Page 177 of Heart So Hollow

His blue eyes go dark as he holds me enraptured beneath him, “I will never apologize for being close to you,” he growls, “I’ll be a slave for you, I’ll kill for you, I’ll burn the world down around you, but if you want to get rid of me,” the corner of his mouth spasms with malice, “you’ll have to put a bullet between my eyes.”

All the air leaves my lungs and I’m so consumed by his overwhelming presence that I don’t even bother to contemplate what that really means. I should be fleeing in terror, but all I want is for him to come closer. I want to feel his heartbeat and his warmth pressed against me, but his body armor is in the way. I wish he’d take it off. But the rule-follower in me knows better. He can’t take it off, he won’t, and I wouldn’t, either. It keeps me at an infuriating distance, unless I want outlines of mace clips, magazines, and keys embedded in my skin.

“Colson,” I grab his wrist, glaring back at him, “you have to stop this.”

He shifts his jaw back and forth as he studies me, “Remember when I told you about the first night that I spent with you—when I came up to the lake? You should’ve been horrified, but instead, you were weeping for my dick. I make you feel like you’re the only woman in the world—because you are. So, no,” he sneers, “I’m not going to stop.”

“I was horrified,” I snarl back, “because you decided to tell me what you did after you tied me to your bed with your dick inside me—so I couldn’t leave.”

Here I am, fighting with him again, and I’m accomplishing nothing but digging myself deeper.

“Then say it, baby,” he taunts, “say you don’t still want me. Tell me you don’t need my cum running out of you to make you feel alive.” He pulls me so close, his lips brush against mine, “I need you by my side, and you need me inside you.”

Suddenly, a staticky, electronic voice cuts through the silence, giving me a start.

“Colson, it’s Nate, come in.”

I freeze when I hear Nate’s voice crackling over the radio on Colson’s chest.

Colson gives a coy smile and reaches for his radio with one hand, “Yeah?” he replies, still holding me over the desk by my neck.

Jesus Christ, it had to be Nate. I cringe at how ridiculous all of this looks. I hope no one knocks on the door. Or maybe I do, I can’t decide.

“Ray called,” Nate crackles, “he said he found that part from the manufacturer. He can come back if the other one’s no good.”

Colson loosens his grip and leans back. At least now I can sit up straight. Then he puckers his lips into a silent shhh and slides his hand to the side of my neck. One hand remains fixed on his radio while he absently strokes the side of my clenched jaw with the other. His eyes wander as he carries on his conversation with Nate, until, finally, his gaze settles back on my body.

He lets his hand fall from my neck to my shoulder and linger there for a moment before slowly trailing down to my torso. Droning on about hardware and service requests, Colson stares down at the front of my shirt, brushing his palm up and down the side of my ribcage. He’s driving me nuts. And I can’t move because his body is wedged between my legs with the sides of his boots pressed against my sandals.

He drags his thumb over the curve of my breast while he talks to Nate, flicking my nipple until it’s a sharp bead visible through my shirt. I glare up at him with pursed lips, but he only responds with a smirk.

“Give it another check when you head back and I’ll let him know we don’t need it,” Nate crackles.

“Affirm,” Colson replies before releasing the radio.

Suddenly, a different voice cuts through the static, “Hey, Col.”

Colson reaches for the radio again with a roll of his eyes, “Yeah?”

“Ask your girl if she’s done her floor walk-through yet. Hazmat disposal’s coming tomorrow.”

My eyes go wide and dart between Colson and his radio.

Your girl?

“Will do,” Colson grins with satisfaction, “Oh, Noah,” he adds, “do me a favor?”

“Yeah?”

“Ask Nate if he still wants to know what it’s like on the inside.”

“Fuck you, Lutz,” Nate’s voice suddenly breaks back in, this time over a backdrop of laughter.

Colson chuckles to himself and releases the radio once more.

“What the hell does that mean?” I snap as soon as I’m sure he’s radio silent.

Colson just shakes his head and doesn’t answer. It’s just as well, I probably don’t want to know. I can barely look Alex in the eye, as it is.

---