Page 13 of Clarity

He went harder.

Gripped harder.

Pushed that thumb deeper.

And there wasn’t anything I could do but take it, feel it, all in my head with no outlet. No moaning, no whimpers, no chance to break the tension, which simply ratcheted it all up.

Until static exploded in my head.

In my ears.

Body…jello.

Vision blurred.

Mouth open, but nothing coming out.

On the other side of the door, the flight attendant was knocking incessantly, asking if I was okay.

No.

I wasn’t.

My whole body was in shock, reeling from the post-orgasmic ripples, my brain still trying to process what had happened. Parris pulled my panties up, smacking me on the ass before he stepped back to pull my dress back down, leaving me full of his non-baby-making seed for the second time tonight.

“You can’t run away from this, Riv. You know that, right?” he asked.

“I don’t accept that,” I countered, then blinked, hard, when I realized I’d been able to say that out loud.

He wasn’t compelling me anymore.

“It’s not for you to accept, not for any of us,” he said. “Nobody hates that more than somebody like me. I don’t really fuck with being told what to do, but shit… may as well have fun while we’re here, right? Don’t make it harder than it has to be.”

I turned to face him with a huff. “Don’t make it harder than it has to be? Seriously? That’s your angle here?”

“What other angle is there?” He shrugged. “Gotta make the best of what it is.”

I scoffed. “Right, just what every girl wants to hear from her supposed fated mate. I’m supposed to be flattered, feel good about youmaking the best of what it is?”

Parris frowned. “How else you want me to say it, Riv? I didn’t choose this, but it’s not the end of the world. I could look at you forever and not get tired of it. Fuck you forever and not get tired of it. What more can I ask?”

“Feelings, maybe? Romance?”

He smirked. “Is that the problem? You want flowers? Candles?”

“Iwantto spend my life with somebody who trulywantsme, not out of obligation.”

“Who said I didn’t want you?” he countered, brows furrowed. “Your ass is the one running, not me. But the thing is… you can run all you want; I’m always gonna find you.”

“Why does that sound like a threat?”

“It’s whatever it has to be for you to get it through your head,” he told me.

And then I made the mistake of blinking.

When I opened my eyes again, he was gone, and the flight attendant was still banging on the door.

Shit.

---