Page 26 of Skin Deep

“God dammit. I said fucking bite me! Make it hurt!” I snarled.

I barely got the words out before his teeth clamped onto my lip so hard the coppery taste of blood flooded my mouth. The pain was so good, even mild as it was, I almost came on the spot. Paxton groaned and dropped his hands to my hips, pulling me against him. The hard outline of his cock pressed into me, and I twisted slightly to grind myself against him.

I gasped when he slid his hands to my ass and hauled me up from the ground so he didn’t have to keep bending down to kiss me. Paxton pinned me against the tree, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding onto him to keep from sliding down when he let go of me. Strong, calloused hands tangled in my hair and jerked my head back. I let out a small hiss, but it was an automatic response. I didn’t want him to stop. If anything, I wanted him to be rougher with me, but it was hard to focus on anything when blood was dripping down my lip and the rough tree bark was digging into my back.

He stared down at me before running his thumb over the blood pooling on my lip. I sucked his thumb into my mouth, licking my blood from it.

“You’re such a fucking tease,” he growled and bit my neck.

I couldn’t stop the desperate little whimper that escaped my lips, or the shudder of pleasure that went through me. I wanted to scream, “Yes, yes, yes! Bite me, scratch me, hurt me.” No one had ever manhandled me like that, and I was so desperate to get it, I didn’t care if he was the worst thing for me.

And then he had to go and ruin it.

He tugged my shirt up from where it was tucked in my pants. I tried to scramble to stop him, but I wasn’t fast enough. His fingers brushed over the scars on my stomach and he paused, concern etched in his rough features.

“Paxton, don’t—”

He didn’t listen. Pax yanked my shirt up the rest of the way, exposing my midsection to the world and to him while my face burned.

Anger flashed in his eyes as he ran his fingers over the collection of shallow scars that marred my body. “Who did this to you?”

I pushed my shirt down and shoved him back. “Leave me alone.” I tried to walk away but I didn’t get far before he grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

“Who fucking hurt you?” he demanded, fire in his eyes. “Was it your ex? That prick your brother was telling me about back in Florida? Because if it was—”

“It was me,” I blurted and then cringed at how stupid it sounded. It was out there now, though. No taking it back. “I fucking did it, okay?!”

His grip on me loosened and I pulled away. “War…”

“Don’t fucking look at me like that,” I growled, fighting to tuck my shirt back in. “It’s not like that. It’s not what you think.”

“And what am I supposed to think?”

“Nothing,” I snapped. “It’s none of your fucking business.”

I wiped a hand over my lip. God dammit. Now I was fucking bleeding everywhere.

While I was busy trying to mop up the blood running down my chin, Paxton swooped in again. I froze in place when he took my face in his big hands, caressing his calloused thumbs over my cheeks. Then he leaned down and licked the blood from my lip. I fought the urge to shudder.

“Don’t,” I whispered.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not… It’s not sanitary. You don’t know where I’ve been. If I’ve been exposed to…things.” I swallowed, drawing my fingers into fists so tight they hurt.

“Would you relax and let yourself enjoy something for once?” he growled and kissed me again, more aggressively this time.

His teeth clamped down on my bottom lip and he sucked it into his mouth. I couldn’t help but groan. It was filthy and risky, and it made no sense that I should like it, especially considering my aversion to germs and diseases, but I did. I fucking loved knowing that my blood was inside of him, that I was a part of someone else, and that he wanted me enough that he didn’t care about the stupid risk he was taking.

It had been so damn long since anyone had wanted me—romantically or otherwise—that I’d forgotten how good it felt. Howweakit made me. I couldn’t help it. I was so tired of being strong, of holding it together for everyone else. I wanted this. Why couldn’t I have it?

“Fuck, I can’t wait to hear you make those sounds while I’m inside you,” Paxton growled against my skin.

“Is that what you want from me?” I asked coldly and he froze. “Because if all you want is to fuck, you’ve got the wrong guy.”

He sighed and leaned back to look at me with a frown. “Come on now. You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I’m not sure of anything when it comes to you,” I snarled, and shoved him back.

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