“Try again,” I snarl. My hand is barely squeezing. My grip is firm enough to make her pause, but nowhere near how tightly I really want to be squeezing. Enou
gh to make her face turn pink and legs quiver with need. River’s face turns red from anger, and her eyes whip back toward me with wrath.
She leans into my hand. “Like I’d ever moan for you.”
“That’s what you’ve been doing this entire time. Don’t pretend like you’re not imagining my cock buried deep inside you.” My grip tightens a bit. “You wanted to play. Now try again,” I demand, my voice rising.
Her nostrils flare as she glares at me with defiance. I’m whipping her to the side and her back is pressed against the shelves in two seconds. Her hands fling to my chest to steady herself. I don’t even think she’s realized that yet.
“What’s wrong, River? Not so brave now, are you? You like to hide from your truths. You’d rather lie to us both and pretend you love that piece of shit rather than admit you want someone better. You think Ryan could take care of you the way I could, huh? You think he makes you feel like a queen when really he treats you like a fucking peasant.”
I step into her closer, my anger rising. She whimpers as her back digs into the shelves, the wood unforgiving. And just like I predicted, her eyes dilate with lust so potent, she doesn’t even understand what she’s feeling yet.
“You don’t like the way Ryan hurts you, River, not like you like the way I fucking do. His pain only brings you sorrow and agony while mine brings you a desire you don’t even know how to handle. Now. Try. Again.”
A breath bursts out of her through her constricted airways, and with it is a sound so fucking musical, it nearly makes me moan. My name. “Mako,” she pants.
She’s so turned on; she doesn’t even realize her pussy is humping my leg. If she wasn’t wearing jeans, I’d feel her juices leaking through my pants. Her entire plan backfired on her. This girl loves to ignore what’s right in front of her face.
Fuck it. I don’t want to save her. I want to fucking take her. I will steal her from my brother, right out from his tiny hands and keep her to myself. I will show her what it’s like to be with a real man. A man that truly does treat her like a queen. Someone that will cater to her every desire, treat her body like it’s my most prized possession, and show her a happiness she doesn’t know exists yet.
“I hate that I want you,” she whispers. I get the feeling she didn’t mean to say it out loud.
“Really? I happen to love it.” I love that I scare her. If it scares her, then it’s real. What we feel for each other is fucking real.
She shakes her head, as if she’s shaking away my words. The queen of avoidance.
“Mako,” she pleads. “We shouldn’t be doing this. I don’t cheat.” Her body grinds against my leg once more, contradicting her words the minute they leave her mouth. A wicked grin overtakes my face.
“I promise not to kiss or touch you then,” I say, smiling a little wider when disappointment flashes across her eyes. I don’t call her out though. Instead, I brush my lips lightly against her neck, the tender skin puckering into goosebumps. Her pulse vibrates against my lips. I feel the vibrations even as I slowly travel to her ear.
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t watch you touch yourself,” I whisper. A small gasp leaves her plush lips. She stops the little circles she’s been inadvertently moving her hips in. I take one step back, watching with fascination as a blush travels up to her neck.
So fucking pretty.
I wait. She’s battling with herself and I’m not going to push her into anything. That’s what River doesn’t understand yet. She has a choice with me. And even if it doesn’t seem like it, she’s the one always in control.
Her golden eyes finally raise to meet mine, twin pools of molten fire. When she lifts a hand and pops her button open, I feel another wicked smile pulling at my lips. Looks like she doesn’t mind being bad after all.
With patience I don’t possess, she pulls down the zipper to her jeans. Hooking her thumbs on the sides of her pants, she drags them down her smooth legs. Perfect. God, she’s perfect. Creamy skin fills my vision as she chucks off her pants and leans against the bookshelf. And with a lioness’s grace, she plants both hands on the top of shelf and lifts herself up, widening her legs as she settles in. Black lacy panties cover her most intimate part.
I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from tearing the fabric away with my teeth and feasting on her.
“Do I get to watch you, too, or are you a selfish lover?”
It takes monumental effort to drag my gaze away from her panties and back up to her eyes. My dick is fucking granite and pressing against my zipper, like a prisoner desperate to escape their jail cell. I grin and mimic her initial reaction by popping open the button on my jeans. Her eyes flare and her little pink tongue darts out, wetting her lips in anticipation.
“Has someone thought about this?” I taunt, dragging down my zipper, giving me sweet relief as the pressure dissipates. She doesn’t glance away from my hand, even as she denies me.
“No.”
My grin widens, both of us aware of her blatant lie. I step back until I’m leaning against the bookshelf opposite her, stepping on the bottom to help stabilize it, otherwise my weight will send me crashing through the empty shelves.
She leans back on the arm that doesn't have a broken finger, and plants her feet on the edge of the shelf. Her other hand drifts over her pussy, her fingers trail across her panties, taunting me. Waiting to bare herself to me until I do. I have no problem making the first move. I pull down my jeans and briefs just enough for my dick to spring free. There’s too much pressure building. I squeeze it hard, gritting my teeth against the mix of pleasure and pain. Her eyes widen, and this time she does glance up at me.
Even if I had the strength to will the cocky smile from my face, I wouldn’t. Not when she’s looking at me like she can’t tell if she wants to come closer or run away. She swallows thickly, and ever so gently, pushes her panties to the side.
I close my eyes as my head falls back, a groan working its way out of my throat. The sight of her nearly has me on my knees.