Page 113 of Drawn Blue Lines

The pounding in my head was relentless. A dull ache so intense it blurred my vision even in complete darkness. I had no idea what time it was. Just the thought of staring at the bright light of my phone was enough to send the room spinning.

My teeth chattered as a trickle of sweat rolled down the back of my neck. I choked on the violent contrast of sensation, causing my body to spasm with a rough rattling cough. Lifting a shaking hand to my chest, I clawed at my contracting lungs, my compressed throat, and my aching heart.

I froze, the last thought woven in so seamlessly, yet laced with so much truth.

Val said Brody confessed he was in love with me.

I didn’t deserve that word. But just for tonight, as selfish as it was, I needed to pretend I deserved every single one of those four letters. I needed the gentle calm before the storm. The peace before the reckoning.

I’d leave this world the same way I entered it. As a soulless pawn.

Peeling back the blanket, I padded barefoot along the cold marble, goose bumps rippling across my bare limbs. My heart lurched into my throat as I stood outside the closed door, the silence behind it making me second guess myself.

Don’t turn back.

Twisting the doorknob, I stepped inside the darkened room before I could change my mind. My fingers curled by my side as an almost imperceptible exhale flitted across my ear.

“I was wondering how long it would take you.”

I smiled, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “Confident, are we?” I barely got the last word out before another round of coughs almost brought me to my knees.

Sheets rustled, and the lamp ignited, flooding the room with agonizingly bright light. It felt like a thousand knives stabbing through my eyes all at once, and I muffled a cry as I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyelids.

Brody’s warm hands cradled my head. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“The light,” I wheezed. “Turn off the light.”

His warmth disappeared along with the glaring brightness. A painful and welcomed loss, fighting against another one inside my head. Once again, the violent contrast sent me into a tailspin, and I stumbled into strong arms.

“Christ, Adriana, tell me what’s wrong!”

But I couldn’t. At least, not and still claim the peace I desperately needed. “Remember when I walked in on you at Caliente?”

The tension eased with his low chuckle. “You mean when I was jerking off, pretending it was you?”

I nodded. “I want to give you that.”

He let out a rough exhale, the raw need in his voice strained with hesitation. “Adriana…”

But nothing he said would deter me. Hell could rise up and drag me down piece by piece, but I was going to give him this one last memory.

My final surrender.

Sinking to my knees in the darkness, I curled my fingers around the waistband of his boxers and slid them down his strong thighs. Brody let out a low grunt as his cock sprang free. I’d never wanted to touch a man more. I’d never wanted to give without any reservations or expectations. So, I cradled him in my hands and stroked my thumbs over his swollen crown.

He sucked a sharp breath through his teeth. “Shit.”

“Sit down,” I instructed. “On the edge of the bed.”

He didn’t argue, and I moved with him as he sank onto the mattress. Without a word, he planted his feet in an open invitation. Empowered by the musky, masculine scent of his arousal, I wedged myself in between his legs and swirled my tongue around the tip.

“Fuck, Adriana, you’re killing me.”

“Tell me what you want,” I whispered, licking underneath the crown. “Every single detail. This is your fantasy. Make it come true.”

His tortured groan sounded more animal than human as his hand dove into my hair. “I want you to suck me hard. I want to fuck your mouth, and then I want to come down your throat and watch you swallow it.”

I let out an unstable breath.

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