Page 48 of Ivory's Ruin Romance

Giving her tongue one final caress, he slid out of her mouth to let her respond but didn’t take his hand away. Not yet. A wet trail of saliva followed the path of his fingers to the curve of her neck, where he rested his palm around her throat so she’d feel the weight of his desire, of what it would be like to be his. “Now, do you realize what you do to me?”

She closed her mouth, swallowing before she spoke. Her throat moved under his hand, and his fingers danced over her skin to soak up every reaction.

“Yes,” she said in a broken whisper, all her need and desire pouring out in that single, penetrating word.

He hardened his grip at the sides of her neck, her pulse steady as it thrummed into the tips of his fingers.

“Yes, what?” he growled, loosening his hold to release a rush of blood.

“Yes, sir,” she corrected, a lilt to her voice that resonated deep inside his chest and took root in a place no one had reached before. Every part of her expression became etched with the same yearning and awe he’d felt for her from day one.

Leaning in, he hovered his lips over hers and spoke the only words she deserved to hear. “Good girl.”

Then there was nothing. Nothing and everything all at once. Nothing between their fervent mouths, no space nor air to breathe in the wake of their lips as they joined at last, while everything about her consumed him—the sugary sweetness on her breath, the supple texture of her lips, the heat of her tongue. The uninhibited moan as he claimed her mouth as his, biting into the forbidden fruit without a trace of remorse.

She kissed him back and parted like a flower in full bloom. The urgent press of her lips ebbed and molded with his own, both insatiable, both lost in a void of time that stretched on and on and on until his lungs burned and his lust burned hotter.

“Fuck being friends,” he rasped, out of breath. “You’re more than that. You’re mine, Ivory, and I’ll make damn sure you never forget it.” Pulling away, he released her as she stared back at him, lips a dark red. “As soon as I’m certain I won’t put you in danger, it’ll be my turn to return all the care and happiness you granted me.”

He released her neck and traced a finger over the rosy blush on her cheeks. But her eyebrows knitted as she searched his face. “Danger?”

Shit. Of course, that would make her worry. “It’s nothing you have to be concerned about,” he assured. “When it’s all over, I’ll tell you everything.”

When he could finally be the man that she thought he was.

She frowned, but conceded. “As long as you’re okay.”

He gave her a confident nod.

“One more thing?” she asked.

“Anything.” A dangerous answer, albeit a truthful one.

She smiled, still shy about speaking her mind but at least a little more inclined to do so. “What about those?” she asked, looking down at the crushed and forgotten box of cigarettes in his other hand. “Do they help…or make it harder to deal with things in the long run?”

He sighed, admitting the truth. “I’ve wanted to quit for a while. Then this thing came up, and I lost my momentum.”

“Let me help,” she offered, the hopeful spark in her eyes igniting.

“How do you plan to do that?” he asked.

“Use me instead.” She wrung her hands around the bottle of conditioner, and he frowned. While he fully intended to use her, it wouldn’t be as a method to dull his senses. Quite the opposite.

She hurried to explain, “Like, whenever you want to smoke, text me.”

He hummed, considering her suggestion. “You’re offering to become my new addiction?” he asked, choosing the words intentionally. “To clarify.”

“Yeah,” she breathed. “If you’ll let me.”

This woman.

He took in a deep breath, then picked out a single cigarette and handed the rest of the box to her. “I get my last supper,” he said, looking over regretfully at the new box. “After this one, I’ll text you. Don’t answer if you’re in class or if it’s going to distract you.”

Her face lit up. “Okay! I’ll make sure to check between every class. You won’t have to wait more than an hour, tops. Unless I’m sleeping, but then…”

“I won’t text after midnight. Sound good?” All this excitement over something so small and mundane. It was adorable.

“Deal,” she confirmed.

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