Page 7 of Power Struggle

I straighten my spine.

Jack pales.

“Don’t do this, Addison.”

It’s the plea in his voice that has me freezing in confusion. He wastes no time stepping into my space again. His hand is around my throat in the next second, shocking me even more. His forehead hits mine. “Don’t,” he repeats, sounding pissed off and, even more surprisingly, hurt.

“Don’t what?” I whisper though I think I already know. And if I’m right, it’s even more of a reason to run right now.

“Don’t pull away from me. Don’t go back behind that fucking fortress. Let me in, goddammit. Please.” He sees me. It’s my biggest fear and my deepest wish. It’s too much. I open my mouth, but he shakes his head once. “No. Just listen to me. I know you, Addison Hughes. I’ve known you for years. I know you more than you know yourself and more than you’d ever willingly let someone.”

My eyes squeeze shut as fear and embarrassment wash over me, mixing with an unhealthy dose of denial.

He can’t.

“I know you, and I’m still here. I want you. I want you so fucking bad that I’m dying without you. Do you understand that? I see you, and I want you even more because of it. Stop running.” His breathing is labored. There’s a slight tremble to his usually calm body. It’s overwhelming. Intoxicating. Everything.

I swallow thickly. My fingers find his button-down shirt and tangle in the fabric, twisting it roughly. I’m not sure if I’m trying to pull him into me or push him away. “I can’t,” I murmur. This time, I’m the one to shush him when he tries to interrupt. My heart is thudding at an erratic staccato, and my hands are trembling as badly as his body. My stomach is twisting so harshly that I’m afraid I might puke all over his shiny shoes, which is saying something, considering I haven’t eaten today. I was too nervous. Good thing, too. “I’m damaged, Jackson. I’m broken inside. I have,” I swallow again, nearly choking on the bile in my throat. “Monsters,” I practically spit the word.

“So do I,” he cuts in before I can stop him.

I lean back, finally meeting his beautiful eyes. His hand flexes around my throat, and the other wraps around my cheek softly. It’s like he’s warring with his two sides of himself. Sides I’m not sure many others see. But not many others pay as close attention to Jack as I do. They see his humor. His professionalism. His kindness. His background. They know who his family is. They have expectations and assumptions. I have the real him. I see the lighthearted man that everyone else sees, but I also see his darkness. His anger and frustration. The depravity. The possessiveness. A part of me wonders if I only see it because it’s there for me.

I quickly dismiss the thought.

Stupid dreams.

Jack palms my cheek roughly, dragging my face where he wants me. He presses his lips to my forehead in a move that has my heart clenching painfully. His lips ghost across my skin as he murmurs, “I have monsters too, Addison. I’ll dance with yours if you dance with mine.”

I shake my head with a scoff. “I’m so confused right now. This is so much. It’s out of nowhere,” I choke out, trying to pull away. The hand around my throat tightens, and I gasp for breath.

“That’s bullshit,” he growls, his eyes burning in a glower. “This isn’t out of nowhere, and we both know it. Just fucking give in. Let yourself feel this. Us. Just for one night, and if you still don’t think there’s anything between us tomorrow, I’ll walk away.” He swallows, squeezing his eyes shut like the thought is painful. My own heart squeezes like the very fist wrapped around my throat is around the stupid organ in my chest as well.

Could I do that? Give into him. Just once. One night and then we walk away. We give into the lust and chemistry between us. Then, he’ll see I’m nothing more than a pretty body and walk away like everyone else.

No, he won’t, my brain whispers. I shut the needy bitch up and smirk up at him, faking it the way I do everything else in my life. “Fine,” I agree, knowing damn well he’ll walk away tomorrow, and I’ll be left nursing my wounded ego and a broken heart. His eyes gape in shock.

“But you’ll have to work for it.” His hand slips away, an adorable, confused look replacing his shock. I bring my colorful arm up, waving it in front of his face. “I still have other options, don’t I?” I chuckle, taking a step back with a shrug, shoving away all the deep emotions I can’t deal with and embracing my alter-ego like a second skin. “If you’re the last man standing, I’m all yours.”

It takes him a few seconds to catch up, but when he does, he grins back at me wickedly. The look is so devilish on his handsome, chiseled face that I actually shiver. Locking eyes with me, Jack brings his fingers up to his mouth and slowly, so fucking slowly, sucks them between his thick lips. I choke when I realize he’s sucking on the fingers that he’d had inside me. Even worse, he’s moaning with his eyes closed like I’m the best thing he’s ever tasted.

His fingers slip from his mouth in a sensual move before he murmurs, “Fucking delicious, Princess.” This time, I do choke. Jack smirks. “Game fucking on.”

A waiter passes at that exact moment with a tray of shots. I pick up the clear double shooter and toss it back. Tequila. Shrugging confidently as though I’m not burning from the inside out, I turn on my heel and head toward the next display, calling over my shoulder, “For one night only.”

Famous last words.

Chapter Seven

This little fucking brat.

I know exactly what she’s doing. No one speaks Addison Hughes better than I do. I probably speak her language better than she does, which is the exact reason we’re in this situation. She’s scared. I get it. I am too. But I meant what I said. I’m not the choir boy people think I am. I may go to church, but it’s got a hell of a lot less to do with religion than it does with me, hoping the ugly demons inside of me will be exorcized just by proximity to the cross than anything else.

My cock is throbbing, my chest feels like I got rammed by a bull, and the lusty fog surrounding me refuses to clear as I watch her cute little ass sway away from me. Her head cocks to the side, and she slows to a stop at the display next to the female glory hole. I chuckle when I realize what has her so interested.

A quick scan around the vast space shows me that some people have left since we were caught in our own little world. Likely upstairs to the suites. From what I know, all the rooms are stocked with the same items and equipped for a night of your wildest fantasies. If they’re missing something you want, within reason, it’s likely in the store off the back side of the party room we’re in. Couples or partners can call down and have it brought up by staff. Talk about room service. They also supply food, drinks, condoms, liquor, lube, etc. It’s an incredible idea, in my opinion. Talk about a money-maker. Nothing sells like sex. Literally.

I grin to myself as I trail slowly behind Addy. The fewer people that are still standing, the less likely she is to talk to or choose any of her other matches. An idea forms in my mind. All I need to do is keep her distracted until everyone else has paired off. You’re really losing it, Jack. A loud male laugh draws my attention from my perfect view of my girl, and I find a big, bulky, attractive dude a few feet away, laughing with a woman. My eyes find both of their wrists, and unsurprisingly, they have matching yellow bracelets. The woman only has one other, a bright blue. The man, however, has five total. My gaze snags on a dark green one with yellow stripes.

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