“Thanks a lot for caring,” I sneered, trying to slam the door of my apartment as I walked inside, but he blocked it before it could close. Stomping to my bedroom like a child, I looked over my shoulder. “Why are you still here? I’m home! Thanks to you. You can leave now.” My tone was sarcastic and rude. I should have been thankful that he cared enough to bring me home, but I couldn’t help myself. Flashes of Amber crossed my mind. Maybe I should have been this aggressive with her…no, not maybe, I should have been. Then guilt took over my mind.

Matthew plopped on the sofa with his legs crossed, stretching both of his arms along the top. You could see the results of his workouts. He had nicely chiseled arms, and I wanted to touch them.

“I’m not leaving until you apologize for acting like a spoiled brat.”

“Then you might as well sleep here forever. I’m not apologizing.” Leaning against the wall, I crossed my arms.

Matthew wasn’t paying attention to me anymore. His thoughts were miles away. Looking at the beautiful roses that Max had recently given Jenna, for the hundredth time, he pointed at them. His sudden realization took me completely by surprise. “You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”

“I do,” I said softy, but I knew at that instant my tone deceived me.

Matthew stood up. “I can’t believe you did that.”

The expression on his face not only made me feel guilty, but also ashamed.

“Why?” he continued to ask with his fist tight. He clenched his jaw so that I could see a vein protruding from the side of his neck.

I had no reason for my response, other than it was built up from emotions that I couldn’t control. I walked directly in front of him. “I hate you,” I sneered in his face, standing on my tippy toes. I wanted to be face to face with him, so he could hear the intensity of my words.

He leaned closer with a fiery, yet amused expression in his eyes. Not what I had in mind. My actions backfired, causing me to step back from his lips, which were now too dangerously close. “Yeah, I hate you more,” he replied nonchalantly, with a cool tone as if what I had just said didn’t faze him at all.

“Good. At least we have that in common,” I declared.

“Oh, we have more things in common than you realize.” His demeanor was playful. Holding a wicked grin, he leaned in closer.

Tantalizing heat shot through every nerve in my body and just that stance alone felt like he just caressed his hands all over me. Damn! Then his eyes fell down to my lips, causing me to become weak all over. I didn’t like it at all. I didn’t like how he was making me want to dive into his arms. I fired back at him, wanting him to leave. If I were rude, perhaps he would go.

“You’re egotistical, rude, crazy, and so not perfect.” I poked his chest. Oh God! Wrong move on my part. Touching him made me want him even more.

“You’re not perfect either.” His voice was loud this time.

The muscles on his arms were tense as he stepped toward me again, causing me to back against the wall. Thump…shit!

“But you’re perfect for me,” he continued. His tone was softer this time.

What did he just say to me? Frazzled, I started to stutter. “I…I…but…you’re crazy,” I said softly, matching his tenor.

I twitched when his hands banged the wall on either side of my face as his muscles flexed. Though I was nervous by his proximity, I was utterly melting into him. No! I needed self-control.

“You’re crazier,” he retorted. His eyes shifted down to my lips again.

Please don’t stare too long. I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it, but his words triggered my anger again. When I didn’t have any sophisticated words to say, I spit out the first thing that came to my mind. “You’re an ass,” I seethed.

“I can be worse.” His eyes sparked with amusement. It was not what I was hoping for.

“I want you to leave,” I demanded.

“But I don’t want to.”

“I didn’t give you a choice.”

“Make me.” His brows lifted in challenge.

“You’re impossible.”

“You’re incredible.”

“Shut up. Don’t say those words to me. Get out,” I shouted this time.

“I don’t want to be out. I want to be inside you.” His voice was just as loud as mine.

Holy shit! The gap between my legs just fired up. “I won’t ever give you the pleasure.” I calmed down, giving him a look of conviction.

“Then I’ll dream about it.”

What? Confusion filled my mind.

“I dream about it all the time.” He brushed the words against the tip of my ear, sending erotic, sensuous heat all over me. His hands were still on the wall gripped tightly into fists, as if he was fighting what he wanted to do. “You’re lips on mine, your naked body under mine, me inside you, giving you pleasure and feeling you all night long. Listening to you scream my name until you come.”

In my mind, my panties just dropped. I was only rude to him because I didn’t want to feel the things he was making me feel. He had issues, and I didn’t know if I could be there for him, or if he would be too much for me to handle. Plus, the fact that he was Max’s brother made everything worse, but after what he just said, I couldn’t control myself anymore. It was the hottest thing anyone had ever said to me.

My rational thought had disappeared, especially since his hot breath was purposely settling lightly on my neck. Oh, he was good and he knew exactly what he was doing to me. My chest rose and fell from gasping, as my br**sts gravitated toward his chest. “What are you waiting for? Make your dreams come true.”