Take Me 01 - Love Me Read Free

through her at his command. She'd tried the whole master-submissive thing once—with her as the dominatrix, of course, in a leather corset and boots—but hurting someone to get them off hadn't been her cup of tea.
    Luke's tough-guy act, on the other hand, was exactly her brand of Earl Grey.
    Unfortunately, the boys she'd met at the bar weren't too quick on the uptake.
    “We were here first,” Jarod said. “We're staying.”
    Again, Janica tried to say something, but Luke pulled her so hard against him she actually lost her breath.
    “She just uninvited you, asshole. Both of you.”
    The two guys advanced on Luke and that was when she decided enough was enough. No way was she going to waste precious lip-lock time with Luke on what was sure to be a bloody fight with these bozos.
    Another time she'd let three guys fight over her. Right now there was only one thing she wanted: to be alone, preferably naked, with the man of her dreams.
    “I'm really sorry, guys, but I completely forgot about this appointment I had with Luke.”
    Their mouths fell open in a particularly unattractive way. How had she ever found their beefy-arms and crew-cuts attractive?
    “Appointment? In the middle of the night?”
    “Do you think we're stupid enough to believe that?”
    Yes, actually she did.
    During the short exchange she could feel Luke simmering beside her, but even though his coming in and taking over was a total turn-on, it had also started to piss her off a little bit.
    She could take care of herself, thank you, had been doing just that for twenty-nine years. Well, apart from the fact that Lily had pretty much raised her after their parents died, she'd been going it alone her whole life.
    Deciding to show all of them that it was her apartment, damn it, and she'd decide who stayed and who left, using every bit of strength in her small body, she wrenched herself out of Luke's vise hold, picked up the guys’ jackets and carried them over to the open door.
    “Sorry this didn't work out.”
    Clearly furious, they stomped across the room and yanked their jackets from her.
    “Teasing bit-.”
    Before she even realized he'd moved, Luke had Nick's shirt in his fists.
    “Don't you ever talk to a woman like that again.” Each word held a world of menace. “Apologize to her, asshole.” He waited a beat and when nothing came, he said, “Right now.”
    Nick's face was beet red and Janica wasn't at all sure that he could breathe.
    “Sorry,” he squeaked out.
    She nodded her acceptance of his apology. The truth was she'd been called worse. Frankly, she'd barely even registered the insult.
    “It's okay, Luke,” she said softly. “You can let him go.” It was long past time for this train wreck to end.
    All she wanted was for Nick and Jarod to leave so that she could be alone with Luke again. Her lips were still tingling from his kiss.
    She wanted more.
    So much more.
    With what was obviously great reluctance, Luke dropped Nick's shirt and let him stumble backward into the hall.
    “Come on, man,” Jarod said. “There's still time to pick someone else up if we hurry.”
    Luke slammed her front door shut so hard she half expected the neighbors to come knocking to make sure she was okay.
    “What the hell were you doing with them?”
    He looked so angry, almost disgusted, that it kicked all of her defensive urges into gear.
    It was her life, thank you very much. And until tonight, he hadn't seemed to care one way or another what she did with it.
    Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared back at him. “Exactly what you think.”
    “Jesus.” The word was more of a curse than any of he'd said yet. “You were going to take two of them.”
    Before she could tell him that while that was her initial intention, she wasn't actually going to follow through on it, he had her shoulders gripped hard in his hands again.
    He didn't press her up against his body this time. Instead, she was totally immobilized by his strength. She'd known he was