Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
I did my best to remain unaffected as I lifted a shoulder. “I never asked for money. They just gave it to me.”
“Don’t kid yourself. You asked. They knew they had one flex to keep you as their side piece, and they used it. Their wealth.”
Letting out a sigh, I laid my head back and rested it on the wall, staring up at the ceiling. “Whatever, Storm. I’m tired, and I do not have to defend my life choices to you.”
He was the first person I’d ever even tried to defend myself to. Why was I doing it now? Why did I care? It wasn’t like I would ever have him look at me differently. He’d never want me. Accept me. My crush, or whatever it was I seemed to harbor for him, needed to end. When I looked at him, I wanted to truly hate him. Every part of me. Right now, that was not the case.
“But you are,” he replied, then stood up.
I tilted my head to watch him as he walked toward me. My body began to do that tingly thing it did when he was close to me. It was not getting the memo that this was off the table.
“I’m what?” I asked, unable to remember what it was we were talking about while he towered over me.
The smile on his face held a touch of cruelty that should be a red flag, but I was overlooking it. He was too close to think about much else.
“Stand up, Briar,” he demanded in a husky tone that sent a thrill throughout my body.
I wouldn’t let him control me. Not again. I’d already suffered that humiliation.
“No,” I replied, not moving a muscle.
He tilted his head to the side, and his gaze traveled down my body slowly. Inhaling oxygen was a struggle. I tried to focus on that while he made his way back to my face.
“Now.”
My eyes widened, and the area between my legs clenched at his order. Dammit, why was this hot? I didn’t let men talk to me like this. I was the one who held the power. I decided what I would and would not do. Yet I uncrossed my legs and felt my body betray me as I did as told.
A pleased gleam lit his eye, along with the swirl of hate and desire I could see there. He lifted a hand and gently cupped my face as he seemed to drink in my features, as if he was trying to memorize them.
“Dangerous fucking beauty,” he said huskily.
Breathe, Briar. I had to breathe.
He stared at my mouth so intently that I wet my lips, expecting him to kiss me. Realizing I was going to beg if he didn’t. I wanted to know what that felt like. How he tasted. If it was as delicious as I imagined it would be.
His hand dropped then, and I gripped my thighs to keep from reaching out and grabbing his hand to bring it back up.
“Turn around and put your hands on the wall,” he said in a low, hoarse voice.
A major red flag. I should sit my ass back down and tell him to go to hell. I should. It was what I’d do to any other man who treated me like this.
When I turned around and leaned over the bench to place my palms on the cool, smooth wall, I closed my eyes in disbelief at my own actions. Maybe I would have changed my mind and walked off, but the hiss of Storm’s breath just as his hand slid over my butt stopped me from getting my act together.
My eyes flew back open, and I stared at that bare wall I was leaning against as his hands slid up to the waist of my bottoms. With a hard jerk, they were shoved down to my ankles. Storm’s large, callous hand ran over my bare bottom, and then he slid a finger beneath the thin satin strip of my thong and ran it down from the top until he reached the damp achiness he had caused.
I bit down hard on my lip to keep from begging him to touch me when his finger left, but the hard slap that landed on my right butt cheek had my teeth releasing the abused lip as I cried out. That stung. Another loud smack echoed in the room, and I jerked from the contact.
“Fuck, that ass bounces nice,” he snarled.
My entire body felt flushed. I fought back the moan I wanted to make. This time, when his hand made contact, it was a loud crack that had me crying out. Damn, that was hard. It was going to leave a mark. I should stop this. Get away from him because, clearly, he was one of those men who liked to hurt women while having sex.