Page 83 of Scorch

And the one thing that makes me clutch my chest while I rifle through the pages: an old, tattered copy of Wuthering Heights. When I open the cover, “Liberty Academy” is stamped in faded purple ink.

He took this. I was a child the last time I held this. And if there was any doubt about these items—why they are here and where he got them—my high school photo, curled around the edges and in the center of this small collection, removes all possible uncertainty.

“You found the shrine.” Viktor’s deep voice booms behind me.

I spin around on my heel, still clutching the worn book in my hand. His gaze skates down the length of my body. He loves it when I wear nothing but his tee.

Oh no, buddy. We are not getting sidetracked.

“What is this?” I ask, my voice high-pitched. The hand holding the book trembles slightly.

Viktor shrugs a massive shoulder with not a trace of guilt. “What do you think it is?”

I take a step back and shake my head when he moves toward me. “No, don’t touch me. Don’t come near me, Viktor.” When he ignores me and takes another step forward, I rear back and whip the book at his head as hard as I can throw. He ducks just in time. The old book falls to the floor, loose pages fluttering down like dead leaves from the maples outside.

He advances on me, and before I can stop him, he captures me, his hands on my wrists, and lifts me straight into the air.

“Not now!” I scream at him, clawing at him. “Put me down!” I pound on his back with my fists, but they’re little fluffy snowballs against a glacier. He doesn’t even flinch.

“Viktor!” I scream. “Let me go!”

Despite my best efforts, my heart is pounding, and I’m so fucking wet. I can scream and rail against him, but he’s immovable.

This is him. This is us. My protests only ignite my own need for him. Still, rage courses through my veins, even though I know exactly where this will end up. He’ll either spank me or fuck me or both.

“Fuck you!”

With a growl, he lets me down and spreads me belly-down over the table. The bottle of perfume falls and shatters, and the napkin flutters to the floor like the falling petals of a flower. The faintest scent of perfume fills the room.

Without a word, his heavy palm slams across my ass once, twice, three times. I can’t breathe, gasping over the table. I clutch the edge, and he lowers his mouth to my ear.

“I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember,” he growls. “You know that. I haven’t hidden it.”

“This is creepy!” I scream as he shoves his tee up so it’s around my breasts, the rest of me nearly naked for him.

Another slap of his palm makes me go up on my toes as his hand falls hot and heavy. I scream myself hoarse until it hurts, but it does no good.

“Stop shrieking at me. I told you if you didn’t watch that mouth, I’d give you a use for it.”

“Fuck off!” I yell. I feel wildly out of control like I’m spiraling into an abyss, and there’s no way for me to stop myself. He spanks me again so hard I can’t breathe.

“Fine, then,” he snaps. “We’ll do this another way.”

He spins me around and shoves me to my knees.

“You should apologize!” I glare up at him, but I’m sopping wet and so needy; if he swiped one finger across my clit I’d probably explode right now. I’m still angry with him… but this is how we do things. I’m the puppet, and he’s pulling my strings. This is our dance, and I was the one who stepped onto the dance floor.

He holds me down with his left hand. I swivel my head and snap at his fingers seconds before he pulls them away from me and unbuckles his belt with his right hand.

“Lydia,” he growls. “If you’d only fucking listen.”

“Listen to your fucking justification about why you’re obsessed with me? Fuck off! Ow!”

His belt slaps against my ass so hard I can’t breathe, the searing leather instantly welting me. He reaches down and fists my hair with his other hand. I scream as he yanks out his cock.

“Don’t you even?—”

Another yank of my hair, and my mouth falls open in a scream seconds before he shoves his cock down my throat. Arousal washes through me in a tidal wave at the feel of his hardened, throbbing cock, satin-covered steel, filling my mouth. He fucks my mouth with a savage thrust. My eyes water.

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