Page 104 of Tempest

Tempest catches me mid-leap by weaving his arms around my torso and tossing me to the ground.

My back smacks against the uneven forest floor, my head crunching against it soon after. Blurry stars interwoven with a canopy of trees and black, black night make it hard to gain my bearings and allows Tempest the advantage he needs to flatten himself against my body, his features overtaking the sky.

“Did you honestly think you could run from me, princess?” he purrs.

Both my wrists slam against either side of my head, held firm by him. His groin rubs against mine, calling for the heat with a demon’s expertise. The whites of his eyes, two moons bright against the gruesome aftermath of my memories fight for dominance and demand my attention.

It dawns on me Tempest might’ve done this before. Chased women into the woods, jumped them, assaulted them … murdered them.

His teeth gleam through the night, enjoying my struggles and the useless kicks of my knees against his well-honed, muscled thighs.

Tempest is bigger, fitter, and crueler than me by a record-breaking margin. I have no hope of fighting him. He probably likes it when they do.

An idea takes shape in my head, one that sickens and arouses to the point of confusion. My stomach twists into excited knots. The fact that I’m looking forward to what I need to do next … am I drawn to depravity like Tempest is?

No. No, I’m eager for control. And I’m pretty sure how to get it in this situation.

So I tip my head back and moan.

Tempest stiffens above me. His grip doesn’t loosen, but his jaw sure does. “What are you playing at?”

I wriggle underneath him, not in protest, but to get closer to the hard length pressing into my belly where my shirt’s risen up, and the cold button of his jeans quickly warms with my heat.

“I want you,” I say.

There’s enough moonlight through the break in the trees to see his brows come together. “You’re fucking insane if you do. Are you sure they let you out at the right time, or did you escape?”

His dart is a direct hit. Any mention of my time at Cedar Springs is a hurtful reminder of what I’ve been through and how I’m unable to handle tough situations. There are events that test a person’s stamina or break them altogether. I’m so tired of shattering.

“The person I saw back there,” I begin carefully, “that man, it’s not the real you, is it? I’ve had the true man. I’ve tasted him, and I want to remind myself you’re still in there.”

Tempest pulls his lips in, conflict rippling across his features as he probably wonders whether I’m fucking with him or being honest. With my history, it’s hard to be certain.

I hate to admit, I’m not so sure myself because what I’m saying is true. I want to believe the Tempest who hurts and pleases me is the stronger one.

“All you want me to do is to get off you,” he responds. “And you’re willing to say anything to make me.”

A sifting of disappointment occurs in my gut at how fast he came to that conclusion, but what did I expect? He’s expertly hidden a terrible secret for years. Tempest knows how to read people in their most desperate situations. “I can’t fight you, it’s true. But is the time you spent with me a lie? Did you have sex with me as part of a more sinister plan? Tell me, Tempest. You can’t make this night any worse if you explain why you chose me.”

“I…” For the first time, he’s at a loss for words. “No. You weren’t meant to be a part of this. I’d planned to keep you separate, but then you had to go and break into my home and sneak into the basement. Why did you do that, Ardyn? Fucking why?”

“I thought I saw something,” I whisper, meeting his eyes through the moonlight. “I swear, I thought I saw something behind Clover, and I ran. I never expected to find—I didn’t climb down those stairs knowing you had h-hostages there and were…”

“I don’t know what to do with you.” Tempest’s voice lowers to a rasp. “I’m at a loss, and I wish you never made the decision to creep through that door.”

“Me, too.”

Tempest grows serious. At his expression, a dire warning flows through my center. “I can’t let you go.”

“I don’t want you to,” I say as fear claws its way into my throat. I press my hips against him, my core warming against his length despite the real danger he poses. But my plans haven’t changed. The only way to get him to release me is to lower his barriers.

“Please,” I beg. “Please, I need you now more than ever.”

“You don’t.”

Lifting my head, I coax his lips to mine, sucking on his lower one gently and kneading the soft, silken interior with my teeth. He groans, and I drink it up eagerly.

Tempest captures my lips, transforming my gentle exploration into vicious pursuit. There’s a sting in my lower lip, and a hot, metallic taste covers my tongue. I grunt at the pain, instinctively drawing away, but he pushes my head to the ground with his lips, forcing me to open, sucking my tongue inside his mouth and biting down on it.

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