“That’s your opinion.”

“It’s fact.”

“That’s also your opinion.” I push at his arm, but he doesn’t relent.

In fact, he brings his hand closer to me and brushes an inch of exposed skin at my hip with his thumb. The movement is light, but my skin is burning from the contact.

“This would be so much fuckin’ easier if you didn’t have a job that means you seem to be smack in the middle of yet another murder investigation I’m controlling,” he growls. “But you are, and I have no choice but to work with you unless I want to lose my job. Shut your mouth before you give me your sass,” he adds, putting two fingers against my lips. “So we’ll work together… Under duress. But before that happens, we have the big, fat elephant in the room that is the issue of you and me.”

I smack his hand away from my mouth and spin out from him. “You keep going on like you and me being in a relationship would be something that would last longer than five minutes.”

“Perhaps it would.”

“Perhaps it would?” I lift my eyebrows and run my fingers through my hair. “Shit, Drake! We can’t go a day without fighting. How fuckin’ insane are you that you think that kind of relationship would be healthy? That it would be worth the inevitable collapse, huh?”

“Noelle Bond, you’re so fuckin’ in denial it’s unreal.”

“No, I’m realistic. That’s the difference.” I storm back into the front room. “This, you and me, is pure insanity. We’ve fought twice today and it’s only one o’clock!”

“Then there’s plenty of time to make up, isn’t there?”

“Oh, you are so persistent, aren’t you?” I spin and look at him, pushing some strands of hair away from my face. “Are you trying to verbally beat me into submission? Are you trying to drive me into craziness so I agree to what you want?”

“No.” One word. Hard. Simple. Growly. “I want you to fuckin’ want me. Is it that much to ask?”

“Yes!” I wipe my brow and look away, taking a deep breath. “Yes. It’s asking the world, Drake. Do you get that? Do you get that it isn’t as simple as you want it to be? If I want you, it’s because I want you, not because you want me to.”

His steps are certain as he approaches me and forces me to look at him with a touch to my jaw. My eyes settle on his, and I’m stripped bare completely.

I know the answer.

I know his question.

But I don’t want to hear either of them.

“And do you? Want me?” His voice is softer now, but the hoarse tone is still there. “’Cause, babe, I ain’t gonna lie. I’d burn down New York City for you if I had to.”

The words catch in my throat, because yes, I want you.

I break away from him and run out of the room and to the stairs, taking them two at a time, my eyes focused on my room as soon as my open door comes into view. His steps thunder after mine, but he’s quicker than I am and lodges his shoulder between the door and the doorframe, forcing me to let it go. I’m pretty sure a tiny, frustrated scream leaves my mouth as he grabs my arm, spins me, and tugs me against him.

His eyes are blazing. They’re a fiery inferno of the absolute hottest temptation.

“No,” he growls again, taking my chin in a firmer grip, his gaze refusing to relinquish its hold on mine. “No, you don’t get to fuckin’ flake on me now, Noelle. Yes or no. Do you want me?”

The words burn through me, pulsing through my bloodstream until they’re screaming to get out, because there’s no more running from this, and I think my heart knows it.

“Do. You. Want. Me?”

“Oh, I do!” I say roughly and harshly, shoving his hand away and turning. Two steps and I turn back to him. “I want you, but I shouldn’t, because you piss me off so goddamn much! It’s driving me absolutely fucking crazy, because I have no idea what to do with myself anymore.”

He closes the distance between our bodies once again and wraps his arms around me until I’m trapped in his embrace. “Say it again,” he murmurs. “Without the defiance.”

“It’s passion, actually, and it’s one of my better qualities.”

His laugh rumbles against me. “Sure is, cupcake, but how about a little less angry passion and a little more sexy passion, yeah?”

I sigh, but my lips curve up anyway. When I don’t answer, he once again takes my chin between his finger and thumb and tilts it up. I inhale as his breath fans across my lips. Tension dances between us, its moves complicated and intricate, getting faster and faster until it’s suffocating.

“Noelle—”

“I want you,” I whisper. “God only knows why. But I do.”

He smiles, sliding his hand up my back and into my hair. “Sweetheart, you’ve got me.”

His lips are sweet and firm as they touch mine. I lean into the kiss, my fingers fisting the back of his shirt as Drake deepens it. I feel it everywhere from the tingles at the base of my neck and the flutters in my stomach to the weakening of my knees and the curling of my toes.

“Murder investigation,” I breathe, leaning back. “This is a really inappropriate conversation for us to have had right now.”

“Well, for one, you weren’t willing to listen before.” He grins, loosening his grip a little. “And two, the way this town has been in the last month, we’d be lucky to have had it outside of one. Especially with your stubborn streak.”

I’m going to ignore that last comment. He’s a fine one to talk. He does have a point though.

“Okay, but, uh, what exactly is this conversation? Like, specifically.”

His grin drops to a half smile, but it’s a hopeful one, and it sets another round of butterflies off in my tummy.

Sweet hell, I wish he didn’t have to make me feel like a teenage girl all the time.

“You want me, so you got me. I want you…”

I make my smile match his.

“Don’t leave me hangin’ here, or I’ll spank the answer outta you.”

I dip my head to hide my laughter, but when I take a step back, Drake pulls me against him again and the giggle breaks loose. It’s silenced by the burning way his lips collide with mine and his tongue unapologetically sweeps across the seam of my mouth. I gasp at the quick, dominant move, and then the kiss is all lips and tongue and quite possibly another gasp from my side. He kisses me until I’m dizzy and need to hold on to him to stay standing.

Hot. Damn.

Drake Nash is a walking, talking, highly irritating, spectacular kissing machine.

I wonder if he has a coin slot so I can get those world-stopping kisses to order.

“So?” he asks, his tone gravelly. “Do I have you, Noelle? Will you at least try for me? Are you mine?”

“Mine,” I murmur, sliding my hands up his taut body to grab the crisp collar of his white shirt. “Real possessive, that, don’t you think, Detective?”

“Oh, absolutely, Ms. Bond. ‘Cause see here—that’s nonnegotiable.” His eyes sear into mine. “No two ways about it, bella. If I have you, you’re mine.”

Bella. Oh.

“Are you sure that’s nonnegotiable?” I ask through the clogging of my throat. “I’d quite like to be my own on Tuesdays and Fridays between the hours of two and eight.”

The annoyed darkening of his eyes is spoiled by the fight he has going on with his mouth. Ultimately, his smile wins out, but not without a frustrated growl.

“Twenty-four fucking seven, you little pain the ass. And now, you’re fucking with me.”

“I know, but it’s so fun.”

“You want fun, huh? I’ll give you fun, Noelle.” He spins me and shoves me back onto my bed.

I clap my hand over my mouth as a scream leaves me when I go backward. A shadow falls over me as he leans over my body, grabs my wrists, and secures them above my head with one strong hand. I breathe in sharply at the rough move even as a jolt of pleasure flies through my bloodstream, leaving a fiery trail behind that.

“Fun,” he mutters, a darkly sexy smile on his lips. “No, fun is forcing that agreement off the tip of your tongue where it got stuck, sweetheart. But, because I’m a nice guy, I’m gonna give you one last chance to admit that you’re mine before I flip you over and fuck it out of you.”