Tales of Darkness & Sin - Pepper Winters Page 0,199

to open wider. His knee shot up between my legs, thrusting against my swollen and extremely needy core.

Holy hell…

Then the kiss ended, leaving me panting, flushed, and upside down in a reality I no longer knew.

“Give me an answer, before I lose my mind.” His hips pulsed, forcing his hardness into my belly.

My eyes fluttered.

What are you doing?

I bit my lip, searching for an answer that would justify the craziness of what I wanted.

I’m learning to live again.

The soul-deep reply rendered me dumbstruck. I’d never acknowledged how functionary I was—how detached and mediocre my feelings had become. There were no spikes of joy or caverns of despair. No blips of laughter on a flat-line script of life.

This was my blip. My one chance to re-enter the world and live my life rather than hiding behind a character.

“What is it, Lace? I need to either get as far away from you as possible or drag you into my room. My control is about to fucking snap.” His lips landed on the corner of my mouth, his teeth nipping with fraying restraint.

Panic took hold.

My life was planned and organised. In two days, I would leave for a career in the States. I had a one-way ticket. I’d fought for this all my life. I couldn’t….I can’t give that up.

I shook my head. “I—”

“Stop. You were going to say yes before. I saw it.” Grabbing my chin, he held me tight. “Get rid of the bullshit in your head. Life is too short. Way too fucking short not to take pleasure where you can. I’ll ask you again. Yes or no?”

“I—I…”

A quick dart of pain crossed his features before he blocked his emotions. He smiled, unsuccessfully hiding the strange look of losing something precious before he’d even owned it.

The look of sudden vulnerability sent my heart winging, blowing away my panic and fanning the flames of desire.

“Ask me again,” I breathed.

He stiffened. “Option one, we forget. Option two, we fuck.”

Do it. Trust. Leap. Give in to spontaneous madness.

“Option two. I choose option two.”

“Fucking hell.” His mouth stole mine again in a passionate kiss. The back of my skull bumped into the wall from his pressure. His tongue swept into my mouth, stealing any doubts that I would regret this.

As suddenly as he’d kissed me, he released me.

Grabbing my hand, he tugged me toward his room, whisking me away from my old life, changing the whole dimension of my world.

If I had known how thoroughly he would change me, I would never have agreed.

I would never have given him my soul.

I would never have put myself on a trajectory of calamity.

CHAPTER THREE

THE MOMENT THE door shut, his fingers uncurled from around my wrist.

Rubbing the tingling sparkles from where he’d touched, I asked, “Confident I won’t run?”

He smirked. “Confident I can catch you.”

My stomach somersaulted. Every inch of my body strained toward his. My fingers wanted to uncover every ripped muscle and my mind wanted to tear past the impenetrable outer shell and find out just who this enigma was.

His smirk transformed into a teasing smile. “Didn’t like this room before. Now I do.”

His room was identical to mine, only reversed. My feet moved forward on their own accord, stalking him as he quickly grabbed a black shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans from the desk, and threw them into the open suitcase on the floor.

Sneaking a look into his belongings, I frowned. “You’re an athlete?” Tank tops and workout gear filled the case, along with mesh shorts with a large waistband with a name stitched in gold thread. I couldn’t read what it said—a sock rested over the middle, obscuring it.

He grabbed the top of his case, slamming it closed. “I’m going to give you another choice.”

My eyes shot to his. “What other choice?”

He prowled forward, closing the distance until his heat prickled my skin. I fought the urge to back away—it would only end up with me splayed against the wall and him pressed against me. If he touched me now, I wouldn’t be held responsible for my actions.

Locks of messy blond danced over his forehead. “A choice and a promise. I promise I’ll use your body like no other man before. I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted from sex.” Reaching up, he stroked my bottom lip with a confident thumb. “Have you ever been disappointed? Looking forward to fucking someone only for it to be a huge let down?”

My scarce romantic past shot before my eyes. There’d been Carl