What was I supposed to say to that? She was right, everything she said was absolutely right.

Instead of arguing and being the stubborn man I usually was, I nodded my head and said, “I know; I fucked up.”

Shock registered across her face as she swallowed my words with her rant.

“Oh, so you agree?” she asked, while she scrunched her nose.

“Completely.”

“Well,” she looked around and then patted her shorts. “I don’t really know what to say now. I wasn’t expecting you to agree.”

“Do you not want me to agree so you can keep arguing?” I asked with a smile that I knew would hit her hard.

“Oh, no, don’t, you can’t do that,” she said, while shaking her finger at my face.

“Do what?” I smiled again, inching closer to her.

“You know what, that whole charming male dominant thing. I will not fall for it.”

“You sure?” I asked, as I moved inches away from her and rested my hands on her hips.

“Yes, I’m positive,” she sucked in a deep breath at my proximity. “Wh-what are you doing?”

“Trying to remove that crinkle between your eyes.”

“Blane will see you,” she said quickly, trying to deter me.

“Like I give a fuck about Blane; don’t bullshit me, you’re not seeing him.” I took a shot, hoping I was right. I didn’t believe she was seeing Blane by the mere fact of how she reacted to me, to our situation.

Looking away, she whispered she was, but I didn’t bite; she was lying.

“Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re with another man. Look at me Goldie.”

Sighing, she turned her head and stared me in the eyes.

“Tell me you’re with him,” I repeated.

She bit her bottom lip as her eyes searched mine. With a frustrated grunt, she pushed away from me and started pacing the little section of the garden we were in.

“Ugh, you’re so infuriating. Of course I’m not seeing him. You happy?”

“Very,” I smirked.

“I hate you,” she spat back, while she looked at me with fury.

“No, you don’t,” I smiled back.

Shaking her head at me, she sat down on the half wall and brought her knees up to her chest.

“What do you want from me?”

“You know what I want,” I said, as I took a seat next to her. “I want to date you. I want to start fresh with you. Treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”

“Because you want sex…” she said, while she buried her head in her knees.

“No,” I said softly, as I moved my head down to her ear. “Not because I want sex, because I want you, Goldie; I want your heart, your smart mouth, your defiance, I want everything.”

“I hate that I want the same thing,” she admitted. “I want to hate you, I want you to leave me alone, but I know that won’t fix the numbing ache in my heart. Why does this have to be so hard?”

“The best things in life are hard, Little One,” I replied.

Silence fell between us while I gave her time to think about my proposal. I didn’t want to pressure her, but damn it if I didn’t want to wrap her up in my arms right then and there.

There were moments in my life when I sat back and assessed the decisions I made. Proposing to Natasha was a huge mistake, one that I would regret because the emotional abuse she put me through has set me back in my current relationship…well, the one I used to have with Goldie. Asking Goldie to be a Jett Girl, smartest decision I’ve ever made, because I found a mirror image of myself in her. I found my counterpart.

Interrupting my thoughts, she finally spoke up. “I won’t live with you.”

“What?” I asked, as my head snapped to the side. “That’s non-negotiable. Do you really think you’re going to live with Diego? He’s a horny bastard, no way.”

Goldie put her feet on the ground and stood up right in front of me so I had to look up at her. She pushed my shoulder with her two little fingers and said, “Do you know what’s non-negotiable? My requirements if this is going to happen,” she said, while waving her hand between us.

I ground my teeth as I felt the control starting to slip away, once again. It was always like that with Goldie; I never truly had a firm grasp on it.

“Don’t tick your jaw at me; I can see it throbbing with uncertainty.” She poked the side of my jaw as she spoke. I couldn’t help but smile at how tough she was trying to be. “Ugh, and don’t smirk either, that’s more irritating.”

“Sorry,” I chuckled. “What are your requirements?”

She thought about it for a second, and then said, “I get to stay with Diego. No sex…”

“No sex,” I gulped, trying not to look desperate.

“That’s right, Mr. Demonic Devil in the bedroom, no sex.”

“Demonic Devil?” I asked with a quirked eyebrow that she quickly rubbed out with her two fingers.

“Don’t give me that eyebrow; you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Swallowing hard, I said, “Fine, no sex.”

The smile that spread across her face was almost annoying, as if she didn’t look so damn adorable already. I hated succumbing to her, but damn, if she gave me that heart melting smile every time, then I would be giving up more often.

“You have to talk about your feelings, you have to open up to me, and you have to trust me. I’m not saying I forgive you or that this is going to work, but I’m willing to give it a try if you don’t act so closed off to me. I can’t be shut out of your life anymore; I refuse to be. If you want to be with me, then I am requiring that every last part of you to be with me, not just half.”

I knew that was coming, and I was willing to be what she wanted. I was willing to open up my wounds again for her because I knew with her by my side, I would heal once again.

“You want all of me, Little One? Then you’ll get it, but in good time. I promise you, you will get all of me.”

“Good,” she said, almost exasperated. “Um, I don’t have a phone, so call Diego to set up a date. Until then, take care.”

And with that, she walked away, leaving quite the fucking wake.

23

“Arrows”

Goldie

“That tickles,” Tootse squealed as she shifted to the side, making my paintbrush fly to her arm.

“Can you hold still, please? This will take forever if you don’t hold still.”

“I don’t understand why I had to be purple; I think pink would have better suited me,” Tootse complained, as she continued to wiggle.

“No one is going to know it’s you, and pink isn’t a color of Mardi Gras. Just hold still.”

“Why did we agree to do this?” Tootse asked, as she looked over at Francy and Lyla, once again making my brush fly to the side.

Pressing my fingers against my forehead, I took a deep and calming breath, and then looked at Francy. “Can you please control your woman? For fuck’s sake! I’m trying to be an artist here.”

“If painting tits is being an artist, then damn, I want to be an artist,” Francy shot back, as she walked over to Tootse and wrapped her arms around her waist and spoke into her ear. “Now, sweetie, can you just hold still for a little while longer while Lo finishes up painting those delectable breasts of yours?”

Tootse instantly relaxed into Francy’s embrace and nodded her head.

“You would think I was clamping her nipples off,” I mumbled, as I filled more paint on my brush and attacked her breasts.

As I painted, Francy spoke into Tootse’s ear, trying to distract her from what I was doing. But, as she spoke, she rubbed her hands up and down Tootse’s stomach, making her nipples pucker to fucking bullets. A light moan escaped Tootse as I ran over her nipple, trying to coat it in paint.

“Oh, come on,” I said, as I pulled away. “I don’t want to be a part of your little sexual experiment right now. Just hold the fuck still, and Francy, step away, I don’t need Tootse orgasming.”

“You act like you’ve never been in a sexual experience with us before, Lo,” Francy said with a raised eyebrow.