sweetie?”

“I left him. Told him that it wasn’t going to work out. I broke his heart.”

Tara sighs. We sit just like that for a while before I work up the courage to finish. “The new client. The jerk.  It’s Finn.”

“Oh boy.”

“Apparently he’s some rich big shot now and wants to torture me by making me clean and decorate his million dollar fuckpad.”

“Maybe he wants you back? He might sound like he’s angry now but he went through a lot of trouble to get you in his life again. Maybe this is his twisted way of reconnecting?”

“He just wants to rub my nose in the fact that he’s wealthy now.” I can’t even keep the self-pity out of my voice.

Tara looks stricken. Then she suddenly jumps to her feet. “You know what? He can stuff his contract. You don’t need this. We can always find a few other contracts to replace this one. We were fine before and we’ll be fine again.”