so silent that it was somehow loud.
The lacy white bra she wore offended me next, the straps snapping as I ripped them away. Lisbeth scowled like the little brat she was and I only grinned to know she was angry.
“I’ll have no underthings left if this keeps up.”
“That’s the plan.”
“Jerk.”
I caught her face with my hand, lowered mine until our breath mingled and my lips brushed hers.
“Do something about it.”
She shook her wrists against the restraints.
“I’m a bit tied up at the moment.”
“As well you should be. Now do me another favor, brat.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Shut the fuck up for once in your life.”
My mouth claimed hers, my lungs stealing her breath as she squirmed beneath me, hips rolling as my teeth nipped at the tip of her tongue with the promise of pain.
I pulled my mouth away and ground my erection between her legs. She shivered, fucking quaked, her wrists straining against the straps.
“Tell me you want me.”
Her eyes lifted to mine. She’d been studying my lips while licking the sting from hers. “Why?”
“Do you?”
A blink of surprise, a battle inside her.
Pride or truth.
Past or present.
Her answer meant everything.
“Yes.”
“All of me? Every part?”
Another blink, my questions cornering her, smothering her, confusing her.
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes to savor that answer, to experience a moment I’d wanted for so many years. How long had I chased after it? How long had I’d endured her abuse with the belief that, one day, she might change her mind and watch me like I watched her.
Opening my eyes again, I couldn’t stop the darkness from crawling out. The insults. The whispers. The doubts.
“Even my cruelty?”
Her truth bled out on three delectable words. “It scares me.”
“I scare you?”
Silence, one beat and then two. “Yes.”
A wave of desire roared through me with such delicious violence that my body felt impossibly hard, my breath rattling over my lips.
“Good. I want you to fear me.”
She shook against me, her body trapped. “So I won’t fall in love?”
It was the only emotion we could never have, the only one that would destroy us both.
“No,” I answered as I lowered my mouth to her ear.
“I want you to know what I felt my entire life. I want you to experience everything you made me feel when I was a foolish little boy in love with you.”
Her breath caught again, tears glimmering in her eyes when I raised my head to look down at her. She wanted to say something, it was obvious in her face, but only silence met my ears, harsh and loud.
But then, her eyes gained focus, determination lining her jaw.
“I shouldn’t be here, Callan. We’re not good for each other.”
I laughed, one deep bark of sound. “Don’t you think I know that?”
The sound of ripping fabric grabbed her attention, my hand balling the lace of her panties against my palm before I tossed them to the ground.
“Yet, here we are.”
I didn’t let her respond before I sunk down and wrapped her legs over my shoulders. The instant her taste met my lips, I breathed in her scent, a growl rattling in my chest, a beast intent on possession.
My tongue danced out to spear her, invade her, my teeth catching her clit after I lapped up the slick arousal. Lisbeth cried out above me, but I was too engrossed to give a damn. I could hear the straps slap the headboard as she struggled to break free, but that wasn’t enough for me to show her mercy.
Never for this woman. Never for her.
She would ride my face by the time I was done with her, and I’d ride her body. Use it. Adore it. Hate it. Crave it. And then I’d hate myself again in the morning.
Waiting to bury myself deep was the sweetest of tortures.
“Callan, please,” she breathed out, her body spasming because my tongue, my mouth, my hand and teeth would push her just to that point where her pretty little cunt responded before I pulled away again.
I didn’t serve her needs any longer. I served my own. And there wasn’t any way she could tempt me into giving up this game before I’d dragged what I wanted from her.
Tears.
Moans.
Screaming.
Not some sweet little sloppy fuck that would be unmemorable and forgotten.
I wanted my name etched on every one of her bones.
This shouldn’t be happening before a fight. I should remain set and focused, but fuck if she didn’t grab onto me with her whispered questions and delicate touch, with a haunting presence I’d never been able